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
Yemen’s cultural capital Taiz torn by conflict The city of Taiz, Yemen’s third largest, is living under tragedy as a result of the two-year war. Legacy: Gulf
Under Turkey's watch, al-Bab tries to rebuild The Turkish government is working on rehabilitating the Syrian city of al-Bab after the Islamic State’s withdrawal, considering it an arrangement that benefits both sides. Syria
Why Palestinian hunger strike may be destined to fail Many Palestinian prisoners in Israel have hesitated to join the hunger strike championed by Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti because they doubt Barghouti is motivated by concern for their welfare. Palestine
Will Jordan confront IS in southern Syria? Some analysts say that recent movements and activities by the Islamic State near the Jordanian border could push Jordan to intervene militarily in southern Syria. Jordan
FSA sees 'golden opportunity' with end of Turkey's operations in Syria The Free Syrian Army is conducting intense training in Aleppo’s countryside in preparation for future battles now that Turkey has announced the end of its operation in Syria. Syria
Is it 'business as usual' for Israel's tourism? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to great lengths to promote a strong Israeli tourism industry, but not everything is as it seems. Israel
Ankara not backing down from Iraq intervention A week after announcing an end to operations in Syria, Turkey announced that it plans to launch a military operation in Iraq against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Sinjar, a move guaranteed to outrage the Baghdad government. Near East
Turkey’s security sector becomes latest arena of Islamism debate Increasingly divisive Islamic and ultra-nationalist arguments in Turkey have started to plague the country's security sector following last summer's coup attempt. Turkey
How Iran's military strategy against IS may backfire While Iran’s security services have managed to thwart Islamic State attacks on the domestic front, Salafi jihadi ideology appears to be spreading in the country’s Sunni regions. Iraq
Assad’s departure still non-starter for Putin US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comment on "orderly" transition could offer a face-saving spark for Syria political talks; Hezbollah’s No. 2 disavows "ambitions" in Syria; did Iran benefit from US missile strike? Sistani seeks restraints on Iraqi armed groups looking to fight in Syria. Iraq
Shiite militias prepare for education 'revolution' in Iraq Shiite militias within Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) are attempting to establish separate PMU universities, which some see as an attempt to bring Iranian influence to Iraq. Iraq
What did Tillerson’s Russia trip achieve? US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t reach any groundbreaking pacts during Tillerson's visit to Moscow, but they agreed to keep trying. Syria
