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
Palestinians work for Abbas-Trump meeting next After positive meetings with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the Palestinian leadership believes it is in the interest of President Donald Trump to also hear the Palestinian side of the story. Palestine
Jewish lawmakers rip Trump over two-state walkback Jewish Democrats warn that the Israeli right's push for a one-state solution risks endangering bipartisan support for the Jewish state. Palestine
Will Raqqa be site for clash of titan generals? Two admired military heroes of Iran and Turkey, both commanding elite military units in Iraq and Syria, could wind up confronting each other in northern Syria. Syria
What’s next for Turkish Kurds' political movement? Hit by an unprecedented crackdown, representatives of Turkey’s Kurdish political movement explain their vision for the future. Turkey
Why some in Israel are wary of Hamas’ new Gaza boss Israeli security experts disagree whether the new Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, will escalate tensions with Israel or adopt a pragmatic approach. Palestine
Displaced Iraqis leave camps as smoke clears in east Mosul Hundreds of displaced Iraqis are returning home to eastern Mosul, though the liberated districts still suffer from a lack of security and public services. Iraq
Netanyahu arrives to Trump White House in turmoil The Israeli prime minister, who has long hoped to work with a Republican US president, arrives to a White House in crisis, but early enough, he hopes, to influence policies. Palestine
Are Russia, US ready to cooperate on Syria and beyond? Moscow is taking a wait-and-see position as the new US administration takes shape, but Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to see the potential for military and political cooperation with the US not witnessed since World War II. Syria
Congress preparing new round of Syria sanctions The House and Senate are ready to take on Russia's support for Damascus but differ on timing. Syria
Can Turkey take on Raqqa before concluding al-Bab? Turkey is expanding its targets by proposing to partner with the United States at Raqqa before ending its al-Bab operation, a course that is laden with traps. Iraq
Can fragile Ankara-Moscow friendship survive Russian strike? Though Turkey and Russia are working ever more closely together in Syria, the two cautious allies are holding back over their policy disconnects and incidents like the Russian airstrike that killed four Turkish soldiers near al-Bab. Syria
How Hamas' new Gaza leader came to power With Hamas’ military commander Mohammed al-Deif suffering from multiple injuries, Yahya Sinwar has been elected the overall leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
