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
Egypt flips its wig over cost of imported cosmetics Economists say Egypt's trade balance needs to be reduced, and some see one way of doing this by reducing imports of cosmetics and wigs. Egypt
Netanyahu’s latest 'political bailout plan' For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all roads must lead to a fifth term, even if it means forming a national unity government with Blue and White. Israel
Netanyahu frets over divided right as electoral race takes shape Now that all the parties running in Israel's September elections are registered, lingering schisms among the right bode ill for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Iranians unite to condemn sanctions on Zarif Iranian officials from opposing political sides have united in defense of the country’s foreign minister, the latest target of US sanctions. United States
Shiite military factions have long way to integrate into state forces Despite Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's decree about the Popular Mobilization Units, they have a long way to go to integrate into state forces. Iraq
US leniency on S-400 offers Turkey chance to repair economy The US president's reluctance to impose sanctions following Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system has created a window of opportunity for officials to restructure the nation’s ailing economy. Turkey
Is this a new era in Turkey's fight against PKK? Targeted killings of PKK Central Committee member Diyar Gharib Muhammed in Qandil on June 27 and Turkish intelligence agency-affiliated Turkish diplomat Osman Kose in Erbil on July 17 mark a major shift in the characteristics of the armed conflict between Turkey and the outlawed Kurdish militant group. Turkey
Why US sanctions won’t affect Hezbollah’s popular support US sanctions on the Lebanese Hezbollah group appear to have affected the party’s various wings financially, including the construction association known as Jihad al-Binaa, but popular support and projects are still going strong. Lebanon
Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum to promote regional energy cooperation The founding countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum have recently held a meeting in Cairo, and some experts say the forum is part of the "deal of the century." Palestine
Deadly school bus airstrike haunts Yemenis 1 year later Younis Qatabri was severely injured in the school bus bombing in August 2018 in Yemen, and a year later he remains in pain and cannot walk unaided. Saudi Arabia
How Syria’s White Helmets are avoiding regime strikes The Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, are coming up with new ways to avoid regime and Russian airstrikes. Syria
Conflicts surface with Tunisia’s Ennahda The last-minute decision of Ennahda leader Rachid Ghannouchi to run in this year’s legislative elections in Tunisia has ruffled feathers in the Islamist movement. Tunisia
