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
Why moving US Embassy to Jerusalem is no way to start a presidency President-elect Donald Trump's proposal to relocate the US Embassy would place another straw on the proverbial camel's back in the Mideast. Palestine
PMU seeks to secure Iraq-Syria border The Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units have requested to take control of the Iraqi-Syrian border, which raises concerns about Iran's interference in Syria. Iraq
Thousands flee Aleppo as regime regains control Three years after the opposition took control of Aleppo’s eastern neighborhoods, the Syrian regime’s army, with the help of foreign militias, entered the city and began evacuating civilians to the city’s countryside. Syria
Hamas leaders reject fatwa forbidding suicide attacks Several Hamas leaders have rebuffed a surprising fatwa issued by the Muslim Brotherhood's Sharia authority, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, which bans Palestinian suicide operations against Israel. Palestine
The remilitarization of Iran's Basij The Iranian supreme leader’s recent string of new appointments in the upper echelons of the country’s military suggests an impending remilitarization of the Basij. Iran
Turkey gripped by terror as Russian ambassador killed in Ankara Turkish media outlets are scrambling to cover the killing of Russia's ambassador to Turkey, a break from their calls to attack the Kurdistan Workers Party's bases in response to the suicide attack that killed 13 Turkish conscripts on leave in the central Anatolian town of Kayseri. Iraq
Is Turkey recruiting militants evacuated from Aleppo? After the Aleppo rout, Turkey considers boosting the ranks of its Free Syrian Army ally fighting in Operation Euphrates Shield, while fortifying the buffer zone and raising the bar in bargaining with Damascus. Syria
What's behind Erdogan's call for 'national mobilization'? Is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s surprising call for national mobilization a tool to eliminate objections to his executive presidency? Turkey
One year on, Libya's unity accord needs more work The Libyan Political Accord signed last year in Morocco between Libya’s rival political factions has proven imperfect, but to maintain what progress has been made, any renegotiations must be partial. Libya
Baghdad looks to Trump with framework agreement Following the victory by US President-elect Donald Trump, Iraq seeks to strengthen cooperation with the United States through the full implementation of the 2008 Strategic Framework Agreement. Iraq
Obama’s Aleppo defense US President Barack Obama says the brutality in Aleppo is solely the fault of "the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Iran." Does Israel benefit from Russia’s role in Syria? Bombings in Turkey spur an anti-Kurdish frenzy. Syria
Kremlin dilemma: Regain Palmyra or advance on Idlib? Victories in the war on the Islamic State are tempered by setbacks that call for a careful examination of how to proceed. Syria
