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
Turkey, US take Syrian Kurdish battle to Twittersphere CENTCOM retweeting Syrian Kurds' denial of affiliation with the Kurdistan Workers Party has opened a new front in the battle between Turkey and the United States over US support for Syrian Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State. Syria
Return to Aleppo: A squandered legacy Historic Aleppo was the center of many empires over the centuries but now resembles a city plundered once again by Mongols. Syria
Iraqi journalists face threats, murder In the absence of deterrent laws and decisive action by the government, Iraqi journalists continue to face all manner of threats, including kidnapping, murder and persecution. Iraq
Ankara riled by US push for Kurdish seat at Syria talks US statements that Syrian Kurds should be included in talks on Syria's future have further agitated Turkish leaders, who are already upset about Washington's coalition with the People's Protection Units. Syria
Is Turkey wiping out Kurdish institutions during lengthy state of emergency? Turkey is continuing is massive purge of suspects — many of them Kurds — in the July 15 coup attempt, dismissing thousands more civil servants in the past week. Turkey
Can PA end arms proliferation in West Bank? The Palestinian Authority has ratified draft legislation on firearms and ammunition licensing fees in a bid to create a monopoly on arms in the West Bank. Palestine
Will Turkey, Iraq open new chapter in ties? Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim’s visit to Iraq last week has signaled a willingness to improve relations between the two countries after a period of intense animosity. Iraq
Two sides of Syria: Damascus and Aleppo While Aleppo lies in ruins, life in wartime Damascus remains vibrant, but not untouched. Lebanon
Israeli court’s conviction temporarily fends off ICC The manslaughter conviction of an Israeli soldier for killing a wounded Palestinian youth has fended off an investigation of that particular crime by the International Criminal Court, but it does not mean Israel is in the clear on allegations of war crimes for other deaths. Palestine
Assyrian family shares tale of capture, displacement A family of Assyrians, one of Syria’s Christian sects, tells Al-Monitor their story of surviving imprisonment by the Islamic State only to lose their son this year to the fighting in Raqqa. Syria
Westward offensive starts as Iraq's Ramadi catches breath With the Mosul operation still going on and Anbar's liberated area still unstable, the Iraqi forces have launched an assault on the last Islamic State stronghold in Anbar province. Iraq
Will Turkey leave NATO? Observers wonder whether an offer of full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would lure Turkey away from NATO and the country's "suffering" at the hands of the European Union. Turkey
