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
House panel approves peshmerga bill that Baghdad deems 'unwise and unnecessary' The House Foreign Affairs panel voted to directly arm Kurdish forces. Iraq
What's the one thing that Arabs, Turks and Iranians can all agree on? Majorities in eight Muslim countries blame “corrupt, repressive and unrepresentative governments” and wrong-headed religious leaders for the rise of extremist groups such as the Islamic State. Congress
Bloodshed stokes Kurdish separatist sentiment Ankara’s draconian security crackdowns, marked by dozens of civilian deaths, have left many Kurds wondering whether they should give up their struggle for rights and seek independence. Turkey
Ankara's Mosul miscalculation Even Turkmens are unhappy with Turkey’s moves in Mosul, and Ankara may have made a serious misjudgment. Iraq
Who are Israel's hilltop youth? The suspects arrested for the murder of the Dawabsha family members belong to the extremist hilltop youth, who dream of rebuilding the Kingdom of Judea and consider the Israeli state their enemy. Palestine
Iraq's war of flags A struggle over flags has emerged in Iraq, where the various forces fighting the Islamic State seek to promote their own identities and are desecrating the symbols of rival groups. Iraq
How Tunisia’s moderate imams are seeking to reclaim Islam from extremists Tunisia is taking important steps to counter jihadism, but must also address the underlying causes of extremism. Tunisia
Did Erdogan threaten Iran? Spokesman for the Hassan Rouhani administration denies that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "threatened" Iran regarding negative media coverage. Turkey
Why is Turkey stirring the Iraqi cauldron? The wisdom and real motives of Turkey dispatching troops to northern Iraq is a topic of hot debate. Iraq
Ankara falls into Moscow's trap Ankara is now being compelled to backtrack on its Syria policy in the face of Russian threats and sanctions, while the United States stands as one of the prime beneficiaries of the crisis. Syria
What took Israel so long to arrest Douma murder suspects? After four months of investigation, suspects in the murder of the Dawabsha family were apprehended — but will they be convicted? Palestine
Is this Palestine's Arab Spring? As the wide unrest continues in Palestine, many wonder if this uprising could be a belated Palestinian Arab Spring that will bring about change in the entire region. Palestine
