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
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
UN says Libya arms embargo 'totally ineffective' A United Nations panel of experts accused several member states, including Turkey and Russia, of fueling the Libyan conflict. Libya
Congress sides with Cyprus against Turkey as eastern Mediterranean heats up Congress just passed two bills siding with Cyprus in its territorial and natural gas dispute with Turkey. Turkey
Intel: Pentagon renews calls for US allies to join Syria fight Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters traveling in Europe on Monday that the United States needs to continue to grow the 81-nation counter-Islamic State coalition in Syria to ensure the defeat of the militant group. Syria
Intel: Trump administration distances itself from Congress’ recognition of Armenian genocide The State Department is distancing itself from Congress’ vote to recognize the Ottoman Empire’s massacre of more than a million, mostly Christian Armenians as a genocide. Turkey
IDF stands ground against reducing world's longest military service Legislation passed in 2015 reduced Israel's military service to two and a half years for men, but like several previous efforts, the military is trying to block it. Israel
Lebanon's protesters occupy central Beirut road in display of unity Since anti-government demonstrations broke out in Lebanon two months ago, protesters have resorted to blocking the main roads and highways across the country, including the Ring Bridge, which connects East and West Beirut and which divided the capital between Muslims and Christians during the civil war. Lebanon
Targeting of US bases in Iraq a harsh Iranian message to Washington The rise of attacks against US military bases in Iraq in conjunction with the ongoing protests may be a warning message from Iran to Washington. Iraq
Congress on verge of passing long-stalled Assad sanctions package Congress is on the brink of sanctioning Syria’s Bashar al-Assad government after three years of struggling to get the legislation approved. Syria
Intel: Why US is likely to raise concerns about China’s investment in Oman A Chinese state-owned company has inked a deal to take over nearly half of Oman’s power transmission firm, which is valued at $2 billion. Oman
Residents in northeast Syria brace for winter as oil smugglers thrive While Deir ez-Zor is shipping oil other places thanks in part to a man named Hyena, many of its residents are suffering from poverty and the cold. Syria
Turkey’s military involvement in Libya set to grow Turkey's formalization of military support to Libya's internationally recognized government has prompted worries of an on-the-ground confrontation with Russia. Turkey
Intel: How Iranian influence operations are receiving new scrutiny in Washington The Senate is poised to follow the House lead in passing legislation to create a center to monitor Iranian, Russian, Chinese and North Korean efforts to sway US public opinion. Congress
Hard-line paper asks for answers on those killed in Iran protests The silence of Iranian officials regarding the number of those killed in the November protests has concerned even hard-line media. Iran
