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
Nile dam negotiations back on track after Trump remarks Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia resume AU-sponsored negotiations on the controversial dam Addis Ababa is building on the Nile River, days after US President Donald Trump warned that Egypt has the right to blow up the dam. Egypt
Egypt slams Turkish role in Syria Egypt has recently condemned Turkey’s role in Syria, which prompted condemnation on the part of Ankara, fueling the already existing tensions between the two countries. Egypt
After meeting Esper, Gantz says US committed to Israel’s security It took three meetings between US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz to convince the latter to drop his opposition to the F-35 sale to the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates
Pentagon chief visits Israel, Bahrain with little fanfare The quiet visit came less than a week after the defense secretary said the United States would like to see regional security cooperation with Israel to deter Iran. Bahrain
US sells seized Iranian fuel, seeks forfeiture of missiles The United States has sold and delivered the 1.1 million barrels of Iranian oil seized from four Venezuela-bound vessels in August. United States
Intel: Trump administration notifies Congress of proposed F-35 sale to UAE Lawmakers have introduced legislation intended to ensure the sale does not eclipse Israel's regional military edge. United Arab Emirates
Turkey joins chorus of condemnation of Nice murders After three people were killed by a suspected Islamist extremist in France’s coastal city of Nice, Turkey's president took a break from his row with Paris to condemn the violence. Turkey
Man stabs guard at French Consulate in Saudi Arabia The nonfatal attack came the same day as the murder of three people in Nice, France, as tensions soar between France and much of the Muslim world. Saudi Arabia
Are attacks on Syrian opposition signal from Moscow to Ankara? As Turkey conducts simultaneous campaigns in different theaters — including assistance to Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — Moscow must be tempted to exploit the turbulence to extract concessions from Ankara. Syria
How Turkey’s withdrawal from Morek post affects opposition factions in northeast Syria Turkish forces withdrew from their observation post in the city of Morek, raising many questions about the fate of Turkish-backed rebels in the surrounding area. Syria
Qatar reveals disturbing details and expresses 'regret' regarding strip-search of women at airport The Gulf state is under fire after women headed to Australia said they were forcibly searched in an attempt to see whether they had recently given birth to a newborn found alive in a trash can at Doha's airport. Qatar
Satellite images indicate construction at Iran's Natanz nuclear plant Work is apparently underway at a facility where Tehran said an act of sabotage caused an explosion in July. Iran