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
US looks to sidestep UN on Iran missiles Blocked at the UN Security Council, the Obama administration considers other multilateral tools. Russia
US 'encouraged' by momentum in Syria peace talks As the partial Syria cease-fire holds for a month, the United States and Russia expressed cautious optimism that they have found agreement on ways to move the Syria peace process forward. Syria
Iran optimistic after Syrian forces retake Palmyra The recapture of Palmyra by the Syrian government has Iranian officials and media optimistic about the direction of Syria’s civil war. Syria
Why Turkey's high unemployment rate may mean more terror attacks The youth unemployment rate in Turkey’s conflict-torn southeast has shot up to nearly 25% in some areas, offering fertile ground for recruitment to Kurdish and Islamist terrorist groups. Syria
Will Syrian Kurdish self-rule succeed? Syrian Kurds believe their proposed self-rule system will work in predominantly Kurdish-populated areas, but will face stiff opposition elsewhere. Syria
Why Israelis are defending IDF soldier who shot Palestinian attacker A recent poll shows that most Israelis side with an IDF soldier who shot a subdued Palestinian, even though it's clear the soldier was not acting in self-defense. Palestine
Kerry notes 'beneficial reduction' in Syrian violence Syrian cessation of hostilities holding at one month as Islamic State loses ground; Massoud Barzani says United States is turning a “blind eye” to Syrian Kurdish ally’s links to the Kurdistan Workers Party. Iraq
Is this Iranian man charged in US actually a 'hostage'? After an Iranian man was charged in a US court for violating laws on Iran, a conservative analyst accused the United States of seeking to obtain the release of two Iranian-Americans held in Iran. Iran
Will Egypt-Hamas fallout hurt Palestinian reconciliation? Hamas appears to be making an effort to repair relations with Egypt, but it’s unclear whether the road runs both ways. Palestine
Where are Israeli-Palestinian security talks headed? Discreet talks between Israeli and Palestinian security officers, aimed at reaching new understandings regarding Israel’s military activity in Palestinian cities, lead nowhere for the moment. Palestine
Is Iran becoming a major regional arms producer? If the current trajectory of arms deliveries continues, it appears that countries such as Iran, Russia and China are set to become the Middle East’s main weapons suppliers. Iraq
Will Syrian Kurd self-rule trigger Turkish action? Experts argue that Turkey might not react to the announcement of the Federal Democratic System of Rojava and Northern Syria by Syria’s Kurds, as Ankara is currently embattled with its own Kurds on the inside. Syria
