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
Pompeo visits CENTCOM amid mixed messaging from US on Iran In a strange move for a top US diplomat, Mike Pompeo visited a US military command solo to avow that the United States doesn't want war with Iran. United States
As Jerusalem meeting nears, Russia seeks ways to ease US-Iran tensions Russia is urging the United States to cease provocations of Iran and also is seeking to persuade Tehran to stay in the nuclear deal. Israel
Iraq considers appointing powerful clerics to high court Iraq's legislature is mulling over a bill that would change the makeup of the country's top court to include Islamic scholars, stirring controversy over how much influence they should have. Iraq
Erdogan lauds Brotherhood ally as Turkey mourns Morsi Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly questioned the circumstances of the former Egyptian president's death as Turkey observed nationwide funeral prayers today. Egypt
Erdogan faces consequences of his two biggest mistakes Erdogan's repeat strategic blunders may come to haunt him in the June 23 rerun of the Istanbul vote. Turkey
Is Iran’s Reformist-moderate coalition coming to an end? With Iran’s next parliamentary elections just eight months away, the moderates and Reformists are talking about ending their coalition, raising concerns that the hard-liners will return to power. Iran
Iran says not seeking war after announcing boost in uranium stockpile A day after announcing that its stockpile of low-enriched uranium will soon surpass limits under the nuclear deal — earning praise from across a divided domestic political spectrum — Iran says it is not seeking military confrontation with any nation. Iran
US lines up partners to protect oil tankers after Gulf attacks Gen. Paul Selva, the second-ranking US military officer, said today that the Donald Trump administration is asking for the help of Asian nations that import Gulf oil to help protect tankers from suspected Iranian attacks. United States
Will Morsi’s death change Muslim Brotherhood's situation in Egypt? The sudden death of jailed Muslim Brotherhood leader and former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in court has raised questions about the future of the outlawed group and the conditions of prisons in Egypt. Egypt
Israeli-Russian vote decisive for next elections Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs at least one Knesset seat from the Israeli-Russian population to assemble a majority coalition after the September elections. Israel
Centuries on, Lebanese national liquor still makes eyes water Lebanon's beloved arak is similar to other anise-based drinks like Greek ouzo or Turkish raki, but it still enjoys a distinct and proud local tradition. Lebanon
Even as Sisi frees prisoners, opponents unite against him Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is releasing more opposition prisoners, bringing the number to 8,000 since he became president in 2014, but he hasn't appeased his rivals. Egypt
