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
Pompeo, Haley try to regroup after Helsinki In the wake of Helsinki summit, there are signs of a growing chasm between President Donald Trump and his Cabinet chiefs trying to implement US policies toward the Middle East. Syria
Could Hifter's about-face on control of Libya's oil lead to real progress? Khalifa Hifter’s decision to return control of the oil ports under his authority to the National Oil Corporation, three weeks after seizing them, could be seen as a goodwill gesture that will prompt genuine progress toward an agreement between the two sides. Libya
Turkey ends state of emergency, but introduces restrictive new rules President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government finally allowed a two-year state of emergency to expire on Thursday, but opposition parties and rights groups say the new measures introduced to replace it are no different. Turkey
Is Turkey’s state of emergency really over? A tough security bill drafted up by Turkey’s ruling party looms as a replacement for the two-year state of emergency that ended July 19. Turkey
Netanyahu’s Israel will know no peace Instead of acknowledging and adressing the miseries of the Palestinians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds it beneficial to prolong the conflict on the Gaza border. Palestine
Does Israel really need to be in a state of emergency? State of emergency regulations established by the interim Israeli government in 1948 are still in place 70 years later. Israel
Hamas leaders opt for gradual cease-fire Hamas leaders refuse to stop the campaign against Israel of incendiary kites and balloons all at once, lest it be perceived as admitting to failure. Palestine
Turkey wary of US-Russia deal on Syria Ankara is increasingly concerned that Washington is working with Moscow to secure an accord for northern Syria between the Bashar al-Assad regime and the Kurds. Syria
Iraq struggles to provide war orphans with identities The living victims of the war in Iraq against the Islamic State include children whose parents were killed or can't be identified. Iraq
What’s next for Syria after Helsinki summit? The meeting between the Russian and US presidents did as little for the Middle East as it possibly could, though the two leaders seemed to identify Syria as a good place to rebuild US-Russian cooperation. Israel
Israel frees Turkish woman accused of terror-related smuggling The release of a Turkish woman charged with smuggling in Israel marks an upturn in Turkey’s volatile relations with Israel, but analysts warn that the two countries' motivations for friendship — cynical business interests — can only do so much to keep the tension at bay. Israel
Turkmens see chance to expand influence in Kirkuk With Kurdish peshmerga gone, and Kirkuk back under Baghdad's authority, Turkmens in the province feel their time might have arrived. Turkey
