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
Israel and Gaza's underground battle Besides constructing an underground wall obstacle to thwart the building of attack tunnels, Israel is also developing technologies to identify tunnel digging from above ground. Palestine
Iran unlikely to sit idle as US targets Hezbollah, PMU Tehran views US actions against Iran's friends in the region as nothing short of a plot to sabotage the republic's strength and restrict its area of influence. Iraq
Turkish security making headway against Salafi-jihadi networks Intelligence gathered in Syria has helped Ankara in its pursuit of violent Salafi-jihadi networks inside Turkey. Syria
Opposition leader implores US not to abandon Syria to Russia and Iran The new leader of the Syrian national coalition shared with Al-Monitor his plans for lobbying the Trump administration during his first visit to Washington. Syria
IRGC commander rules out war between Iran, US The commander of the Revolutionary Guards said a war between Tehran and the United States was impossible, citing US fear of the consequences. United States
Kurdish crisis imperils US anti-terror fight in Syria The dispute between Baghdad and Erbil threatens a key border crossing used to resupply US-backed troops battling the Islamic State in Syria. Iraq
Will Gaza, West Bank merge security forces? Fatah and Hamas are seeking to overcome the obstacles to reconciliation, namely the problems related to security services and Hamas-appointed employees. Palestine
Turkey tightens siege on Afrin Turkey is closing in on the Kurdish stronghold of Afrin in northern Syria. Syria
Turkey pays informants to target most wanted terrorists Al-Monitor looks into the success of Turkey's 2-year-old program that pays informants for tips that help eliminate illegal organizations operating in the country. Turkey
Hamas' futile pursuit of a middle ground Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh called Jordanian King Abdullah II to try to engage him in efforts to achieve Palestinian unity while his deputy appears to have secured the support of Iran for the movement. Palestine
Kurds in Iraqi army still serve despite conflict Thousands of Iraqi Kurds in the Iraqi army fear for their salaries and lives after the recent Kurdish referendum. Iraq
Palestine takes its first step as Interpol member state Palestinian officials say that joining interpol will allow them to fight crime more efficiently, and reject claims that they will use membership to target Israeli officials. Palestine
