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
Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon becomes battlefield for Fatah-Islamist conflict The precarious security situation in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon has been reignited by recent clashes between the Fatah movement and Islamist militants inside the camp. Palestine
What's next for Abadi? Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's moderate path in implementing government reforms has kept the peace among the governing political parties. Iraq
Assad’s 'reputation trap' for Moscow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in his fear of losing the support of Russia, may be backing Russia into a corner of sorts. Legacy: Gulf
Iran negotiators defend deal at committee hearing Former and current Iranian negotiators testified before a special parliamentary committee and the Assembly of Experts. Iran
Turkey takes on the Islamic State ... in 40-page report Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs has issued a 40-page report that condemns not just the Islamic State, but also "political Salafism." Turkey
European countries to Turkey: We pay, you keep Syrian refugees Syrian refugees are the new ping-pong between EU countries and Turkey. Syria
Larijani: US must fully implement nuclear deal In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, praised President Barack Obama’s "wisdom" in negotiating a nuclear deal, but chided the United States for backing Saudi military intervention in Yemen. Iran
Facebook users take aim at crime, security checkpoints, life in Syria Syrians are using social media to share their experiences, including at regime-controlled checkpoints, in this case with the goal of reaching decision-makers and improving the treatment of those stopped at them. Syria
Is Abbas leaving legacy of failure? For the moment, President Mahmoud Abbas' legacy is commendable for rejecting terrorism in the Palestinian movement, but condemnable for not accepting peace proposals with the caveat of continuing to negotiate the details. Palestine
Could US state sanctions on Iran unravel nuke deal? Critics of the nuclear agreement say states have it in their power to kill it, but do they really? Congress
The king finally comes to town King Salman of Saudi Arabia won't find solutions to his country's deepest problems during his visit to Washington. Legacy: Gulf
Turkish daily exposes transfer of weapons to IS The feud between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his rivals in the Gulen movement is turning up news: Is there a link between exposure and the police raid of newspaper offices? Syria
