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
Saudi Arabia resumes international flights, reopens borders The kingdom closed its borders in December due to the new COVID-19 variant in the United Kingdom. Some restrictions for travelers from the UK remain in place. Originals
Israeli prosecutors file updated indictment in Netanyahu corruption case In an updated document, the many demands for favorable media coverage Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family are accused of making are broken down by asker. Israel
Iran ramps up uranium enrichment, seizes tanker Amid a financial dispute with South Korea, Iran has seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in the Persian Gulf, while on the same day announcing the resumption of enriching uranium to 20%. United States
Israel hoping for last-minute F-35s from Trump administration Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said additional F-15 purchases may follow the procurement of a third F-35 squadron. Israel
Students protest appointment of Erdogan loyalist to head top Turkish university Students and faculty members decried infringements on academic independence during protests Monday after a member of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was appointed by presidential decree to head one of the nation’s top universities. Turkey
Syrian soldiers killed in second bus attack in less than a week The deadly ambush in central Syria followed an attack on Syrian soldiers last week that was later claimed by the Islamic State. Syria
Israel's vaccination drive tops 10% of population Israel expects to administer the vaccine to two million people by the end of the month. Israel
In reversal, Pentagon orders aircraft carrier to remain in Middle East to deter Iran The acting US defense secretary cited Iranian leaders' threats against President Donald Trump and other US officials in the order for the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to remain in the Middle East. United States
South Korea dispatches anti-piracy unit after Iran seizes oil tanker Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement Monday that the vessel was seized over "environmental pollution." Iran
Iraq regains confidence in dealing with outlawed militias Ahead of the one-year anniversary of a US-targeted drone assassination in the Iraqi capital that outraged some and pleased others, arrests made and warrants issued may signal progress in the struggle to curb the influence of armed groups operating outside government control. Iraq
Egyptians in exile fear losing citizenship The Egyptian government has revoked the citizenship of leading Egyptian activist Ghada Naguib, who has been living in self-exile in Turkey since 2016, raising concerns among human rights activists about the issuance of similar decisions against dozens of activists abroad. Egypt
How female politicians in Turkey's ruling party help strengthen patriarchy Female representatives of Turkey's ruling party have been a useful tool to expand patriarchal policies. Turkey
