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
Iraq's Abadi under fire from pro-Iran political factions Pro-Iranian factions within Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units are taking advantage of the bloody events in Basra to prevent the prime minister from winning a second term, accusing him of being under US influence. Iraq
Palestinian Interior Ministry to regulate private security firms The Palestinian government is now regulating private security companies in the West Bank, seeking consistency among them and implementing basic requirements for them to receive licenses. Palestine
Top general claims IDF not ready for war According to IDF Ombudsman Yitzhak Brick, the Israeli military has invested most of its resources in the air force while neglecting the land corps, leaving Israel vulnerable to Hezbollah. Israel
Why demolishing West Bank village will cost Israel dearly Europe is warning Israel that demolishing Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin-Palestinian village, will constitute a war crime and lead to demands for financial compensation for facilities there provided by its members. Palestine
Russia pushes for constitutional committee amid uncertainty over Idlib As a military campaign on Idlib looms uncertain, Russia, Turkey and Iran make progress on a constitutional committee in Geneva. Syria
Iran missile strike opens door to escalation with Kurdish armed groups An Iranian missile attack on Iranian Kurdish fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan has raised the risk of intensified fighting in western Iran while heightening the chances of localized confrontations taking on an international dimension. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Egypt tightens screws on Hamas with threat to close Rafah crossing Hamas wants to resume mass demonstrations along Israel's border to attract international attention to Gaza, but doing so threatens to unleash harsh Israeli and Egyptian reprisals. Palestine
Pompeo guarantees fail to assuage Congress on Yemen war With bipartisan opposition to the Yemen war steadily growing, a Democratic wave in November could force the Donald Trump administration to end support for the Saudi coalition. Yemen
Can Erdogan intimidate Assad into backing off Idlib? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed not to "watch from the sidelines" amid news of increased arms supplies flowing from Turkey to Syrian opposition rebels. Syria
Israel claims Hamas has women activists in Hebron Israeli security forces say they have evidence that Hamas has recruited women to a cell in Hebron, though political analysts believe it's very unlikely that Hamas would involve women in military actions in the West Bank. Palestine
Is Trump pushing Abbas to dismantle the Palestinian Authority? Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat claims the Trump administration has orchestrated an offensive campaign against the Palestinians. Palestine
Can the Knesset rein in the Israel Police? A parliamentary committee of inquiry is necessary to get to the bottom of the affair involving Gal Hirsch, whose appointment to be police commissioner was scuttled by news of a police investigation into his activities, and the apparent practice of the police to compile incriminating intelligence on Israeli politicians and others. Israel
