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
Head of Fallujah liberation offers views on upcoming Mosul battle Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, who oversaw the Fallujah operation, speaks to Al-Monitor about lessons learned from that fight and offers his view on the impending battle to retake Mosul from IS. Iraq
Israel amps up cyberwar on Palestinian Facebook posts To fight the Palestinian attacker 2.0, the IDF and Shin Bet are increasing cyber efforts to detect internet posts by potential assailants. Palestine
Lebanon reels under weight of Syrian refugee crisis Lebanon's foreign and labor ministers are extremely worried about the consquences of Lebanon's hosting of Syrian refugees, particularly in light of the June 27 suicide bombings in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon
Will US, Russia start coordinating against Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria? The United States, increasingly concerned about the threat posed by al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, is continuing to discuss with Russia a proposal to target Jabhat al-Nusra and IS. Syria
Will IS attacks bring about change in Saudi foreign policy? The three attacks across Saudi Arabia on July 4 revived dark memories of al-Qaeda's campaign of terror in the mid-2000s. Saudi Arabia
What wave of suicide attacks means for Riyadh's anti-terror efforts July 4 saw three consecutive attacks against Saudi Arabia, suggesting an infrastructure of terrorism has developed inside the kingdom that authorities must confront. Saudi Arabia
Ankara’s IS militants return home In one of the Islamic State’s main recruitment grounds in Turkey, about half of the recruits have returned home, but experts warn that the organization’s appeal is far from over. Syria
What's behind Syrian regime's latest claims on Aleppo strikes? While the Syrian regime claims that its airstrikes are carried out against Jabhat al-Nusra’s military positions, the reality on the ground shows that it is targeting residential neighborhoods. Syria
Quartet's latest edition of Israel-Palestine report offers nothing new The Quartet report on the obstacles before the two-state solution is a compilation of old findings, and it is easy for Israel's prime minister to dismiss its recycled condemnations. Palestine
Israel faces off against Facebook Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan has claimed that some of the blood in Israel's streets is on Facebook's hands as Knesset members demand better monitoring. Palestine
How this young Yazidi is bringing hope to IS victims Pari Ibrahim, a young Yazidi women living in the Netherlands, established the Free Yezidi Foundation to highlight the stories of victims of this Iraqi community at the hands of the Islamic State. Iraq
Why Jordan’s plan to integrate Syrian refugees into workforce has faltered The Jordanian government’s plan to issue free work permits to Syrian refugees has not produced the desired results. Jordan
