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
Ukraine deports suspected Gulen supporters to Turkey Turkey’s Interior Ministry announced the deportation Wednesday of two suspects from Ukraine over alleged ties to a terror group in what human rights advocates condemn as illegal renditions without due process. Turkey
Sudan joins Abraham Accords to recognize Israel The United States will help cover Sudan's more than $1 billion in arrears to the World Bank in exchange. Israel
Israel’s Netanyahu seeks another delay in corruption trial Lawyers for the prime minister say the latest coronavirus lockdown in Israel has left them unable to prepare for next week's hearing. Israel
Erdogan’s China woes: the vaccine and the Uighurs Turkey’s reliance on China for a COVID-19 vaccine has stirred anxiety in nationalist and Islamist quarters that Ankara might give concessions on the Uighur issue in return. Turkey
Iran reports first case of new COVID-19 strain The infected individual reportedly returned from the United Kingdom recently. Iran
Air traffic controllers in New York receive 9/11-like threat to US Capitol over Soleimani killing A digitized voice warned via radio that an airplane would hit the US Capitol on Wednesday. Congress
South Korean delegation heads to Iran over seized ship Iranian forces detained the 20-member crew of a South Korean-flagged oil tanker that Iran's IRGC said had violated environmental protocols. Iran
European Union to 'redouble efforts' to revive Iran nuclear deal The announcement follows Iran ramping up uranium enrichment and comes in the waning days of US President Donald Trump's administration, as incoming President Joe Biden has raised the possibility of reentering the deal. Iran
PA shuts down Palestinian Airlines, shuttering hopes for airport The Palestinian Authority decides to shut down the Palestinian Airlines, which is seen as a symbol of sovereignty, citing financial burdens and maintenance costs of its only two aircrafts. Palestine
Turkey draws road map with Egypt, but will Cairo follow it? Turkey is once again hinting at openness for dialogue with Egypt, but real progress remains elusive. Egypt
Egypt’s first female MMA fighter blazes trail for more women Aya Saeid has become Egypt’s first MMA fighter by breaking stereotypes in the patriarchal society. Egypt
Will Yemen's new Cabinet revive economy? Although the road to sustainable economic recovery is teeming with several obstacles at this critical time, the new Yemeni Cabinet that recently arrived in Aden asserts that it will overcome all hurdles and deal with this challenging situation. Yemen
