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
Boys' rescue from forest provides bright spot for Turks The rescue of two boys, ages 4 and 5, from a forest brought a modicum of hope the day after May Day to Turkish union members and others who have seen their buying power dwindle and are still seeing the nation's governing party trying to reverse the results of the March 31 Istanbul mayor election. Turkey
Israel’s finance minister gets second chance Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon is bitter over what he sees as voter disloyalty, but his party still has four Knesset seats that will enable him to keep his job. Israel
Israel, Hamas hesitant over Islamic Jihad provocations On the backdrop of attempts to reach an arrangement with Hamas and ahead of an especially sensitive month, Israel minimizes retaliation against the provocations of Islamic Jihad. Palestine
Can Turkey double down in Libya game? Under attack by Khalifa Hifter’s forces, Libya’s UN-recognized government in Tripoli has pinned its hopes on Turkey, but despite its forceful rhetoric of support, Ankara can hardly tip the balance in Tripoli’s favor. Turkey
Iran arrests dozens at International Workers’ Day protests Iran has marked International Worker's Day with arrests and threats against independent labor unions. Iran
Badr strongman Amiri faces dissent within his group's ranks Powerful Iraqi politician Hadi al-Amiri is up against strong opposition within his own Badr Organization, as hundreds of members accuse him of being corrupt and exploiting power. Iraq
Why first intifada is back on Middle East art scene In conjunction with a new exhibition, founders of the Palestinian contemporary art scene met in Beirut to discuss how the political events of their time influenced their work. Palestine
Yemen's divided parliament growing further apart Literally and figuratively, the two sides of Yemen's split parliament are miles away from each other and show no sign of reconciliation. Saudi Arabia
After local electoral wins, Tunisia's independents aim even higher After making major gains in the 2018 local elections, independent candidates expect voters' disappointment in Tunisia's ruling parties to help them win this fall's legislative and presidential elections elections. Tunisia
Remake of Turkey's favorite school flick flunks at the box office Based on novels by the popular author Rifat Ilgaz, the "Chaos Class" film series has been a Turkish favorite for four decades, but a remake of the original comedy has been widely panned. Turkey
Is the Palestinian social fabric at risk of tearing? A recent local incident on the West Bank required the attention of the national leadership to tamp it down, leading some to wonder it if portends trouble ahead for the Palestinian social fabric, which has to this point been distinguished by its unity. Palestine
Syrian government, opposition swap 18 more prisoners Small exchanges of prisoners between the Syrian government and opposition continue in Aleppo province, showing some progress but indicating more cooperation is needed. Syria
