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
What, if anything, will come of meeting between Libyan rivals? The head of Libya's UN-backed government in Tripoli, Fayez al-Sarraj, spoke recently with military strongman Khalifa Hifter in their first-ever meeting, aimed at ending violence and chaos in Libya. United Arab Emirates
Sinai tribes take up arms against IS Tribes in northern Sinai have joined the fight against Wilayat Sinai, raising questions about the state’s monopoly on weapons. Egypt
Trump and Russia's Lavrov talk Syria at White House Shadowed by an investigation into Moscow's interference in the US election, US President Donald Trump welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the White House May 10. Syria
Is Russia’s planned missile sale to Turkey the real deal? Though some critics claim Turkey has no serious intention of buying defense systems from Russia, some military experts say the proposal is definitely feasible. Turkey
How to read Trump’s blow to Turkey on Syrian Kurds What motivated the United States' decision to directly arm Syrian Kurdish forces? Syria
Turkey angry, stoic with US decision to arm Syrian Kurds Will US-Turkish relations worsen in the wake of the Trump administration’s historic decision to directly arm Syrian Kurds? Syria
Jordan high on agenda for top US military adviser's Israel visit Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford visited Israel and met with his counterparts there to discuss the Islamic State and the effects of the Syrian war on Jordan. Israel
Turkey seeks to replenish severely depleted military Many say Turkey's military education system, which is being redesigned following the July 15 coup attempt, is increasingly being entrusted to the "devout" bloc. Turkey
Why liberating Mosul won't lead to the end of IS Due to the wide remote area between Iraq and Syria, retaking Mosul will not mean an end to the Islamic State. Iraq
Congress unsure what's next after Trump decides to arm Syrian Kurds Lawmakers laid the groundwork for arming the YPG back in 2014. Syria
Sinjar on brink of major conflict between PKK, Turkey The city of Sinjar, west of Mosul, seems close to becoming a battleground for armed confrontations between the PKK and the Turkish army, especially after Ankara called for ground intervention against PKK fighters in Sinjar to prevent them from having a new base in the north of Iraq. Iraq
Hamas’ new policy document brings the group closer to Egypt In the new policy document, the Hamas movement announced its dissociation from the Muslim Brotherhood, which may improve ties with the Egyptian state that have been rocky after the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi. Palestine
