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
Desperate Gazans protesting against Israel, but also Hamas While thousands of Gaza residents participated in the Hamas-backed Great Return March, many blame Hamas for their suffering. Palestine
Gaza's immense potential If Hamas and Israel were to sign a long-term cease-fire, the Gaza Strip could make use of a natural gas field in the Mediterranean, a highly educated population and wonderful beaches to become a pleasant place to live. Palestine
Erdogan vows to continue global manhunt for Gulen affiliates Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told supporters that his government will not stop pursuing those it claims are responsible for the 2016 failed coup attempt despite criticism and anger over unauthorized seizures of individuals and their forced repatriation to Turkey. Turkey
How will Sinjar crisis end as tensions mount between Baghdad, Ankara? Ankara's insistence on combating the Kurdistan Workers Party may push Baghdad to take the lead on cleansing northern Iraq of the Kurdish militia, a scenario that presents a new internal crisis in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Iraq
Iran condemns chemical weapons attacks, denies Syria’s role Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said that it was not logical for the Syrian army to use chemical weapons while it had the upper hand in the field of battle. Syria
Putin, Erdogan, Rouhani extend circle of trust in Syria As the Astana process seizes the initiative on Syria, the United States could put Israel-Lebanon shuttle diplomacy to the test on Hezbollah. Israel
Russia sees benefit of nudging Turkey on to Manbij in Syria Despite their divergent strategic goals, the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey have agreed to work together in Syria while further excluding the United States from the decision-making process. Syria
Baghdad clamps down on cross-border arms smuggling While security along the Iraqi-Syrian border has improved with the near defeat of the Islamic State, Iraqi security forces still have their hands full trying to prevent arms smuggling and attacks by what is left of the terror group. Iraq
Ankara summit focuses on Syria's fate once war ends The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey reassured each other that they are the "big three" of the Syrian peace talks and discussed their mission to resolve the civil war. Syria
US ramps up counter-WMD spending amid Mideast proliferation threats The Pentagon is putting $6 million into countering weapons of mass destruction in five Middle Eastern countries, as US special operations forces take control of the fight. Syria
Energy, military cooperation dominate Putin’s visit to Turkey Turkey anticipates even deeper ties with Russia as the two countries embark on massive development projects and a major military contract. Turkey
Gazans hope protests lead to change as border clashes turn deadly Thousands of Palestinians participated in Friday protests along the Gaza-Israel border for the second week in a row, with clashes leaving at least seven dead. Palestine
