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
Progress on Yemen slow but not dead The Geneva talks ended without results, but many hold that the real achievement was getting the sides to talk for the first time in months, perhaps allowing the international community to intensify mediation efforts. Saudi Arabia
Former IDF lawyer finds UN report on Gaza war 'relatively balanced' Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, the former head of the IDF’s Department of International Law, tells Al-Monitor in an interview that though the UN report on the Gaza war was fairly impartial, it cannot be used as the basis for a criminal indictment. Palestine
Emails to Hillary contradict French tale on Libya war Ex-CIA source says French intel service “created” Libyan rebel group in fight against Moammar Gadhafi. Libya
Why doesn't Iran trust the US? A fundamental lack of trust between Iran and the world powers, and mainly the United States, continues to stand in the way of a comprehensive nuclear deal. Iran
Arafat’s helicopter serves as a symbol for Gazans The late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's helicopter, the only one remaining after Israel bombed his airfield in 2001, is a symbol of a past era free of missiles. Palestine
How Israel balances cyber security, privacy In an interview with Al-Monitor, cyber security specialist Major Gen. (Res.) Isaac Ben-Israel explains that security must be balanced with civilians' right to privacy, which is why the new National Cyber Bureau will be independent and not under Shin Bet control. Israel
Did Ankara-backed group attack Turkish Kurds? A string of unresolved attacks against Kurds has raised suspicions that the Turkish government is training and recruiting jihadist militants from the Syrian conflict as paramilitary forces to target government opponents. Syria
After Tell Abyad, what's next for PYD? While Ankara is confused what to do after the victory of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Free Syrian Army in Tell Abyad, the PYD is deciding on its next target. Syria
Kurds eye new corridor to Mediterranean The dream of a Kurdish corridor from Jazeera to Afrin appears to be attainable, but everything depends on the complicated relationships the Kurds are working to maintain in the area's complex ethnic and ideological makeup. Syria
Erdogan sees threat from Kurdish gains in Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives priority to battle Kurdish “terror organizations” over the Islamic State; the Islamic State's scorched-earth practices in Kobani; the Druze lobby in Israel. Israel
Death penalty divides Egyptians Despite recent calls for Egypt to abolish capital punishment, getting rid of the death penalty is no simple matter. Egypt
Putin, Erdogan meet face to face, but don't see eye to eye The recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Azerbaijan appears to reflect a mutual irritation between the two parties. Turkey
