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
Iraqi politicians look to calm tensions in wake of US withdrawal from Iran deal The US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal poses questions about the role of the Iran-backed Shiite armed factions in bringing the US-Iranian confrontation into Iraq. Iraq
Syria's Afrin rebuilds, welcoming back displaced citizens Municipal services have resumed in Afrin, Syria, two months after the Free Syrian Army, backed by the Turkish army, took control of the city. Syria
Troubling tactics of the Israeli Police The arrest and injury of Arab Israeli activist Jafar Farah raises questions about police brutality and the use of arrest as a deterrent. Israel
America’s hawkish turn on Iran threatens Gulf alliance Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s new Iran policy announcement could have repercussions on US efforts to save the Gulf Cooperation Council. Legacy: Gulf
Pompeo outlines ‘maximum pressure’ plan for Iran Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would rally the world to impose crippling economic pressure on Iran to persuade it to submit to a broad set of demands, or face regime change. United States
Erdogan pushes Abbas to reconcile with Hamas Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls for inter-Palestinian reconciliation as part of his attempts to portray himself as the savior of Gaza. Palestine
Turkey’s de-escalation efforts around Idlib come with risks Turkey has erected its final observation post in the Idlib region, but many unknowns and potential hazards remain. Syria
Fatah accuses Hamas of manipulating border crossings Since Palestinian protesters set the Kerem Shalom border crossing on fire, there's been speculation that Hamas is trying to replace that Israeli-controlled passage with the Rafah crossing in Egypt. Palestine
What did Putin mean by withdrawing 'foreign armed forces' from Syria? Netanyahu leaves his troubles behind. Israel
Assad in surprise Sochi visit as Russia continues Iran-Israel mediation Following a meeting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Sochi, Putin's comments that "foreign armed forces" will withdraw from Syria have left those involved guessing what it means. Syria
Iran war concerns complicate use of force debate on Capitol Hill Congressional efforts to update the president’s powers to fight terrorists are running into resistance from Democrats worried about the administration’s hawkish turn. Congress
Hamas focused on ending the blockade Hamas repeats the same strategy of violent demonstrations that it has used before in order to put pressure on Israel and Egypt to ease the Gaza blockade. Palestine
