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
Food vs. guns: Will Hamas chose Egypt or Iran? The military wing of Hamas in Gaza pressures the new boss Yahya Sinwar to mend ties with Iran, while the residents of the Gaza Strip need the assistance of Egypt against the misery of the long closure. Palestine
No breakthrough expected at new Syria talks Expectations were modest for a new round of Syria talks set to get underway in Geneva Feb. 23, with the new US administration still formulating its policies. Syria
Trial begins for murder of Turkish commando who stopped coup attempt Turks are closely watching the trial of those accused of murdering special forces commando Omer Halisdemir, who was killed in the line of duty as he played a key role in stopping last summer’s coup attempt. Turkey
Israel defense minister: We must coordinate moves with Trump In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman confirmed that he still supports a two-state solution, but one involving population as well as land swaps and as one part of a regional agreement. Palestine
Iraq seeks to clamp down on gun ownership Regulating private security companies and proposing laws for possession of weapons are part of Iraq’s new strategy to impose order and the rule of law. Iraq
Cairo continues to mediate Libya conflict despite failures Assuming a mediator role between conflicting Libyan parties, Egypt has recently met with both sides over finding a political solution but has yet to make substantial progress. Egypt
Will Tunisia finally amend harsh cannabis law? Tunisians, including government officials, have been in favor of amending a harsh law for possession and use of cannabis, but doing so has not been easy. Tunisia
What's really happening in Syria's al-Bab? Everyone wants to know what's coming next in Syria — but it is hard enough to figure out what is going on right now. Syria
Pro-Kurdish HDP leader kicked out of Turkish parliament In Turkey’s latest salvo against the pro-Kurdish bloc, the parliament has expelled Peoples’ Democratic Party co-leader Figen Yuksekdag, who remains in jail with fellow leader Selahattin Demirtas and at least nine other HDP deputies while the ruling party continues its legal assaults ahead of the presidential referendum. Turkey
Iraqi special forces stand to gain stature with victory over IS Iraq's counterterrorism bureau, which is receiving accolades and lots of support, could become even more powerful in the post-Islamic State era. Iraq
Why Moscow now sees value in Syrian local councils Russia has come to realize that some opponents of the Syrian regime are actually moderates rather than terrorists and that a move to empower local governments could help resolve the conflict. Syria
Will Turkey get its way in Raqqa? Turkey is trying to balance its precarious relationships with the United States and Russia while still getting what it wants in Syria. Iraq
