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
Erdogan escalates threats to attack Manbij Turkey’s president has promised to widen Turkey’s military offensive in Syria despite US warnings, insisting that the Americans haven't kept their agreement to get the Kurdish militants to withdraw from Manbij. Syria
Turkish voices increasingly calling for dialogue with Assad Developments in Syria could force Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to swallow his antipathy to President Bashar al-Assad and establish some level of contact with him, as a growing number of Turks believe. Syria
Gaza suffering makes Israeli headlines at last Following his regular modus operandi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has preferred so far to ignore the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Israel needs Abbas to solve Gaza crisis Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas could perhaps solve the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, but he would rather let Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handle the terrible situation he created. Palestine
Will Europe be there when Israel needs it? If the Israeli government expects the international community to heed the “serious threat” posed by Iranian activity in the region, it must be prepared to discuss the serious threat posed by Israeli activity in the Palestinian territories it occupies. Palestine
Assad, Turkey hamper US assistance for Syria The Assad regime’s territorial gains and the Turkish offensive in Afrin are conspiring to keep the world’s largest aid donor on the sidelines. Syria
US troop drawdown seen as boosting Iraq’s Abadi The US decision to withdraw troops from Iraq could help the Iraqi prime minister’s re-election campaign. Iraq
Ankara eyes next options in Afrin offensive Indications from Ankara and the battlefield suggest Ankara is opting for urban warfare instead of a long siege on Afrin in Syria. Syria
IDF sounds alarm on Gaza The Israeli government has been warned by the military that Gaza is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis and that Israel must act to avoid its total collapse. Palestine
Russia's retaliation for downed jet has just begun Many questions are being raised about the Russian jet shot down Saturday over Idlib, Syria, and Russia is investigating to find out who actually did the shooting and who supplied the weapons. Syria
Palestinian family executes son suspected of spying for Israel Rights organizations in Gaza strongly condemned the execution of a Palestinian accused of collaborating with Israel by his own family, arguing that such cases belong in the courts. Palestine
Can Tunisia’s economy be saved? Due to financial crisis, Tunisia's foreign currency reserves have hit a record low, and some goods have been banned from importation. Tunisia
![A picture taken on February 3, 2018, shows smoke billowing from the site of a downed Sukhoi-25 fighter jet in Syria's northwest province of Idlib.
Rebel fighters shot down a Russian plane over Syria's northwest Idlib province and captured its pilot, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
/ AFP PHOTO / OMAR HAJ KADOUR / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [in Syria's northwest province of Idlib.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2018/02/GettyImages-913730440.jpg/GettyImages-913730440.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=ehUK8ZcX)
