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
Nationality Law leads some Druze to re-evaluate identity While Druze soldiers and generals in the Israel Defense Forces have taken the lead in protesting against the discriminatory aspects of the law defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, many Israeli Druze are saying the controversial legislation came as no surprise. Israel
Turkey kills PKK leader in Sinjar A Turkish airstrike has killed a senior leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party in Sinjar, to the dismay of the Iraqi Yazidis the group rescued. Iraq
Women revolutionize Israeli air force Together with the Mossad, the Israeli air force leads a female revolution, appointing women to senior command posts. Israel
Assad’s advances heighten Iran-Russia rift in Syria As the regime gains ground in Syria, the divergence of Iranian and Russian interests there becomes more apparent. Syria
Israel, Hamas on verge of modest truce Without the support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel and Hamas will have to make do with a small-scale truce agreement. Palestine
Is Turkey’s 'strategic partnership' with America coming to an end? An expert maintains that if solutions to the structural factors poisoning ties cannot be found, Turkish-American relations will continue to deteriorate. Turkey
Pentagon budget leaves uncertain future for Middle East President Donald Trump authorized on Monday the Pentagon’s 2019 budget, which will underwrite big upgrades for US weapons systems and troop numbers but leaves an uncertain future for the Pentagon’s operations in the Middle East. Iraq
Iraq, Jordan sign security agreement Iraq and Jordan have signed a security agreement to facilitate trade and travel between the two countries. Iraq
Syrian regime forces seize Suwayda desert After eight days of fighting, the Syrian regime forces, with the help of opposition factions, managed to seize the Suwayda desert following the eviction of the Islamic State organization. Syria
Hezbollah's role evolving in Syria as Assad nears victory As the forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad move in on the last major rebel stronghold, speculation is turning to what the future might hold for Hezbollah in Syria. Israel
Iran readjusts its Syria strategy amid Russia’s changing role Having achieved military victory in the key southwestern region of Syria, Iran is actively maneuvering to redefine its approach to securing its aims in the war-torn country. Israel
Is there hope for reforming Libya’s shattered economy? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Libyan Economy and Industry Minister Nasser al-Dersi talks about the Government of National Accord’s new economic reform program and the challenges it faces. Libya
