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
Khamenei appears to point finger at IS for Ahvaz attack Arab separatists walked back claims of their involvement in the Ahvaz terrorist attack after Iran summoned European countries for hosting them. Iran
Is Jordan ready to normalize ties with Syria? Syrian and Jordanian officials are in technical talks about reopening their border for trade purposes, but analysts have noted Amman's wariness about normalizing relations for fear of its possible effect on relations with its Arab and Gulf allies. Jordan
Under nationality law, Israeli court favors Jews The resolution handed down recently by the Jerusalem District Court demonstrates the true ramifications of the nationality law and how Jews would be favored in courts. Palestine
Putin grants Erdogan last chance to end Idlib quagmire on Turkey’s terms Erdogan saves face in Sochi; did Turkey and Syria collaborate to capture Reyhanli terrorist?; Erdogan, Ocalan and Syria. Syria
Friction heats up between Russia, Israel over downed aircraft Jerusalem is worried that the conflict with Moscow caused by the downing of a Russian jet in Syria will paralyze IDF activities and enable Iran to transfer arms to Hezbollah. Israel
Damascus puts on elections while Russia is busy with geopolitics While Moscow has been busy with the situation in Idlib, Damascus has held municipal elections, where its candidates won. Syria
Fate of jailed Kurdish leader questioned as Turkey shuns peace As a showdown looms in Idlib between Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed opposition rebels, Ankara faces the prospect of further turmoil, while long-stalled Turkish-Kurdish talks seem unlikely to be revived nearly 20 years after Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan was jailed. Syria
Plane shot down over Syria puts Russia-Israel relations to the test A Russian plane downed by Syrian missiles responding to an Israeli strike has strained relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv and sent both sides into crisis-management mode. Israel
Idlib still wary of attack despite Turkish-Russian agreement Despite the Turkish-Russian agreement on a buffer zone in Idlib, the opposition-held city is preparing for an attack by the regime. Syria
Iran pursues opposition by bombing Iraqi Kurdistan Tehran is expanding its influence in Iraq, taking a tougher stance against its exiled Kurdish opposition in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq
Syrian girl’s Twitter account accused of Western propaganda Russia has accused the West of manipulating the Twitter account of a six-year-old girl from Idlib, who is posting about the suffering of children in the province ahead of an imminent regime offensive. Syria
Anti-bullying campaigns raising social awareness in Egypt Egypt's education sector has teamed up with UNICEF and the European Union to start public and private discussions on detecting and preventing peer-to-peer physical and psychological violence among children. Egypt
