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
Unemployed Iraqis join in looting of antiquities As security chaos persists and jobless rates soar, little can be done to protect Iraq's thousands of archaeological sites from illegal excavations. Iraq
Has there been a breakthrough in Hamas-Egypt ties? A Hamas visit to Egypt ended on a positive note, which might push the Egyptians to stop the incitement campaign against the movement. Palestine
How Israeli politicians are exploiting Brussels attacks Just as he did after the attacks in Paris, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his colleagues on the Israeli right are keen to point out connections between the terrorism striking Europe and Israel's domestic security issues. Israel
Bosporus 'bulls' defy terrorist threat Turkey’s financial markets have continued to rally despite a string of bloody terrorist attacks, but their festive mood could sour at a stroke. Turkey
Is corruption suspect's US arrest bad news for Erdogan? The US arrest of Reza Zarrab, allegedly a key figure in Turkey’s bribery and corruption scandal, has set off alarm bells in Ankara. Turkey
Tensions flare in Western Sahara dispute One word used by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was all it took to reignite tensions over disputed territory in northwest Africa. Morocco
Why this Palestinian commuter app may be destined for dead end A new smartphone app aims to help Palestinians cross through security checkpoints, but Israel's West Bank settlements council claims that it could help Palestinians plan attacks on soldiers. Palestine
Why Europe must unify its intelligence networks Israeli security experts claim that the high number of intelligence agencies and lack of cooperation in Europe hinders an efficient response to the battle against the Islamic State, which Israel's defense minister calls a "Third World War." Israel
What Russia won by withdrawing from Syria Russian President Vladimir Putin’s drawdown of forces from Syria was carefully timed and shows Russia learned an important lesson in Afghanistan. Syria
Is Israel key to solving Renaissance Dam crisis? Ousted parliamentarian Tawfik Okasha still faces fierce criticism from his government for getting too close to Israel, in the ongoing Renaissance Dam saga — but could Egypt need Israel more than they are willing to admit? Egypt
Is Israeli media blurring the line between news and propaganda? The investigative report of Israeli TV Channel 2 accuses NGO Breaking the Silence of endangering IDF soldiers, without balancing its report or verifying its information properly. Israel
Bomb scare ends century-old run of Turkish soccer match Turkey's postponement of a major soccer match reveals much about the country's failure to combat terror, and cancellations of other public events are likely to follow. Turkey
