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
Al-Qaeda challenges Islamic State with Paris attack Al-Qaeda's deadly terror attack in Paris may have been an attempt to restate its relevance and effectiveness in its global jihadist struggle with the Islamic State. Near East
Lebanon’s economic outlook for 2015 The economic situation in Lebanon does not bode well for the coming year, but hope remains if governing political forces move away from the region's conflicts. Lebanon
Israelis wonder how Europe will change after Paris attack Many Israelis think that the terror attack in Paris could be a watershed moment, when the Europeans have to change their human rights approach in the face of fighting radical Islamic terrorism. Palestine
Palestinian officials give contradictory media statements Senior Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub contradicted his colleague Saeb Erekat’s statements earlier in the week that the Palestinian Authority could be dissolved, raising questions over the PA’s communication strategy. Palestine
Egyptian town welcomes ban on Jewish festival Egyptians are pleased with a court decision to ban the festival celebrating the birth of Rabbi Abu Hasira because, they say, security for it turned their village into a "military barracks." Egypt
Regional powers fighting proxy war in Libya The world’s major powers are doing little to stop rival regional blocs from exacerbating the violence in Libya, despite having several UN Security Council resolutions at their disposal to help them do so. Libya
What's holding up Iran nuclear deal? The US Congress must give diplomacy a real chance and not hinder nuclear negotiations with Iran. Israel
Turkey's AKP pits Kurd against Kurd Attempts by the leaders of Turkey's ruling party to cast a Kurdish Islamist party as an alternative to the PKK are raising serious questions and feeding old rivalries. Turkey
Why Israel's PA tax freeze will backfire Israeli politicians cling to the assumption that punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority will create deterrence and prevent its leadership from diplomatic moves, not realizing that such an approach causes Israel strategic damage. Palestine
Egypt forces Brotherhood judges to retire To rid the Egyptian judiciary system of any opposition party, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued three presidential decrees forcing Muslim Brotherhood judges to retire. Egypt
Jordanians' response to executions mixed Jordan’s execution of 11 prisoners last month took the kingdom by surprise and drew a mixed response, including among the royal family, with one prince criticizing it as a “step backward” for the country. Jordan
Yemen falling out of Saudis' grasp Saudi Arabia is struggling to form an effective Yemen strategy as its three main adversaries — the Shiite Houthis, al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood — continue to dominate the Yemeni arena. Saudi Arabia
