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
Interview Saudi Arabia still awaiting signs of ‘goodwill’ from Iran In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud talks about the "dramatic effect" of the September attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, and says there will be no official Saudi contacts with Israel until the Palestinian issue is resolved. Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US
Ankara in quiet negotiations to buy Russian Su-35 fighter jets Following Ankara's expulsion from the F-35 program, Turkish officials are looking to Moscow to upgrade Turkey's aging warplane fleet with Russian-made Su-35 jets. Turkey
Tehran decries foreign influence in Iraq protests Though they acknowledge the legitimate demands of Iraqi protesters, Iranian officials are focusing on the role of foreign countries they accuse of using the protests to create chaos and instability. Iraq
Egypt renews state of emergency for 10th time Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has extended a state of emergency in place since April 2017, which some say violates the constitution and is used by the regime to suppress the opposition. Egypt
Syria looks to revitalize oil production to attract investors Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is tightening the regime's grip on oil fields with an eye toward their eventual rehabilitation. Syria
Pentagon: Islamic State will survive leader’s death The death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will not extinguish the Islamic State’s ideology, US Central Command said, even as the Pentagon keeps up pressure to thin out the group's leadership with raids in Syria. Syria
As Syria constitution talks kick off, is Kurdish administration 'finished'? As representatives from Syria's government, opposition and civil society meet in Geneva to draft a new constitution for the war-torn country, Al-Monitor spoke with French academic Fabrice Balanche on prospects for the talks. Iraq
How to protect judges who would preside in Netanyahu case Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been loudly claiming that the police, the state prosecution and the attorney general have been persecuting him; he likely would try to undermine and even attack his judges if and when brought to trial. Israel
Dangers persist as Iraqi border crossing opens and IDPs return Recent geopolitical shifts in eastern Syria will affect western Anbar, given the porous Iraqi-Syrian border, the recently reopened Qaim-Abu Kamal crossing and scores of returning families. Iraq
Witnesses describe night of Baghdadi's death Residents of the village where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was staying spoke to Al-Monitor about what happened on the night of his assassination. Syria
Palestinians up in arms over PA and Facebook censorship Palestinian Authority security forces in Ramallah were behind Magistrate Court's decision to block websites and social media pages. Palestine
Russia to mediate deal between Syrian Kurds and Damascus With the Syrian Democratic Forces having handed over control of the Syrian-Turkish border to Damascus, the Kurds say Russia has promised to mediate a new round of negotiations between them and Bashar al-Assad's regime. Syria
