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
Will the Palestinians abolish the Oslo Accord? Growing despair might drive Palestinian leadership to announce the abolition of the Oslo Accord, which would lead to chaos and consequently breakouts of violence. Palestine
How feminist groups are taking on post-revolution Egypt Egyptian activists have been establishing groups and campaigns to raise awareness and fight sexual harassment since the revolutions erupted in Egypt. Egypt
Tightened security backfires at Al-Aqsa Israel has taken measures to limit the number of Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque so that Jewish visitors can pray there, but the steps seem to be increasing rather than soothing tensions. Palestine
Kurdish National Council: We must remove the top of the pyramid in Syria In an interview with Al-Monitor, the head of the Kurdish National Council, Ibrahim Biro, talked about his party’s opposition to the Syrian regime, and stressed that a federal system is needed in Syria to integrate all of Syria’s sectarian and ethnic components. Syria
Congress rethinks anti-Assad stance Senate Democrats are beginning to question regime-change goals amid Islamic State gains. United Arab Emirates
Egyptian Coptic Church tapped to play mediator in Nile River dispute Egypt is looking to capitalize on the Coptic Church’s disputed influence to affect relations between Ethiopia and Egypt on the Nile water-sharing and Renaissance Dam dossier. Egypt
Khamenei asks IRGC to prevent 'enemy’s influence' Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, asking them to protect the country from foreign influence. Iran
Is Saudi Arabia up to the task of protecting the 'House of God'? With construction issues at the Grand Mosque and the threat of Islamist militants, the hajj presents a unique challenge to Saudi organizers every year. Saudi Arabia
US to name coordinator for implementing Iran nuclear deal With the Iran nuclear deal expected to survive congressional review, the Obama administration is preparing to pivot from defending the deal to the crucial task of implementing it, with diplomat Stephen Mull leading the new office to coordinate JCPOA implementation for the US government. Congress
Temple Mount violence escalates Riots are spreading from the Temple Mount to East Jerusalem, causing more deaths and injuries, but neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas offer any new solutions. Palestine
Displaced Yazidis in Georgia find respite, but little else A small number of Iraqi Yazidis fleeing Islamic State attacks in 2014 headed for economically struggling Georgia, where the existing Yazidi community, itself formed by refugees escaping persecution, has been trying to assist them. Iraq
Russia deepens Turkey’s Syrian impasse Moscow’s increasing military support for the Assad regime makes a reassessment of Ankara’s Syria policy essential. Syria
