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
Saudi anguish over Iranian gains The withdrawal of the remaining US military personnel from Yemen only adds to Riyadh's desperation, with Riyadh worried that Washington's priority is a nuclear deal with Tehran, not stopping Iranian subversion in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu’s charm offensive Palestinians need to be united and move forward with their decisions to join the ICC and suspend the security coordination with Israel, as Benjamin Netantyahu will try, following his victory in the elections, to show political moderation. Palestine
Turkey sidelines itself in US-led coalition against IS Turkey prefers to be a "reluctant subcontractor" rather than active participant in the international coalition against the Islamic State; US envoy seems to contradict Kerry on Syria diplomacy; Israel faces possible "diplomatic siege" after election; majority of Americans back US negotiations with Iran; Al-Monitor endorses new global standards to protect freelance journalists. Palestine
The many names of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Al-Monitor traces the journey that led an unremarkable religious student to become head of the Islamic State and self-proclaimed Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Iraq
Egypt’s security forces look to cooperate with Bedouin The economic conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh surprisingly went through with no security incidents, as some Sinai residents say that the Egyptian security forces imposed strict measures to prevent any armed attack. Egypt
National reconciliation in Iraq remains elusive Since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the national reconciliation project has been subject to several interpretations, as the separation between the innocent and “those who have Iraqi blood on their hands” is still ambiguous. Iraq
Is Bardo attack a sign IS is gaining foothold in Tunisia? The March 18 terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 23 people heightened fears among the public about the Islamic State presence in Tunisia. Tunisia
#AskHamas campaign reaches out on Twitter Hamas started on March 13 a social media campaign on Twitter with the hashtag #AskHamas to reach out to the Western public in a bid to move closer to talks with European countries. Palestine
Will Hifter's Libyan army fail? Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s attempt to mobilize an army against the Islamic State in Libya might backfire if its members are comprised of former militiamen who lack discipline. Libya
Palestinian focus on isolating Israel, continuing ICC efforts With Palestine joining the International Criminal Court and suspending the security cooperation with Israel, Palestinians hope to isolate the Israeli state internationally and make it pay for its occupation and war crimes. Palestine
Iran, P5+1 tackle final hurdles to accord While progress has been made, Iran negotiators are looking to resolve differences with the P5+1 on the issues of research and development and lifting of UN Security Council resolutions. Congress
Where is Turkey’s place in strategy against IS? Turkey is absent from the Iraqi leg of the strategy to defeat the Islamic State, and stands no chance of any major role in the Syrian leg, too, as long as it remains obsessed with toppling Assad. Turkey
