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
Iraq’s oil sector caught in crossfire between US, Iran US-Iran tensions have hit Iraq's oil industry, with ExxonMobil announcing an evacuation of its staff in Iraq to Dubai. Iraq
Why Khamenei’s 'no' on talks with US could lead to 'yes' Expect chatter of Iran-US dialog to pick up in the coming weeks, even though Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says he adamantly refuses to negotiate with the Trump administration. Saudi Arabia
NGOs will watch, work with new Palestinian government Nongovernmental organizations will help evaluate the new Palestinian government, its transparency and its efforts to improve communication with the public. Palestine
Palestinian self-made weaponry on the rise Despite Israel's siege on the Gaza Strip, the armed wings of the Palestinian factions have managed to expand their military capabilities. Palestine
Blue and White gets rare second chance in politics New elections present a credible opportunity for the Blue and White to form the next government if it changes its attitude toward working with Israel's Arab minority. Israel
Will Egyptians pay to WATCHiT? WATCHiT, Egypt’s homegrown response to Netflix, is under fire from Egyptians who resent the fees it charges, artists who resent its monopoly and hackers, who've challenged its security. Egypt
Israel's Knesset in limbo The decision to hold new elections in September has thrown the Israeli parliament and government into political limbo. Israel
West Bank security arrests alleged IS recruit targeting Israel Palestinian Authority security services tell Israeli media they arrested a Palestinian woman they believe was going to blow herself up in Israel for the Islamic State. Palestine
Netanyahu needs a miracle Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is confronted with an almost impossible mission: winning the new elections with at least 40 Knesset seats, composing a majority without Avigdor Liberman and convincing coalition partners to legislate quickly the immunity law. Israel
New Israeli elections throw wrench in US peace plan With a new Israeli government unlikely to be formed until late October, as the US 2020 presidential campaign heats up, the Trump administration is increasingly unlikely to present the political component of its peace vision before a second term, analysts and diplomats said. Israel
Can a new project keep Sinai orchards in bloom? The history of the orchards in the High Mountains of South Sinai runs deep, but new generations appear increasingly reluctant to continue the tradition. A new initiative to preserve the heritage and tradition of the groves and gardens might help change their minds. Egypt
Arabs in video games often out of step with times Popular video games often depict minorities as exaggerated stereotypes restricted to predictable roles, but game developers in the Middle East could help break that mold for Arab characters. Pan Arab
