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
Iraqi controversy over the return of Sunni figures accused of terrorism The reports on returning exiled Sunni figures who were sentenced by Iraqi courts to Iraq stirred controversies among Iraqis. Iraq
Hamas quashes armed Shiite movement Sabireen in Gaza Hamas makes the lion's share of civilian and military decisions in the Gaza Strip, while small movements such as Harakat al-Sabireen are forced to bow to Hamas' power, which is also supported by the Sunni community. Palestine
New Zealand, Australia outraged over Erdogan’s remarks on Christchurch attacks Turkey’s president has cast the rampage that killed 50 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand as an attack on the wider Muslim world, particularly Turkey. Turkey
Pentagon fails to deliver US strategy on Yemen The Pentagon has missed multiple congressional deadlines to report on US goals for the Saudi-led intervention. Yemen
Turkish intervention could trigger Syria's 'second great war' Mazlum Kobane, the commander in chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, talks to Al-Monitor in an exclusive interview about how the Kurds in northeastern Syria have maintained a complicated network of alliances and why the prospect of Turkish intervention in the region could trigger another war. Syria
Israeli court closes holy site flashpoint, goads Jordan to respond An Israeli court has temporarily closed an embattled Al-Aqsa site in an effort to relieve the simmering tension there and pressure Jordan into engaging with it. Palestine
Why were rockets fired toward Tel Aviv? The Gaza Strip rushed to contain the repercussions of the rockets fired at Tel Aviv; such an attack that actually hit the Israeli city could drag Palestinians into a war. Palestine
Has the Islamic State returned to western Anbar? Iraqi security forces, facing an uptick of Islamic State militants in western Anbar, have intensified their operations in the province. Iraq
For Netanyahu, all is political, even cybersecurity The hacking by a foreign power of the cellphone of the head of the Blue and White Party, Benny Gantz, is primarily a security lapse that occurred on the watch of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in charge of the National Cyber Directorate. Israel
Last week’s rocket fire on Tel Aviv reflects schism within Hamas To avoid escalation ahead of the April elections and the Eurovision contest, Israel accepted Hamas’ explanation over the rocket fire on Tel Aviv last week. Palestine
Netanyahu’s scare tactics sideline economic failures Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demagogic discourse on security is a distraction from the weakening Israeli economy, congestion on dangerous roads and a declining health care system. Israel
Rouhani’s Iraq visit raises important questions for Israel Does Israel see Rouhani's visit to Iraq as strengthening his hand in Iran? One answer could be that while Rouhani was in Baghdad, hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi was elected deputy chief of the Assembly of Experts. Iraq
