The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Iraqi artists transform derelict tobacco factory into culture hub The sprawling grounds of Sulaimaniyah's old tobacco factory are finding a second life as an arts center, although financial and bureaucratic obstacles have greatly hindered its progress. Iraq
Egyptian camera bill stokes fears of surveillance state Some fear a draft law requiring public cafes and shops to use surveillance cameras threatens to turn Egypt into a surveillance state. Egypt
Jordan keeps close tabs on southern Syria amid heightened tensions With reports that Iranian militias have withdrawn from southern Syria and the army is preparing to launch a military assault against rebels there, Jordan fears the cease-fire agreement could be jeopardized. Israel
Pentagon set to enhance Jordan’s counterterror troops The Pentagon is sending more than $22 million to help Jordan outfit its emerging special operations command and quick reaction force. Jordan
Turkish opposition remains own worst enemy Despite the claims of nationalist candidate Meral Aksener, the Turkish opposition is distressingly split and neither side has succeeded in drawing votes away from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party. Turkey
Iranian student stands up to Khamenei, calls for democratization Iran’s supreme leader met with a group of students and responded to a number of criticisms of his performance. Iran
Can the EU meet Iran’s expectations for keeping nuclear deal? As Iran and other remaining signatories to the JCPOA labor to keep the nuclear deal intact, rising regime cohesion amid Ayatollah Khamenei’s outlining of effective “red lines” indicate the predominance of realism in Tehran. Iran
Fears of foul play hang over Turkey’s critical elections Election integrity remains a top concern for Turkey’s opposition ahead of the June 24 polls, especially for the country’s main Kurdish party, whose showing could be of critical importance. Turkey
Iraqi war correspondents form committee to fight for rights A group of Iraqi war correspondents formed their own association to defend their rights, which they said were being neglected. Iraq
PA goes after mosque preachers who fail to toe the line Several mosque preachers were banned from taking to the pulpit on Fridays under the pretext of straying from the themes imposed by the Ministry of Endowments. Palestine
Netanyahu, Liberman ignore US efforts for peace deal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman continue advancing construction in West Bank settlements despite US President Donald Trump’s insistence that he wants to advance a peace deal. Palestine
Lebanese women determined to continue fight for more political representation Lebanon's 2018 parliamentary election has highlighted the dearth of women in parliament and the possible ways in which their numbers can be increased. Lebanon
