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
Gazans denounce claims Hamas is training extremists in Libya Accusations by the spokesman of the forces of retired Maj. Gen. Khalifa Hifter that Hamas has provided technical support to some armed groups in Libya are rebutted and mocked by Palestinians amid a lack of evidence of Hamas’ involvement in the North African country. Saudi Arabia
Ankara voices cautious support as Turkish troops arrive in Doha A top foreign policy adviser to the Turkish president has publicly defended Qatar in the same breath as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, while mixed signals from the US administration appear to have caught everyone off guard. Saudi Arabia
Iranian press decries 'soft coup' in Saudi Arabia Reactions in the Iranian media to Mohammed bin Salman’s appointment as crown prince of Saudi Arabia suggest concern about escalating tensions. Saudi Arabia
Kurds reaching critical juncture in US partnership The United States and Kurds currently share a partnership of convenience in Syria, but Kurds are looking ahead warily to the role they might be asked to play as US policy evolves. Saudi Arabia
Europeans press terror-finance watchdog to extend Iran sanctions reprieve European countries are pushing a key financial watchdog to suspend sanctions against Iran for a second year to shore up the Iranian economy and the nuclear deal. United States
UNRWA, Hamas deny connection to Gaza tunnels The discovery of two tunnels under UNRWA-run schools in the Gaza Strip elicited denials from Hamas, the prime suspect in their construction. Palestine
Iranian missiles worry Israel From Israel’s viewpoint, the missiles that Iran launched June 18 failed to hit their target, but demonstrated the missile construction and launching capacities developed by Iran. Israel
Hamas hedging its bets in region Hamas appears to have adopted a new regional policy of avoiding taking sides and nurturing good relations with anyone willing to accept the group. Qatar
Popular anger at islands transfer highlights Egypt’s polarized society Cairo erupts in protests over the proposed handover of two Egyptian Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia as protesters question the Egyptian government's intentions behind the deal. Saudi Arabia
Iranian hard-liners use Tehran attacks to snipe at Rouhani Though Iranian hard-liners have quickly seized the June 7 terrorist attacks in Tehran as an opportunity to rally forces, it is unclear whether their security-focused discourse will gain steam. Iran
Kurds no safer after US shoots down Syrian jet Though Syrian Kurds are widely celebrating the US downing of a regime fighter jet, their ally's move has made them a bigger target than ever. Syria
Israel sees Abbas' silence on police attack as sign of surrender For Israel, the silence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas following the attack on an Israeli border police officer is part of an attempt to appease hard-liners within Fatah. Palestine
