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
All is fair to sustain Erdogan’s reign In a tightly controlled media environment where any critical voice is promptly labeled as terrorist, how did a notorious PKK member on the most wanted list appear as a guest on Turkish state TV? Turkey
Eastern Mediterranean crisis balloons as Turkish drill ships multiply Disputes over oil and gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean have caused a spike in tensions between Ankara and Turkish Cypriots on the one side, and the EU and Greek Cypriots on the other. Turkey
Will Palestinian private sector rescue national economy? Business owners are trying to launch an initiative to lend the financially struggling Palestinian Authority as much as $200 million, but this effort has yet to take shape. Palestine
Algeria’s Hirak presses on with unparalleled achievements Algeria’s popular protests, or Hirak, entered their 20th week on July 5, with thousands of demonstrators flooding city streets. Algeria
Gun control coming to Syria's Aleppo province Tired of the dangers of widespread, unregulated gun ownership, civilians in some areas of Aleppo province are demanding relief. Originals
Why is Hamas test-firing missiles? Hamas has recently intensified its test-firing of missiles in what experts say conveys a message to Israel whereby the movement is ready for war. Palestine
Qatar, Jordan to appoint new ambassadors following diplomatic row Jordan and Qatar are set to appoint their respective ambassadors to Amman and Doha after more than two years of diplomatic row. Saudi Arabia
Can Iraq get its water wheels on UNESCO World Heritage List? Local academics believe that water wheels, used all around the world, were discovered on the banks of the Euphrates River in Anbar province and should be on the World Heritage List. Iraq
For faith or money: Why Gazans are eager to perform umrah Many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip leave the coastal enclave on a pilgrimage trip to Saudi Arabia and never come back. Saudi Arabia
Trump, Macron talk Iran as French envoy heads to Tehran to try to defuse crisis French President Emmanuel Macron mediates to try to defuse Iran crisis. United States
Corrupt economy fuels Algerian revolt The North African country’s rentier model is collapsing. Algeria
Can Iran turn its faltering housing sector around? There are several state initiatives at work aimed at improving housing affordability, but saving Iran’s ailing housing sector will require time and private sector participation. Iran
