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
Ethiopia says first year of Nile River dam filling 'achieved' Ethiopia plans to continue talks with Egypt and Sudan after Ethiopia backtracked from reports it had started filling the controversial dam last week. Egypt
Erdogan: Turkey will stay in Syria until the 'people are free' The Turkish president's comments follow parliamentary elections in Syria over the weekend that critics described as a farce. Syria
Murder of Turkish woman sparks nationwide protests The murder of a Turkish woman sparks protests across the nation as government officials consider withdrawing from a convention designed to combat violence against women. Turkey
Alleged Israeli airstrikes hit Iranian and Syrian government targets in Syria The Syrian government and the opposition suspect Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria this year. Syria
Will Azeri-Armenian flare-up change energy game in South Caucasus? Azeri-Armenian clashes in the strategically significant Tavush area could be the harbinger of tectonic changes in the energy politics in the South Caucasus, Turkey and Iran. Turkey
German woman 'kidnapped' in Baghdad Baghdad-based artist Hella Mewis was reportedly abducted while riding her bike Monday evening. Iraq
Hungarian foreign minister visits Israel, discusses Iranian file Visiting Israel despite the coronavirus spike, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto discussed with his counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi not only bilateral cooperation, but also the Iranian file. Palestine
Top German diplomat criticizes Turkey's drilling plans in Mediterranean German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas repeated the concerns of other European states regarding Turkey's gas drilling plans in what Greece and Cyprus consider their waters. Turkey
Oman imposes fresh lockdown ahead of Eid al-Adha holiday A ban on travel between the governorates and an 11-hour curfew will run from July 25 through Aug. 8. Oman
Israeli restaurants vs. PM Netanyahu: 1-0 Celebrity chefs are championing the fight against the government’s decision to close down restaurants over the coronavirus pandemic. Israel
Netanyahu stands alone Surrounded by yes-men ministers and lacking any real professionals by his side, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has found himself alone at the top. Israel
Google presents new tool to decode hieroglyphics Google has created a new tool to translate hieroglyphics into English and Arabic at the stroke of a key. Egypt
