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
Jordan further eases restrictions after continued success against virus Jordan has had relatively few confirmed COVID-19 cases. Jordan
Israel suspends parliament after lawmaker tests positive for coronavirus After he was spotted without a mask among crowds of people, Knesset member Sami Abu Shehadeh announced Thursday he was infected with the virus. Israel
Turkey resuming domestic and international flights Domestic airline flights recommence in Turkey and international flights to 40 countries are expected. Turkey
Fury as three Turkish lawmakers stripped of seats Three Turkish opposition lawmakers lost their parliament seats today over controversial terror convictions as the chamber erupted in howls of protest, opposition deputies banging on their lecterns and shouting "Down with fascism." Turkey
Intel: US urges anti-Islamic State coalition to step up financial contributions The United States and Italy convened a virtual ministerial meeting with members of the defeat-Islamic State (IS) coalition to discuss progress on the campaign. Originals
Israel’s new government promises Bedouins fast internet Israel’s new Communication Minister Yoaz Hendel is determined to offer Bedouin villages technological solutions for fast internet connection. Israel
Kuwait PM proposes drastically scaling back expat population Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah suggested the country reduce its number of foreign residents from 70% to 30%. Kuwait
Emirates, Etihad adding more flights after transit suspension lifted The United Arab Emirates ended its suspension of international transit flights on Wednesday. Originals
Iran experiencing second wave of coronavirus infections After reopening the country, the number of cases is back up again. Iran
Libya’s UN-backed government regains full control of Tripoli After capturing the city's airport, the Government of National Accord in Libya says it has regained full control of Tripoli. Libya
Egyptian state media accuses doctors of treason for speaking up on coronavirus crisis Egyptian doctors are speaking out against health authorities over increasing coronavirus infections and deaths among medical staff across the country. Egypt
Elderly Turks furious over 'nonsense' lockdown Grumbles are growing from senior citizens in Turkey who remain confined to their homes as curfews are lifted for most other Turks. Turkey
