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 Is Jordan refusing entry to Gaza Palestinians? More than 50,000 Gazans living in the West Bank are essentially trapped there, unable to cross into Jordan or go to Gaza. Palestine
Syria's Tourism Ministry hopes to lure visitors, despite war Domestic tourism failed to compensate for the major losses incurred by Syria’s tourism sector as a result of the war. Syria
What's next for Turkey's journalists following post-coup crackdown? The matter of suppressing the freedom of press in Turkey is getting very serious. Turkey
What Turkey stands to lose in its hunt for Syrian Kurds Turkey may face an unexpected backlash within its borders from its goal of undermining the gains of the Kurds in Syria by launching an operation in Jarablus. Syria
Is Turkey falling into its own Syrian trap? Kurds may be avoiding combat with Turkey, Syria's reaction could be restrained and the Islamic State might have withdrawn without a fight, but Ankara could still get stuck in a quagmire. Syria
Iran confirms arrest of Iranian-American Reza Shahini Iranian authorities and media released more information on the arrest and alleged activities of Iranian-American Reza "Robin" Shahini. Iran
Can Israel reboot its relations with US? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence of objecting to the Iran deal risks tainting his relations with the next US president, as it has affected more than the political echelon. Israel
Syria's fate suspended in endless battle for Aleppo The outcome of the battle for Aleppo will be far-reaching, affecting negotiations in Geneva on a truce and the players in a wider deal on the future of Syria, which is why endless resources are keeping the fire raging. Syria
Iraqi cleric urges tolerance toward LGBT people Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has created ripples in Iraqi society by calling for tolerance for LGBT people. Iraq
Truce brings quiet, but not stability, to Turkey-Syria border Despite the current truce, the border between Turkey and northern Syria is still riddled with unrest. Syria
How Egypt’s antiquities minister plans to lure back tourists In the aftermath of the January 25 Revolution, Egypt’s antiquities and tourism sectors are suffering. Egypt
Did arrested Iranian negotiator influence nuclear talks? Iranian negotiator Hamid Baiedinejad wrote on his Telegram account about the latest accusations against a fellow negotiator who was in charge of banking affairs. Iran
