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
Can Turkey fit into the Biden administration’s Syria policy? The gnarliest problem: Pentagon report says Syrian, Iranian proxies are "most significant" threats to US mission, but the Islamic State isn’t dead yet, and Turkey and the United States still disagree on the Kurds. Syria
Biden to review Trump's freeze on aid to Ethiopia over Nile dam The Trump administration froze some aid to Addis Ababa in August over its stance on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Iraq's 'Falcon Cell' leader removed amid accusations of suspicious links The replacing of a top intelligence official whose unit had been responsible for many key arrests signals further efforts to centralize control of Iraq's intelligence services. Iraq
Turkey hires Washington lobbyists in bid for return to F-35 program The Biden administration is giving Turkey the cold shoulder on the S-400 dispute. Turkey
Pentagon chief reaffirms defensive support for Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reaffirm strategic ties. Saudi Arabia
Israeli woman who entered Syria flown home The Israeli government is withholding some details about the Russia-mediated deal that also involved two Syrians being released from Israeli prison. Israel
Iran renews call for sanctions relief as Biden offers nuclear talks Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also welcomed Washington's decision to rescind the Trump administration's position on snapback sanctions. Iran
UAE dismantling base in Eritrea following drawdown in Yemen Images from The Associated Press show vehicles and structures being removed from the Emirates' military base. United Arab Emirates
Israel, US reveal cooperation on Arrow 4 ballistic missile interceptor The Arrow 4 is set to replace the high-altitude Arrow 2 in the coming decades. Israel
Turkey looks to Cyprus to consolidate EastMed gains Even as Ankara and Athens reengage in exploratory talks over long-running maritime disputes, Turkey is pressing ahead in its campaign for a two-state solution on the island. Turkey
Does ‘Syrian trio’ of Russia, Iran and Turkey have a future? There are signs that the Astana talks on the Syrian war — which began in 2017 and are sponsored by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran — have little prospect of making progress going forward. Syria
NATO to expand its training mission in Iraq to 4,000 troops The Pentagon welcomed NATO's increased contribution to training Iraq's security forces. Iraq
