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
Iraq's Shiite clerics show no love for Assad It shouldn't have come as a surprise when Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power, as other Shiite leaders have previously also criticized the Assad regime. Iraq
Is Iran the real winner in US-Russia spat? The main winner of the US missile attack on Syria appears to be Iran, as Russia is yet again left with no other partner in the war-torn country. Syria
Will Hamas respond to leader's assassination? Hamas is still considering its options on how to respond to the assassination of its military leader, Mazen Faqha, which was blamed on Israel. Palestine
3 Russian theories on why the US hit Syria Russian analysts have differing theories on just how and why the United States bombed a Syrian air base. Syria
Russia 'furious' with Assad over gas attack Syria’s alleged chemical weapons attack in Idlib province has threatened to sabotage potential US-Russia rapprochement, and Russia is privately furious with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syria
Church bombings leave many Egyptians questioning Sisi's 'war on terror' Despite failing to prevent terrorist attacks so far, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has made more promises to increase security in the wake of attacks on two Coptic churches on Palm Sunday. Egypt
How US strikes could bring Tehran, Moscow closer The unanticipated US military strikes in Syria have opened a new chapter in the conflict that could eliminate disagreements between Iran and Russia regarding the future of Syria. Syria
After chemical attack, Turkey renews calls for Assad’s ouster Is Turkey bringing back its previous policy regarding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad? Syria
Displaced Raqqa teachers prepare for rebuilding education post-IS On April 2, a group of teachers from Raqqa held a meeting in southern Turkey to discuss how to proceed with restoring schooling and education once their city is liberated from the Islamic State. Syria
Interview Hezbollah’s No. 2: US strike on Syria mere ‘muscle flexing' In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah in Lebanon, spoke about the US military strikes on a Syrian air base and Israel and its potential moves in the region among other things. Naim Qassem Deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah
After US missile strikes, can Tillerson find common ground with Russia in Syria? US strategy to defeat Islamic State in play as secretary of state heads to Moscow and UN secretary-general calls for restraint. Saudi Arabia
Saudis have high hopes for Trump following Syria airstrike After failing in efforts to push Obama toward further involvement against Damascus in the Syrian conflict, Saudi Arabia is hoping the airstrike launched by Trump against a Syrian air base early this morning is not a one-off. Saudi Arabia
