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 churches shoulder burden of reconstruction, for now In Iraq, churches have taken the lead in persuading and helping Christians return to towns razed by the Islamic State. Iraq
Abbas' decision to ban official travel to Gaza sparks controversy Following the bombing that targeted Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah during his visit to Gaza, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas banned PA officials from traveling to the strip. Palestine
White House says anti-IS fight in Syria ‘coming to rapid end’ The White House signaled that its mission in Syria will be focused on the narrow task of finishing off the Islamic State and will leave it to others to fund and conduct post-IS stabilization. Syria
Turkey offers death benefits to its Syrian anti-Kurdish allies Kudos bestowed on Turkey's Free Syrian Army allies for their performance in Operation Olive Branch appear to have earned the fighters additional financial and medical support from the Turkish government. Syria
Fatah fosters ties with Ankara The Fatah movement has been growing closer to Turkey while its ties with Cairo seem to be deteriorating. Palestine
Counter-IS officials temper Trump’s rush to pull out of Syria US officials guiding the fight in Syria warned of a long struggle ahead to defeat the Islamic State. Iraq
Deadly Ankara-West fault line cracks open at Syria's Manbij Confrontation with the United States and the West is a necessary ingredient in Erdogan’s quest to consolidate his nationalist base, making it more likely that Turkey and the United States will collide over Manbij. Syria
Gaza fishermen face gunfire, death plying their trade Fishermen in the Gaza Strip say Israel is shooting at them even though they are within the permissible fishing zone. Palestine
Hamas, Fatah battle over Palestinian public opinion In one deadly protest at the outset of the demonstrations planned for the coming weeks, Hamas has succeeded in positioning itself as a victim. Palestine
Israel defends decision to deploy snipers amid Gaza protests Despite having expertise in using nonlethal means to disperse violent demonstrations, the Israeli military chose to use live fire against demonstrators across the border in Gaza. Palestine
As Egypt tightens grip on IS, it's also strangling Sinai residents The Egyptian army has laid siege to the Sinai Peninsula in an effort to combat terrorism, but its actions are disrupting the lives of more than 250,000 residents. Egypt
Pentagon sends surplus tanks to Morocco The Pentagon is sending hundreds of extra tanks to Morocco to modernize the country’s aging military. Morocco
