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
Iraqis demand better security for religious pilgrimages After vandals attacked Sunni properties in Adhamiya, Iraqis are calling for official regulation and organization of religious events to avoid sectarian violence. Iraq
IS advances in northern Aleppo The towns and villages of northern Aleppo’s countryside have been witnessing heavy clashes between the Islamic State and rebel factions, while Syrian regime aircraft have bombed several sites, thus suggesting cooperation between the regime and IS. Syria
Will Israel’s Erez crossing supersede Rafah? It looks like Israel is allowing more people to cross into the West Bank from Gaza through the Erez crossing, which has raised questions about the possibility of the Erez crossing replacing the Rafah crossing. Palestine
Anti-boycott call rings hollow as village awaits demolition Israeli plans to demolish the Palestinian village of Susiya and other similar acts will not generate support for the government's campaign to stanch the growing movement to boycott settlement products and in some cases products made in Israel. Palestine
Former Iran ambassador: Saudis must accept Houthis In an interview with Al-Monitor, Seyed Ali Asghar Ghoreishi, former Iranian ambassador to Yemen, discussed the nature of Iran's support for the Houthis, elements necessary to end the fighting in Yemen and the possibility of extremist groups seizing large sections of territory in Yemen. Legacy: Gulf
Is Hamas preparing for long-term truce with Israel? Hamas’ military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has been implementing a series of military measures signifying a possible truce with Israel, but is not ruling out the possibility of a deadly confrontation. Palestine
Why didn’t Netanyahu attack Iran? This week it was disclosed that there was a serious disagreement between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the heads of the security apparatus in 2010, when Netanyahu considered attacking Iran. Israel
Egyptian prisoner renounces his nationality to escape sentence Prisoner Mohammed Sultan renounced his Egyptian nationality to escape a jail sentence, which stirred many questions about the law on the extradition of prisoners. Egypt
Islamic State releases first Turkish publication Pro-Islamic State groups ramp up their propaganda in Turkey and issue their first online periodical. Turkey
Radical Islamists add to Hamas' burden On top of its many other security and political challenges, Hamas is also dealing with the radical Islamist elements in Gaza that are firing rockets at Israel while Hamas struggles to maintain a cease-fire agreement. Palestine
IS growing in numbers, money The Islamic State is gaining in influence while those opposing it search in vain for ways to counter the extremist organization. Saudi Arabia
Will voters reject Turkey’s ‘precious loneliness’? Parliamentary elections on June 7 could signal a shift in Turkey’s foreign policy; Islamic State’s radicalization campaign extends to Iraqi Kurdistan; Iran not backing down in Syria; Soleimani promises "surprise" in battle against Islamic State. Iraq
