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
Prisoners exchanged for evacuees from pro-regime towns in Syrian north As part of a deal between the Syrian regime and the opposition fighters in northern Syria, thousands of government soldiers and civilians have been evacuated from the pro-regime towns of al-Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province in return for the regime's release of several batches of its detainees. Syria
Friction with US may affect Turkey's trajectory in NATO US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared a fist bump in Brussels, but a figurative fistfight continues between Congress and Ankara. Turkey
UAE talks up diplomacy as Congress curtails US involvement in Yemen war Emirati officials are taking to Capitol Hill to say they’re giving the UN-brokered peace in Yemen a shot, but their patience is running out. Saudi Arabia
Will Iranian Kurds be on front lines of US conflict with Iran? The US administration appears to increasingly be looking at armed Iranian Kurdish opposition groups as part of its campaign to economically and militarily pressure Iran. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Israel helps White Helmets, but rejects Syrian refugees The evacuation of White Helmets members and their families from Syria was an admirable gesture by Israel, but hardly enough to compensate for the expulsion of Syrians from the Golan Heights after the 1967 war. Israel
Israel, Hamas trapped over prisoner exchange Israel won't compromise on the return of the bodies of IDF soldiers, and Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar won’t compromise on a large-scale prisoner-exchange deal. Palestine
Hamas losing deterrence against IDF Hamas' decision to deploy snipers against Israeli soldiers after months of border protests and growing international attention highlights the internal divide in the movement and threatens to shatter previous achievements. Palestine
Russia key to reset of Jordanian-Syrian ties With fighting appearing to wind down in Syria, talk has begun of normalizing ties between Jordan and Syria, but the matter is not so straightforward for Amman. Jordan
The art of the deal in Helsinki – the next chapter More than 11% of internally displaced people have returned to areas retaken by Syrian government forces this year. Syria
Israel, Egypt cooperate in efforts to calm Gaza On the backdrop of the crisis in Gaza, Israel considers internal Palestinian reconciliation a security interest and a possible end to arson kite attacks. Palestine
Convoys arrive in Idlib as hundreds of Syrians flee Daraa Humanitarian organizations in the northern Syrian province of Idlib are preparing to host hundreds of displaced citizens coming from Daraa in the south, where they were forced to choose between giving up their weapons and accepting a cease-fire deal or fleeing. Syria
Pentagon shifts equipment from Iraq to Syria The Pentagon is removing mine rollers and armored carriers from Iraq as it draws down its presence in the country. Iraq
