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
Russia scores diplomacy points by mentoring Kazakhstan on Mideast As the United States appears to be slipping out of the Middle East diplomacy picture, Russia is sharing the spotlight with its ally Kazakhstan in Syrian negotiations. Syria
Is Gaza seaport construction on its way? Gaza residents are hoping that the small fishing port being constructed near Khan Yunis will one day be transformed into a real commercial sea port. Palestine
Turkey demands US support for its operation in Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Washington of not providing air support to Turkish forces in al-Bab and of supporting the Islamic State instead. Syria
Foreign volunteer unit fights to save lives in Syria In northern Syria, a group of volunteer Western combat medics assists the wounded in battles against the Islamic State. Syria
How will Tunisia handle Hamas engineer assassination? The assassination in southern Tunisia of Mohammed Alzoari, a Tunisian engineer and member of Hamas, stirred calls for the Tunisian government to investigate Israel, which was accused of being behind the death. Israel
Why does Iraq want to bring back dismissed security forces? The Iraqi parliament wants to implement a decision to repatriate Iraqi soldiers who abandoned their posts during the rise of the Islamic State in 2014, but some are worried about the motives behind the decision. Iraq
Turkey cuts Syria deal with Russia, confronts Western allies As Turkey and Russia reach agreement on a comprehensive cease-fire in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accusing his Western partners in the anti-IS coalition of tacitly supporting the fanatical group. Syria
Why is Turkey so focused on Syria's al-Bab? From a military point of view, al-Bab is a strategically unimportant town in the Syrian conflict, but that hasn't stopped Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from obsessing over the town's liberation from the Islamic State. Syria
Will Iran, Hamas break ties over Aleppo? Relations between Hamas and Iran have been especially tense since the group publicly condemned the violent battle for Aleppo. Palestine
Iraqi women join battle against Islamic State In response to the exploitation of women by the Islamic State as part of their "sexual jihad," women across Iraq are taking up arms in increasing numbers in the fight against the militant group. Iraq
Will Liberman's Palestinian sanctions cost Israeli lives? Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman ordered the military unit coordinating activities on the West Bank to sever civilian ties with the Palestinian Authority while maintaining security cooperation, but the two are inseparable. Palestine
Why Iran sees Aleppo as chance to get in rather than out Rather than seeing the victory in Aleppo as an opportunity to wind down operations, the Syrian government’s Iranian ally appears to be preparing to push ahead with new offensives. Syria
