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
Baghdad could take oil in new direction — away from Turkey Now that Iraq's central government in Baghdad has reclaimed oil-rich Kirkuk from the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq is considering changes that could hurt Turkey's standing in the oil market there. Iraq
FSA opens new business crossing in northern Syria A Syrian rebel faction opened a business road crossing in the Aleppo countryside to collect funds for the local civilians and military. Syria
US trains Syrian civilians to destroy explosives The United States is getting scores of Syrian locals ready to deal with explosives left behind by the Islamic State. Syria
Jerusalem, missile defense dominate Putin's quick Turkey visit During his speed visit to the region, Putin stopped over in Ankara to discuss Trump's Jerusalem move with Erdogan as well as moving forward with the sale of the S-400 missile defense system to Turkey. Palestine
Islamic Jihad pushes Hamas into corner After Trump’s Jerusalem declaration Hamas found itself in a Catch-22: While it wants to avoid clashes with Israel, it also does not want the public to view it as hindering armed action in response. Palestine
Israeli women take over IDF tanks The religious Zionist movement objects to the Israeli army's decision to train female soldiers as tank crews. Israel
Iran's envoy in Jordan: Support for Hezbollah maintains Arab security In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Ambassador to Jordan Mojtaba Ferdosipour discusses regional developments, including accusations against Iran of supporting terrorism in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia
Europeans help sway Congress to punt on legislation that could kill Iran deal Concerted European diplomatic efforts have helped persuade Congress to not pass legislation that would violate the Iran nuclear deal, for now. United States
Northern Lebanon struggles to contain backlash against Syrians The murder of a young Lebanese woman by her family's Syrian employee has set off reactions of violence and intimidation that have kept Syrian children out of school. Lebanon
Putin's visit to Egypt inspires hope for growth in Cairo Egypt could be seeing the revival of an otherwise lackluster alliance with Russia, a potential relationship that has much to offer both sides. Egypt
Erdogan, Putin strike diplomatic pose in Ankara Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan met today in Ankara, where grandstanding alongside Putin is helping cement Erdogan’s image as a Muslim leader with a real hand in global affairs. Turkey
Turkish military suffers from self-inflicted brain drain Turkey's military is having difficulty retaining qualified personnel, in part because of its rigid personnel policies and inability to take advantage of officers' interests and skills. Turkey
