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’s planned operation in northeast Syria remains murky Whether Ankara will stage an operation east of Euphrates depends on diplomatic efforts with Washington and Moscow. Iraq
Kurdish civilians in northern Iraq fed up with both Erdogan, PKK Tensions have escalated between Iraqi Kurds and Turkey in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region as a violent protest that stormed in a Turkish military base near the city of Dahuk left one dead and at least 10 others wounded. Turkey
What's next for Gen. Hifter after moving into southern Libya? Libya’s eastern military strongman recently launched an offensive to clear out militias from the southern region of the country, in what could be seen as a move to stabilize the whole of Libya. Libya
Netanyahu plays Iran threat at his convenience Guided by election campaign considerations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Russian-American deal for pulling Iranian forces out of Syria. Palestine
Mattis departure risks US policy void as Yemen pact falls apart Day-to-day responsibility for managing the Yemen conflict is being passed on to John Rood, the Pentagon’s No. 3 official. Saudi Arabia
Russia keeps plugging away at cooperation with North Africa During his tour around the Maghreb, Foreign Minister Lavrov showed Russia has a genuine interest in developing stronger ties with regional states, but the number of roadblocks in the way raise questions about Moscow's ability to go past "strategic declarations" anytime soon. Egypt
Turkey pledges to enter Syria so refugees can return Frustrated by the slow progress on a proposed buffer zone in northeast Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled Turkey could do it alone, saying it would allow some of the millions of Syrians sheltering in Turkey to go home. Syria
Putin proposes old yet novel idea for Turkey-Syria crisis Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested reactivating the 1998 Adana Accord to prevent Turkey from intervening east of the Euphrates River in Syria. Syria
Putin guides Erdogan along the Road to Damascus The Russian and Turkish presidents agree to rekindle 1998 Adana agreement. Syria
Hamas denies Arab media talk about new prisoner swap negotiations with Israel Qatar’s Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported that talks between Israel and Hamas were renewed through European intermediaries, but the Islamic movement’s spokesman denies it. Palestine
Erdogan-Putin summit highlights differences over Syria Ankara gets little out of Moscow regarding its plans for northern Syria. Syria
Will the US renege on its promises to protect SDF in Syria? Turkey is pushing ahead with the idea of a safe zone along its border with Syria. Syria
