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
Turkish, Greek warplanes tangle in mock dogfights over Aegean The Aegean Sea overheated in 2014 because of frequent mock dogfights between Greek and Turkish warplanes, which require serious diplomacy and confidence-building measures to calm down. Turkey
Iraqi town celebrates victory over Islamic State The Iraqi army, with the help of local tribes and the pro-Iran Badr Brigades, drove out the Islamic State from Dhuluiya, a town north of Baghdad. Iraq
Turkey's new legal definitions lead to increase in arrests A new legal provision to facilitate police action against government opponents in Turkey has victimized scores of people in a short period of time. Turkey
Turkey's internal Kurdish tensions flare Deep-rooted strains between secular-nationalist Kurds and Islamist Kurds may reignite in the wake of the civil war in Iraq and Syria. Turkey
Iran mourns general killed by IS in Iraq Iranian Gen. Hamid Taghavi, killed in Iraq, played in important role in Iran's efforts in the country. Iraq
Corruption lets Iraqi criminals off the hook Weak institutions and corruption mean that major crimes in Iraq are not being investigated or prosecuted. Iraq
Jerusalem's Arab bus drivers speak out Jerusalem has seemingly calmed down after several weeks of unrest, but Arab bus drivers tell Al-Monitor that they are constantly subjected to insults and attacks by extremist Jewish passengers. Israel
Saudis work together to head off sectarian violence The November attack against Saudi Shiites in al-Ahsa governorate drew unanimous condemnation from conservative Sunnis and Shiites alike, who are determined to prevent sectarian strife. Legacy: Gulf
Iraq's 2 million IDPs struggling The Islamic State’s offensive this year, and the subsequent conflict that has followed, has spawned nearly 2 million internally displaced persons, many of whom live in run-down, squalid refugee camps and are desperate for aid. Iraq
Iraqis bicker over liberating Mosul Arab disputes over leadership and relations with Baghdad and the Kurds, as well as Kurdish disinterest in defending Sunni Arab territories, are complicating efforts to defeat the Islamic State in a highly fragmented Iraq. Iraq
Ongoing instability hurts Yemeni businesses The Yemeni economy continues its downward spiral, with Yemeni entrepreneurs finding it difficult to get financing for projects while the country’s political instability worsens. Yemen
Israel must address growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza The Israeli leadership must realize that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza increases every day, and react appropriately despite the upcoming elections that might delay a solution by almost half a year. Palestine
