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
Iran-backed PMU militias in Iraq raising profile Danish elite forces left the Iraqi-Syrian border area in late October against a backdrop of tension between Denmark and Iran. Iraq
Crossing between opposing forces opens near Idlib, Syria Despite sporadic fighting, a crossing between forces of the Syrian regime and its opposition has reopened in Morek. Syria
No deal with Hamas will pay off for Israel Israel's military leadership continues to support efforts to reach an arrangement with Hamas despite knowing that any cease-fire will enable the group to increase its military capabilities. Palestine
Is this the start of Arab NATO plan? The Arab Nato plan promoted by US President Donald Trump to counter Iranian influence is being recurrently heard among the political quarters of the countries participating in the Arab Shield 1 drills in Egypt. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi royals rally support at home as pressure mounts Following intense pressure from Turkey and the United States over the war in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi king and crown prince are looking to rally support among their domestic base. Saudi Arabia
Why Iran did not attend the Europe-Russia-Turkey summit on Syria While some have questioned Iran’s absence at the recent four-way summit on Syria between the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Turkey, the reality is that Iran likely saw only negative outcomes stemming from its participation in the meeting at this time. Turkey
Israel mulls letting in Gazan workers if area stabilizes Despite very recent hostilities, Palestinians see a glimmer of hope in reports that a truce could allow Gazans to work inside Israel, even as conditions keep deteriorating in the besieged enclave. Qatar
Russia sends its own signals on Libya by hosting Hifter Russia's military embraces Khalifa Hifter ahead of intra-Libyan talks in Palermo that kick off today, but does it signal a shift in Moscow's attitude toward the Libyan crisis? United Arab Emirates
Putin pivots to Europe for next play on Syria Russian president intensifies diplomatic push; Erdogan goes "big" to leverage the Khashoggi murder with the Trump administration; Oman emerges as Israeli-Palestinian broker. Oman
Yemen's free-falling economy worsens famine The UN is increasing its calls for support of the deteriorating economy in Yemen, where three-fourths of the population is struggling just to survive. Yemen
