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
Will Hezbollah join Palestinian factions in confrontation with Israel? Amid calls to unify fronts between Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, experts envision many difficulties in this possibility of coordination. Palestine
Will international forces enter Gaza Strip? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion to deploy international forces in the Gaza Strip as a security solution has been met with stiff opposition from Palestinians. Palestine
Defense spending bill bans funding for MANPADS in Syria Congress released legislation on Thursday that would hamstring the Trump administration's ability to deliver shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles to vetted rebels. Syria
Syrian Kurds cede buffer as Turkish-backed FSA advances on Manbij After President Recep Tayyip Erdogan named Turkey's next target as Manbij and the foreign minister promised to strike if the Kurdish People’s Protection Units don't withdraw, Turkish-backed fighters in Syria seem to be acting on the threats in a cluster of villages west of Manbij. Syria
Turkish fashionistas commercialize July 15 coup attempt People who rallied against a military coup attempt on July 15 are distraught by the increased commercialization of their gallantry. Turkey
Rouhani says Iran opposed to incursions into Syria, Iraq Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met to cool tensions after a recent war of words. Turkey
Has Israel recognized link between Gaza blockade, security threat? The report of Israel’s state comptroller about the management of the 2014 war in the Gaza Strip evokes officially for the first time the linkage between the distress of Gaza residents and the Hamas campaign against Israel. Palestine
Will Turkey attack Kurds in Manbij or move on to Raqqa? Now that the Syrian army has blocked the road from al-Bab to Raqqa, Turkey may instead assault Manbij, which won’t be easy. Syria
Israel has no Gaza policy A recently published report on the 2014 Gaza war reveals that Israel failed to develop its own goals before launching the war and still has not developed a real strategy concerning the Gaza Strip. Israel
Saudis make surprise trip to Iraq: Why now? Saudi Arabia is making overtures to Iraq as Iran's influence expands in the region. Saudi Arabia
Satire under siege in south Damascus With the threat of having to evacuate their homes hanging over their heads, activists and artists still manage to produce the satirical web series "Southern Sketch" in south Damascus. Syria
Benghazi blowback hamstrings US role in post-IS Iraq Congress is weighing America's role after Mosul amid looming budget cuts and paralyzing partisanship. Iraq
