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
Ankara gives police access to military, intelligence assets to crush protests A presidential decree has paved the way for Turkish police to use military and intelligence resources to crack down on public protests. Turkey
Israel tightens lockdown measures Israel added more restrictions on top of its lockdown as coronavirus cases continue to spread rapidly. On the other hand, Israel is successfully rolling out the vaccine. Israel
Pentagon’s top policy official meets Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense minister in Riyadh Anthony Tata sat down with Prince Khalid bin Salman on Thursday, but details of the discussion remain unclear. Saudi Arabia
US sanctions Iraq's PMU chair Falih al-Fayadh Fayadh chaired Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units as the forces killed hundreds of unarmed pro-democracy protesters. Iraq
Tehran reveals underground missile base near Persian Gulf Iran has announced it built a new subterranean missile base as tension between Washington and Tehran escalates. United States
Protests, info warfare continue in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor Inhabitants of Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor region, which has an Arab-majority but is under the control of the Kurdish-led SDF, have protested repeatedly in recent weeks against alleged arbitrary arrests, price gouging, and lack of services; many urge more direct contact between the local population and the international coalition. Syria
Gulf countries end feud, but Saudi cleric who urged detente still in jail Salman Aloudah's son says it's ironic that Saudi Arabia is hailing the end of the Gulf rift but silencing a prominent voice who called on the neighbors to mend ties. Saudi Arabia
Israel side-eyes Turkish offers of friendship as Ankara shelters Hamas Turkey’s overtures to Israel have been greeted with bemusement and contempt while hundreds of Hamas operatives remain in Istanbul. Israel
Air traffic controllers in New York receive 9/11-like threat to US Capitol over Soleimani killing A digitized voice warned via radio that an airplane would hit the US Capitol on Wednesday. Congress
South Korean delegation heads to Iran over seized ship Iranian forces detained the 20-member crew of a South Korean-flagged oil tanker that Iran's IRGC said had violated environmental protocols. Iran
European Union to 'redouble efforts' to revive Iran nuclear deal The announcement follows Iran ramping up uranium enrichment and comes in the waning days of US President Donald Trump's administration, as incoming President Joe Biden has raised the possibility of reentering the deal. Iran
Hillary Clinton says Trump playing 'dangerous game' with Iran The former secretary of state's warning follows other criticism of a Trump administration show of military force to dissuade Iran from potential attacks. United States
