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
Former US ambassador: There won't be peace in Syria without prosecution of Assad In Stephen Rapp's first interview since leaving office, the recently resigned US ambassador-at-large and chief of the State Department’s Office of Global Criminal Justice says progress is being made on amassing documentation of the "hell" in Syria. Syria
Hamas concludes first-ever military training camp for girls Hamas’ women's movement is now organizing female-only training camps to strengthen young women's affiliation with Hamas' values and goals. Palestine
Islamic State tightens grip on Libya An Al-Monitor correspondent recently visited Libya and found his homeland sinking deeper into despair and dysfunction and possibly sliding toward disintegration. North Africa
Sahl al-Ghab emerges as main focus of Syrian rebels' fight against regime Syria’s Sahl al-Ghab region is of strategic importance to the Syrian opposition factions that have been trying to weaken the Assad regime whose largest pool of supporters is based there. Lebanon
Ankara warms to idea of political solution in Syria Ankara seems to be growing more amenable to a solution that includes the Syrian regime, unhappy about perceptions that it has used the international effort against the Islamic State as an excuse to resume strikes against the Kurdistan Workers Party. Syria
Islamic State ups rhetoric against Ankara Following a Turkish-American deal allowing US warplanes to use Incirlik Air Base in the fight against the Islamic State, the terrorist group has lashed out at the ruling AKP government. Syria
Inside the secret US-Iran diplomacy that sealed nuke deal Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei authorized direct talks with the United States on the nuclear issue as early as 2011, but real progress was not made until Hassan Rouhani, unaware of the talks, came into office in August 2013, US and Iranian officials say. Iran
Former Shin Bet head: Jewish terror slow-growing 'cancer' in Israel Former Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin has posted a scathing criticism of Jewish terrorism, blaming weak Israeli leadership for failing to counter "anarchist ideologies." Palestine
Has press freedom fallen victim to AKP’s Syria policy? Has the Turkish government once again tried to silence a journalist, this time one who has drawn links between the AKP government's Syria policy and terror attacks by Islamic State in the country? Syria
Will Saudi Arabia-Russia talks impact Syrian opposition? Moscow has allegedly opened up channels of communication between the Syrian regime and Saudi Arabia, and many are speculating whether this will cripple the Syrian opposition forces’ capabilities. Saudi Arabia
West Bank violence rises sharply Spiking rates of societal violence among Palestinians reflect harsh social, economic and political conditions, the spread of a culture that uses weapons, a slow judicial process and an absence of strict measures taken by authorities. Palestine
US wins support from GCC, Asian allies for Iran nuclear deal Israel is outlier on nuclear deal; Rafsanjani tells Al-Monitor that Iran “does not inherently have any issues with Saudi Arabia”; Zarif proposes civil nuclear cooperation with Arab states; Syrian, Iranian and Russian officials meet in Tehran; Al-Monitor’s second annual Middle East lobbying investigation and cultural heritage series. Israel
