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
Stymied in Syria, Turkey quietly ups actions against PKK in Iraq Turkey has slowed its military operations in Syria and appears to be shifting attention to northern Iraq to intensify operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party. Iraq
Syrian students explore college education online Good universities can be hard to find in a country besieged by war for seven years, so some Syrian students are turning to online schools to pursue their education. Syria
Israel’s campaign against Hamas drones The assassination of a Hamas-affiliated engineer in Malaysia turns the spotlight on the movement's drone program. Palestine
Is Israel-Iran clash imminent? A consensus has emerged among Israel’s political and security establishments that a military clash with Iran is likely. Israel
Natalie Portman touches a nerve in Israel with prize snub Academy Award-winning actor Natalie Portman has discovered that Israeli politicians are incapable of accepting legitimate criticism of the occupation. Palestine
Egyptian backpacker cycles to World Cup in Russia An Egyptian backpacker is on his way by bike to Russia for the World Cup. Egypt
How long can Saudi Arabia ignore Gaza protests? Saudi king clarifies approach to Jerusalem, but Arab League statement silent on the Gaza Strip; Will Macron and Merkel use North Korea as blueprint for US approach to JCPOA? Saudi Arabia
Iran FM: Trump administration 'never in' nuclear deal In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about Tehran’s potential response as the United States weighs pulling out of the nuclear deal. Yemen
Iraqi comic strip collective tells stories of war, rebirth Mesaha, an Iraqi comix group, had its first European debut at Switzerland's Fumetto festival, yet visa obligations stopped the artists from presenting their own works. Iraq
US Syria effort hinges on unreliable Egypt The Donald Trump administration has reportedly asked Egypt to contribute money and troops to the Syria fight even as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has proven a challenging ally in battling the Islamic State at home. Egypt
US sanctions loom over defiant Turkey Congress is threatening to pursue targeted sanctions against Turkish officials as tensions heat up over the ongoing detainment of American Pastor Andrew Brunson. Turkey
Israeli Arabs torn on country’s Independence Day Head of the Arab Joint List party Ayman Odeh explains that for Israeli Arabs, Independence Day is cause for mourning. Palestine
