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
Will the Russians be able to help Lebanon get a new president? Russia’s withdrawal from Syria and the goodwill it generated in Arab circles, may allow it to play the role of mediator in Geneva and to help Lebanon fill its presidential vacuum. Saudi Arabia
Turkey's Erdogan openly embraces his naked ambition President Erdogan tells potential military leaders about his goal of becoming a functioning — not symbolic — commander-in-chief. Turkey
Rafsanjani missile tweet draws fire from Khamenei After Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for appearing to criticize Iran’s missile program, a number of analysts attacked Rafsanjani. Iran
Why Jordan is installing cameras at Al-Aqsa Mosque Jordan’s plan to install surveillance cameras at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is raising controversy among Palestinians, as some believe Israel will take advantage of the cameras to further attack and pursue those defending the mosque's grounds. Palestine
Are Iranian missiles a shield against better relations with US? After Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said that discourse and not missiles is the way of the future, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called such talk treasonous. Iran
Animals among victims of southeast Turkey clashes Thousands of birds and domestic animals are among the victims of ongoing clashes between security forces and Kurdish rebels in southeastern Turkey, where animal rights activists risk death coming to the rescue. Turkey
Is Russia leaning away from Palestine? Russia recently described Palestinian attacks against Israelis as terrorist attacks, which might indicate a change in what Palestinians regarded as Moscow's balanced position. Palestine
Has the US found a new friend in Iraq's Shiite militias? Despite its earlier fears that Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units would assume a sectarian role in the liberation of Sunni areas from the Islamic State, the United States is now expressing support for the force. Iraq
Why PKK shifted to urban warfare Many people couldn’t understand why the PKK resorted to trench-barricade warfare in cities. Some say the PKK was misled by reports of its militias who claimed people were ready to join an uprising. Turkey
Is Israel reviving this 50-year-old land plan? Recent land confiscations by the Israeli government appear to further the Allon Plan for securing permanent Israeli control of the West Bank. Palestine
After 10 years of war, are Yemenis hopeless? The war in Yemen has added a new group of internally displaced persons to that previously created during a decade of conflict between Houthis and the state. Legacy: Gulf
How this Israeli checkpoint turns morning commute into 5-hour ordeal The dangerous overcrowding at Checkpoint 300, through which an estimated 15,000 Palestinian workers pass daily into Israel, is a disaster in the making. Palestine
