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
Wagner has already crashed two Russian fighter jets in Libya, AFRICOM says Russian regular forces are likely present in Libya, AFRICOM's intelligence director said Libya
Jordan explosion reportedly caused by overheated ammunition The large blast took place in an uninhabited area in Zarqa near the capital, Amman; no injuries were reported. Jordan
Biden endorses lower troop levels in Iraq, fight against IS in interview Joe Biden told Stars and Stripes he wants to stop "forever wars" but keep some troops in Iraq and Syria. His opponent, Donald Trump, also pledges to withdraw more troops. United States
Bahrain will establish ties with Israel, Trump says Bahrain follows Kosovo and the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel. United Arab Emirates
Iranian fuel tankers reported off coast of South Africa The tankers are reportedly bringing oil to Venezuela and may be taking the longer African route to avoid US forces following a seizure in August. Iran
Netanyahu gives up on private-plane ride to Washington With criticism pouring in from all sides, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abandons his plan to travel to Washington on a private plane. Israel
Israeli warplanes target Aleppo countryside, says Syria The Syrian state press blamed Israel for a round of airstrikes targeting its military facilities in the eastern Aleppo countryside. Israel
NATO in unprecedented bid at in-house deconfliction between Turkey, Greece NATO has made a timely attempt to defuse tensions between fellow members Turkey and Greece, but the initiative comes with many questions. Turkey
US B-52 bombers train with Morocco, Tunisia aircraft over Mediterranean The destroyer USS Roosevelt simulated a hostile ship in a US show of force alongside the North African countries. Morocco
For Syria’s opposition activists, Turkey 'best of the bad' While initially welcoming millions of refugees and supporting opposition activists after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the Turkish government has since shifted positions to further its own interests in a manner that dismays many Syrians living in the country. Syria
US lawmakers grapple with Egypt policy as Sisi’s clampdown continues As President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratchets up the rights abuses, some in Congress say the Trump administration is giving the Egyptian strongman a pass. Egypt
Gaza factions say Hamas cut them out of deal with Israel Hamas’ abrupt announcement of a Qatari-brokered deal with Israel to contain the escalation in Gaza was met with doubts as some parties complained of being left out of the talks. Palestine
