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
Netanyahu petrified by possible Trump-Rouhani meeting Ahead of the Sept. 17 elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is terrified that US President Donald Trump will crush his anti-Iran campaign by meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Iraq
Israel helps Hamas regain control over Gaza, rogue groups The Israel Defense Forces try to retaliate against rocket fire at Israel while preserving the Hamas rule that is now defied by rogue groups. Palestine
Joint US-Turkish patrols begin in north Syria amid Kurdish concerns Turkish and US troops have begun joint ground patrols in the area of Tell Abyad, the first time Turkish troops crossed into the US-protected and Kurdish-administered zone. Syria
Why does Erdogan want nuclear weapons? President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has for the first time made his nuclear ambitions public, arguing that it is unacceptable for Turkey to not have nuclear weapons while other countries do. Israel
Intel: Why Russia boosts Iran even as Tehran pares nuclear deal commitments Despite their differences on Syria, Russia needs a stronger Iran as its partner. Russia
Syrians ready to flee to Turkey as soon as border opens Syrians recently protested in Idlib, calling on Turkey to open a humanitarian corridor so they can escape the government shelling. Syria
Struggle for water continues in Palestine’s Jordan Valley Israel seems to be trying to drive Palestinians out of the Jordan Valley by denying them access to water. Palestine
Putin can’t save Erdogan from Idlib quagmire The Russian president ultimately sees Bashar al-Assad as the solution to Turkey’s border crisis, but is playing a long game. Syria
Will PMU form an air force unit? Iran-backed PMU factions are trying to form a PMU air force unit with Iranian support, but the top PMU leader says no. Iraq
Failure to reign in Idlib jihadists makes trouble for Turkey A year after the Sochi agreement, the situation in Syria’s northwest remains as tense as ever. Syria
Saudi-led coalition kills own fighters in prison airstrike Many of those killed by Saudi-backed forces in an assault on a Houthi-run detention facility in Yemen were prisoners loyal to the Saudi-led alliance. Saudi Arabia
Hezbollah, Israel opt for de-escalation Both the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and Israel seemed to be avoiding confrontation despite the latest round of violence. Israel
