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
Developing PKK kidnapping story concerns KRG officials As new details paint a much more intricate picture of the Turkish spy incident in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)'s operations there threaten to complicate the job of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Turkey
Iran keeping watchful eye on Iraqi Kurdistan, Israel Tehran openly opposes Iraqi Kurdistan's upcoming independence referendum, but many observers feel Iran is actually taking measures to counter Israeli actions in the Kurdish region. Iraq
Pro-Iranian Shiite factions lose popular support in Iraq The recent agreement between Hezbollah and a group of pro-Islamic State fighters to arrange their evacuation from the Lebanese-Syrian border to the Syrian-Iraqi border triggered an outburst of public anger against Hezbollah and Iraqi factions fighting alongside Hezbollah on Syrian territory for years. Iraq
Iran plays Hamas card Iran's improved relations with Turkey, Qatar and Hamas send a message to the region. Palestine
Israel slow to recalibrate on Syria Israel's original assessment of the Syrian war is no longer relevant, and the state must make strategic changes to face the threat of the regime, which is likely to remain in power with Iran's patronage. Israel
Are Yemeni rebels imploding? Saudi Arabia's hope to exit the Yemen scene could depend largely on Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Yemeni rebel factions' falling apart. Saudi Arabia
How Islamic State is undermining peace prospects in Libya As Libya’s rival parties are moving forward toward a political solution, it seems that the Islamic State and other extremist organizations are re-emerging on the internal scene in a bid to torpedo any such efforts for peace. Libya
Palestinians want to be called ‘state under occupation’ Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is preparing a UN resolution proposal that will change the definition of “Palestinian territories under occupation” into “a Palestinian state under occupation.” Palestine
Turkish-backed rebels exchange daily fire with SDF in Aleppo In the northern countryside of Aleppo, the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, retaliates to the shelling from Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, pushing civilians to leave their homes. Syria
Defying Trump, IAEA says Iran honoring nuclear deal The world atomic energy agency rejected the Trump administration's push to inspect Iranian military sites without a clear reason. Originals
Stranded by US airstrikes, IS fighters fleeing Lebanon retreat to Syria The Pentagon says it will leave the militants alone if they don't try to link up with Islamic State forces on the Iraqi border. Iraq
US troop numbers in Iraq, Syria could surge under new accounting rules The Pentagon wants to stop undercounting temporarily deployed fighters and allow for the deployment of more support personnel needed in the war against the Islamic State. Iraq
