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
Turkey at odds with US and Russia over northern Syria As Ankara loses ground in Idlib, President Erdogan’s threat of military action east of the Euphrates raises the stakes for Turkey. Syria
Erdogan touts grand plans to resettle Syrian refugees in safe zone Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims a safe zone in northeast Syria could be used to resettle up to three million refugees currently in Turkey and Europe, but critics doubt his proposal is feasible. Syria
Has Erdogan revealed Ankara’s occupational goals? Syrian Kurds and Armenians fear a Turkish-run safe zone east of the Euphrates, particularly since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had threatened to establish a military safe zone east of the Euphrates and labels the Kurdish People's Protection Units as terrorists. Syria
Imprisoned Hamas members end 2-week hunger strike The senior leadership of Hamas prisoners said the prisoners have ended their hunger strike after receiving assurances from the Israel Prison Service to stop using cellphone jamming devices, but Israeli media portray the strike as having little effect. Palestine
Was Netanyahu’s controversial visit to Hebron worth election efforts? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a rare visit to the West Bank city of Hebron, drawing anger among Palestinians who warn against Israel’s efforts to extend sovereignty over Hebron’s Old City. Palestine
Congress wants answers after 10 bomb-sniffing dogs die in Jordan Congress is demanding answers after an inspector general report showed that a number of bomb-sniffing dogs from the United States have died from neglect in Jordan. Jordan
Suspected Iranian strikes raise US concerns over Chinese missile proliferation The Donald Trump administration is concerned that US adversaries such as China are abetting Iran’s growing missile arsenal, which US officials believe was used in strikes against Saudi oil facilities over the weekend. Saudi Arabia
What the latest Astana summit tells us about Iran’s position on Syria Russia, Iran and Turkey continue to negotiate a settlement to the Syrian war that works to their advantage. Syria
Iran's supreme leader says no talks with US 'at any level' Iran's supreme leader has dismissed talks with the United States, saying Washington is bound to proving the success of its "maximum pressure" policy by pushing Tehran to the negotiating table. Saudi Arabia
Intel: What’s behind Putin’s arms sale proposal to Saudis Putin's offer of defense missile systems for the Saudis was political but there's more to this in the runup to his visit to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham loses third leader in Syria this year Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of Islamist groups fighting against regime forces in Idlib, Syria, is facing dissent within its ranks and accusations of corruption by one of its own leaders. Syria
How latest Astana talks between Turkey, Russia, Iran went beyond Syria What the Astana guarantors agreed upon in Ankara will have implications for Syria but the way the leaders communicated past each other each is even more telling. Saudi Arabia
