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
Palestinian factions weigh options after Abbas’ threats As Palestinian factions hold numerous meetings to discuss ways to counter President Mahmoud Abbas’ threats against Hamas in Gaza, people there grow increasingly worried. Palestine
Diyanet flexes its muscles to back Erdogan’s soft power in Syria In Syria, Diyanet assumed a role beyond religious diplomacy in coordinating various aid, vocational and religious education agencies, all to win the hearts and minds of the locals. Syria
Netanyahu masters another show-and-tell at the UNGA Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed in a speech at the UN General Assembly meeting that he continues to lead a multiple-front campaign against Iran, and with intense squabbling among the leadership in Tehran, Israeli leaders sense that victory is near and possible. Israel
Hamas raises eyebrows with condolences to Iran Hamas offered its condolences to Iran after an attack on a military parade killed dozens of people, including members of the Revolutionary Guard, and some see the gesture as an attempt to cozy up to the Islamic Republic. Palestine
As Gaza despairs, Hamas has one option left: intifada After the failure of Egypt-mediated Palestinian reconciliation, Gaza's deepening economic crisis has Hamas against a wall and violence lurks on the other side. Palestine
Manbij government denies Turkish patrol as Ankara pushes for access The local council of Manbij has denied Ankara's claim that Turkish forces will enter the city and conduct joint patrols with US forces, saying Turkey is looking for an excuse to keep a presence there. Syria
Pushing multilateralism, Iran hosts regional security conference Iran hosted its first Regional Security Dialogue with senior security officials from China, India, Russia and Afghanistan as the Iranian media touts a positive UN General Assembly gathering for Tehran. Iran
Hamas counters UNRWA funding cut with threat to bring students to border Hamas is promoting a plan to truck UNRWA students to the border with Israel to study in tents in protest of the refugee relief agency's reduced services to Palestinians. Palestine
Why Trump’s UN speech should worry Netanyahu For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump is the be-all and end-all of Israel’s security. Palestine
Congress warns of mission creep in Syria Lawmakers ripped into Pentagon officials after the Trump administration suggested it would keep US troops in Syria to counter Iran’s presence in the war-torn country. Syria
Is the Israeli-Russian honeymoon over? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turns to his close ally President Donald Trump, hoping that the US president can help Israel fix the crisis with Russia. Israel
