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
After Paris, Iran spy chief warns Tehran could be next Iranian officials have warned about the possibility of an attack by the Islamic State. Syria
Senior Palestinian official refuses to give up on peace process A senior Palestinian official has given his blessing to the current wave of protest activities against the Israeli army and settlers while clearly warning about the uprising taking a military turn. Palestine
Paris attacks spoil AKP’s G-20 game plan Turkey's AKP government will not be able to use the G-20 summit as an anti-Kurdish platform. Syria
Ethiopian water minister determined to continue Renaissance Dam construction In an Al-Monitor interview in Cairo, Ethiopian Minister for Water, Irrigation and Energy Motuma Mekasa expressed his country's determination to continue construction on the Renaissance Dam despite the lack of studies on its impact. Egypt
Is it time for Israel to revisit its relationship with Sunni bloc? With Iran fighting against IS forces, and in view of IS’ latest terrorism attacks in Egypt, Lebanon and France, the Israeli security establishment is questioning its regional security doctrine. Saudi Arabia
Israel needs calm, not action-movie operations Israel's political and military establishments feel the need to "do something" to appease public opinion in the face of recent violence, but the situation calls for restraint, not excessive actions like the undercover operation at a Hebron hospital. Palestine
Jordan tasked with establishing terrorist blacklist for Syria talks Islamic State terrorism in France and Lebanon leads to new peace plan for Syria; Hamas and Islamic Jihad seek advantage from Palestinian uprising. Palestine
Paris attacks expose tensions in Turkey Comments, both arrogant and jubilant, celebrating Paris massacre on social media rub salt into the unhealed wounds of IS attacks in Turkey. Turkey
Congress tackles terrorism after Paris attacks Following Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris, this week Congress will be addressing issues related to a rise in radicalism and President Obama’s plans to increase the number of refugees admitted from war-torn countries. Syria
How to defeat the Islamic State To defeat the Islamic State, the world powers need a clear-cut, unified strategy to guide the war on terrorism. Legacy: Gulf
What will control over Aleppo’s military base mean for Assad? An expert on the situation in Syria talks to Al-Monitor about the repercussions of the Syrian army’s recent operation, where it succeeded in lifting the siege of the Kuweires military air base east of Aleppo. Syria
Has the Islamic State returned to Lebanon? Details of the twin explosions that hit Beirut’s southern suburb — Hezbollah’s stronghold — still need to be revealed, while the Islamic State has already claimed responsibility for it. Lebanon
