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
Turkey readies for 'new normal' after declaring success against coronavirus President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that a raft of restrictions imposed to curb the outbreak will be lifted next week as the country’s infection and death rates fall sharply. Turkey
Report: Russia building new military base in northeast Syria The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the news coincides with tensions between Kurdish and Russian forces over the M4 highway. Syria
Iran’s parliament taps hard-line former IRGC commander as speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the former national police chief and former mayor of the capital, Tehran, was selected as parliament speaker. Iran
Libya says oil blockade has cost $5 billion in lost revenue The Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation said the closure of oil facilities in January has led to billions in losses. Libya
More refugees in Lebanon test positive for COVID-19 The news of infections in the Syrian refugee community follows a handful of cases among Palestinian refugees last month. Lebanon
Iran arrests 'separatists' in southwest Khuzestan province Arab opposition groups are active in Iran's diverse and oil-rich area of Khuzestan, and a recent protest took place in the province against the lack of drinking water. Iran
Egypt registers highest number of coronavirus cases in single day Egyptian health officials reported 910 new cases Wednesday, bringing the total number of registered coronavirus infections in the country to more than 19,000. Egypt
Erdogan dedicates Turkish island project to hanged idol Turkey’s president says the island of Yassiada may become a Turkish Camp David, while critics slam the destruction of the landscape and archaeological heritage. Turkey
Despite criticism from abroad, Israelis united over annexation Israeli plans to annex the Jordan Valley and parts of the West Bank have drawn criticism from around the world, but most Israelis favor the goal. Palestine
Netanyahu not destabilized over Palestinians cutting security coordination The announcement by the Palestinian Authority of cutting security coordination and warnings by Jordan's King Abdullah have not destabilized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his settlement annexation plan. Palestine
Why is Erdogan afraid of free bread? Turkey's main opposition party has successfully turned the pandemic into an opportunity by building a dynamic grassroots movement in the face of authoritarian rule. Turkey
Israeli doctors fly to Sudan to save diplomat who strove to normalize ties A private aircraft carrying Israeli doctors and medical equipment reportedly arrived to Khartoum on May 26 in a bid to save the life of a local diplomat that was instrumental in advancing ties between the two countries. Israel
