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
Why southern Syria remains Jordan’s biggest security threat Amman and Washington's concern about an Iranian land corridor from Tehran to Beirut through Iraq and Syria has raised questions about steps Jordan might take along its border with southern Syria, into which extremists are expanding. Iraq
Iraqi activists, journalists terrorized by armed groups The kidnapping of a number of activists and journalists in Baghdad has members of Iraq's civil society worrying about their livelihood. Iraq
Syrian orphanages overcrowded with children traumatized by war An orphanage in Azaz, near Aleppo and the Turkish border, serves hundreds of Syrian children who lost their families in the ongoing war. Syria
Did Trump endanger Israeli-US intelligence cooperation? Israel is at loss over revelations that President Donald Trump exposed sensitive intelligence information to Russia. Israel
Iraqi factions divided over whether US troops stay Despite strong opposition from influential Shiite factions ready to engage in military clashes with US forces, the Iraqi government wants an agreement with the United States to ensure that US troops remain in Iraq after the elimination of the Islamic State. Iraq
Jordan monarch's comments on Palestinians raise tensions in kingdom The Jordanian media censored an interview King Abdullah gave to The Washington Post, where he said 96% of Islamic State terrorists captured and killed last year were of Palestinian origin, which provoked confusion in the kingdom. Palestine
Trump demands Russia, Iran halt Assad atrocities ahead of any deal The Donald Trump administration accuses Bashar al-Assad's regime of building a crematorium to cover up evidence of mass murder. Syria
If push comes to shove, will Turkey defend Qatar against Iran? Turkey's main opposition party has lots of questions about what message Ankara would be sending to Iran, and others, by deploying troops in Qatar. Qatar
Expectations low as Erdogan arrives in DC In tomorrow's meeting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will seek to persuade US President Donald Trump to reverse the decision to arm Syrian Kurdish militia, but Trump is unlikely to reverse course on the closest he has to a sure thing: victory in Raqqa. Syria
Will arming of YPG help open Kurdish corridor in Syria? The US decision to provide heavy weapons to the YPG for the Raqqa operation provides hope to Kurds in Syria, but Turkey worries that the arms will be used to establish a Kurdish corridor. Syria
Pope Francis' Egypt visit could spark Sunni-Shiite dialogue Following Pope Francis’ visit to Egypt and his meetings with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb and Pope Tawadros II, calls for Sunni-Shiite dialogue have been revived. Egypt
What's behind Abbas' recent threats to Hamas? Following his first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced his intention to take unprecedented measures against Hamas, raising questions about the timing of such threats. Palestine
