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
Iran capitalizes on collapse of US-Russia cease-fire deal The Kerry-Lavrov cessation of hostilities for Syria unravels. Syria
Trump, Clinton up partisan politics in debate lead-up With less than seven weeks to go in the campaign, Clinton and Trump look for partisan advantage. United States
Are US-Turkey military ties under threat? Both Ankara and Washington seem to be oblivious to the changing nature of their relations. Turkey
What's keeping Syria’s rebel forces from consolidating their power? The myriad opposition factions in Syria could become a truly formidable force by uniting their efforts, but the task appears insurmountable given geographic and political divisions. Syria
US, Russia spar over terms to restore Syria cease-fire Diplomats held a contentious meeting in an attempt to agree on bold measures to try to salvage a US-Russia cease-fire deal in Syria after it collapsed, but failed to reach agreement. Syria
Egyptians ponder: How much military control is too much? Some Egyptians fear the military’s involvement in the Supply Ministry will lead to wider military control, while others think it is the solution to corruption. Egypt
Abadi orders weapons caches out of Baghdad in wake of deadly blast In the wake of a horrific explosion at a weapons cache site that killed four people, Iraq's prime minister has ordered that arms depots be removed from residential areas in Baghdad and other cities. Iraq
Will 1967 Palestinian refugees ever return? The Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty may have been good for the two parties, but it has also been used to prevent Palestinians displaced in 1967 from returning to their homes. Palestine
Senate tacitly endorses US role in Yemen war The upper chamber overwhelmingly defeated a bill to block US arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Are Ankara, Washington on collision course in Syria? The tension between Turkey and the United States is threatening to sharply escalate with any missteps in the dance between Turkey's anti-Kurdish objectives and Washington's support for Syrian Kurdish groups. Syria
Attacks spark fears that Iraq's 'liberated areas' aren't free of IS Islamic State fighters are still launching attacks against Iraq’s security forces in the liberated areas, indicating that there are still some IS enclaves and cells present on the edges of the cities. Iraq
Liberman’s punishment strategy brings an end to West Bank calm The plan by Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman to punish West Bank villages from which Palestinian assailants originate provokes anger and frustration amid the local population. Palestine
