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
Hezbollah, Future Movement eye presidency Hezbollah and the Future Movement have begun a dialogue on filling Lebanon's presidency, offering some reason for hope. Saudi Arabia
Kurdish Sinjar offensive too late for some Yazidis Whatever the outcome of the battle of Sinjar, it will take a while for Yazidis to regain confidence in the peshmerga, whom they blame for abandoning the town to the Islamic State. Iraq
The massacre Turkey hopes Alevis will forget The government is obstructing memorial observances for the 1978 anti-Alevi massacre in Maras, hoping it will be forgotten. Turkey
Is Palestinian state only guarantee against Hamas? The Israeli right fears the campaign has moved from the “Iran nuke danger” to “Hamas’ takeover of the West Bank,” ignoring regional concerns for Israel’s security and aligning with their wish to avoid Hamas empowerment. Palestine
Larijani offers Iran's support in visit to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq Head of Iran's parliament Ali Larijani traveled to Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, where he met with top religious and political officials. Iraq
Baghdad's 'blind eye' leads to IS routs in Anbar The Islamic State continues to extend its control in Anbar as the Iraqi army falls back. Iraq
Israeli expert: 'cyberspace has become a battlefield' In an interview with Al-Monitor, the head of the INSS Cyber Security Program, Gabi Siboni, states that after the recent hacking of Sony Pictures, Western countries should consider cyberattacks as a real threat to their sovereignty. Israel
Kurds draw pride from defense of Kobani Al-Monitor's visit to the besieged Syrian Kurdish border town of Kobani found Kurdish fighters optimistic about their chances of reclaiming the town and expelling Islamic State forces. Syria
Iraqi volunteers' victories don't justify atrocities The popular mobilization, which is formed of Shiite volunteers to fight the Islamic State, has been both sanctified and demonized in Iraqi media, in light of its success in warding off IS from certain cities, while at the same time committing violations on the battlefield. Iraq
WikiLeaks sheds light on Turkey’s mysterious ‘Annotators’ Were the "Annotators" really terrorists connected to al-Qaeda? Or were they victims of a conspiracy by the “parallel state”? WikiLeaks offers some hints. Turkey
Syrian regime pursues draft dodgers The Syrian regime is imposing tough new measures to prevent young men in regime-held areas from avoiding military conscription. Syria
Lebanon, Argentina arrive at consensus over 1992 attack Lebanese and Argentine officials recently discussed the 1992 suicide bombing at the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, with both sides arriving at the conclusion that Lebanon held no responsibility. Israel
