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
Shooting of Fatah activist could doom security cooperation The security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is in jeopardy after Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Fatah activist in the Dheisheh refugee camp. Palestine
Islamic State conspiracy theories sway Iraqis Past events in US-Iraqi relations and the prevalence of conspiracy theories spread by the media as well as politicians have led Iraqis to doubt the sincerity of the US fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
With eye on Mosul, coalition advisers train peshmerga The international coalition against the Islamic State has provided weeks of training to prepare peshmerga fighters for a ground offensive to regain control of Mosul. Iraq
Kurds push for delay of Mosul attack Some in Congress share concerns that Sunnis aren't ready to take on the Islamic State. Iraq
Iran 'bound' to complete talks by March 31 Iranian media outlets believe that progress was made in the nuclear talks and that the nuclear talks are reaching a conclusion. Iran
Turkey’s 'strategic depth' in Syria The controversy around Turkish military intrusion into Syria to remove the alleged sanctuary of Suleiman Shah continues. Syria
Does Assad meeting signal a shift in France's policy? A secret visit by French parliamentarians to Damascus is raising questions about a possible major shift in France's Syria policy. Syria
Qatar rejects Egypt’s war on terrorism The Egyptian request to carry out, under international cover, airstrikes against Islamic State strongholds in Libya was rejected by Qatar, which reveals the emergence of new alliances in the Middle East. Qatar
America’s neglected asset in fight for Mosul The Pentagon recently declared its 2015 plan to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State, an operation that may be effective only if the resistance groups already operating in Mosul are involved. Iraq
Sinai residents feel betrayed by Egyptian media The Egyptian media has been accused of trivializing the situation in Sinai, which either castigates or ignores residents while they are being beheaded by Islamic extremists for cooperating with the army in its anti-terrorism campaign against them. Egypt
One man's return to Gaza In an interview with Al-Monitor, the journalist Majdi Arbid, who fled Gaza eight years ago, tells of the dire situation he encountered when he returned. Palestine
Is Congress backing Sisi's battle against Islamists? Lawmakers declined to grill Secretary of State John Kerry on military assistance to Egypt. Egypt
