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 Yemen may not be heading for a split Have southern Yemeni rebel leaders forfeited their quest to secede in exchange for positions of power or are they building political strength and biding their time? Yemen
Turkey gives mixed signals on Syria Pro-Erdogan media drums support for an invasion of Syria, but military experts say this is not feasible. Syria
Is Turkey doing enough to protect its Protestants? Turkey's small Protestant community feels threatened not only by detractors, but also by the Islamic State, and lacks government protection against either. Turkey
Will Sudan side with Egypt in Renaissance Dam dispute? Ambassador Mohamed Orabi, chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee, speaks about the disputed Halayeb and Shalateen regions and the Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Why the fall of this Syrian city raises red flags in Jordan The fall of Sheikh Miskin near the Jordanian border has sounded alarms in the kingdom, which is working to beef up security on the border and bracing for a new wave of refugees. Jordan
Undeterred by closures, Hamas still boasts of tunnel advantage Despite setbacks, Hamas has been digging more tunnels and continues to flaunt them as a strategic weapon against Israel in propaganda videos. Palestine
The death of the Arab Israeli dream In an interview with Al-Monitor, Knesset member Issawi Frej of Meretz accused the government of creating an atmosphere permitting the targeting and persecution of Arabs and for ignoring the problem of violence in Arab Israeli communities. Israel
Is Russia helping the US win in Syria? Russian air power and Syrian forces are pounding terrorists and their allies, while taking a terrible toll on civilians; keep Turkey out of Syria. Syria
Congress gets first-hand account of war against IS A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Feb. 8. Iraq
Diplomats focus on humanitarian aid first, Syria peace talks second After Syria peace talks in Geneva suspended, diplomats look to world powers to agree on aid access and humanitarian deliverables at a meeting of the International Syria Support Group in Munich on Feb. 11 to try to revive a diplomatic process. Syria
Diyarbakir's soccer team gets yellow card for winning Diyarbakir's Amedspor soccer club is paying a heavy price for making its way to the Turkish Cup quarterfinals, defeating powerful rivals along the way. Turkey
Five reasons why Iran-Saudi conflict won't escalate Despite media speculation about war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, several domestic and international factors make that prospect highly unlikely. Saudi Arabia
