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’s diplomacy: buying friends by selling weapons Rather than basing its global standing on the principles of equality and justice, Israel exports cyber weaponry to tyrannical, racist rulers. Saudi Arabia
Turkey irate over US obstructions in Syria Ankara's frustration with the United States continues to grow as Washington takes yet another step that Turkish officials believe was designed to hamper them from unleashing the Turkish military against the Kurdish People's Protection Units in Syria along Turkey's border. Syria
Congress clears key hurdle in ending support for war in Yemen In an unprecedented move, the Senate has cleared a key procedural hurdle that paves the way to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Putin eyes visit to Baghdad amid growing Russian-Iraqi contacts Contacts between Moscow and Baghdad have increased lately and President Putin may visit Iraq early next year. Iraq
Turkey, Russia, Iran convene in Astana for Syria talks The 11th Astana meeting between Moscow, Tehran and Ankara reportedly focused on maintaining the cease-fire in Idlib as flare-ups threaten to ignite the area. Syria
Turkey can't build prisons fast enough to house convict influx Turkey has incarcerated so many people on terror and drug-related charges that its prisoner population far exceeds its capacity and overcrowding has become a thorny issue. Turkey
Why Iran is also a strategic asset for Israel A significant number of Arab and Muslim leaders in the Middle East and the world fear Iran. For them, Israel is the only real answer to the Iranian threat and the only country able to confront it. Saudi Arabia
Trump administration launches last-ditch effort to halt anti-Saudi bills The Donald Trump administration is briefing the Senate on Riyadh’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a last-ditch bid to kill a resolution intended to end US support for the Saudi coalition in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Iran, Russia move to expand security collaboration Tehran sees its prospective security accord with Moscow as a stepping stone for wider bilateral cooperation. Russia
Turkey’s paid exemption from military service system begins Will the new paid military service waiver program be Turkey’s last? Turkey
What’s behind the Chadian president's visit to Israel? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced he will soon fly to Chad to re-establish diplomatic ties, but, before doing that, Netanyahu must consider which image of Israel he wants to advance in Africa. Israel
Cease-fire agreement sends tremors through Israeli Knesset While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cease-fire agreement with Gaza led Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman to submit his resignation, it also led the opposition to call for early elections. Palestine
