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
Obama: Diplomacy with Iran has restrained nuclear program US President Barack Obama says that since the start of the nuclear talks with Iran, it is "probably the first year-and-a-half in which Iran has not advanced its nuclear program in the last decade." Iran
Can Israel, Palestine exist in one space? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Dan Goldenblatt, co-CEO of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information, presents his vision of two states in one space, arguing that this proposed solution could be accepted by both the Israeli right and the Palestinians. Palestine
Hamas scores diplomatic victory in Europe Senior Hamas officials run a department in Gaza whose sole mission is to have the movement removed from terror lists. Palestine
Critics condemn AKP's tough police overhaul proposals For some, the AKP-drafted internal security legislation is needed to preserve Turkey's public order; for others it is a chaos package that will allow arbitrary action by the state. Turkey
Syrian authorities halt ferries to Turkey It’s become even harder for Syrians to flee the war-ravaged country after Syrian authorities stopped the ferry service between Tartus and the Turkish port city of Mersin. Syria
Jabhat al-Nusra deals Syrian regime major blow in Idlib Jabhat al-Nusra’s seizure of the two camps of al-Hamidiyya and Wadi al-Daif in Idlib province from the Syrian army’s control is an important victory for the al-Qaeda branch, as it continues to consolidate its control over Idlib. Syria
Why won't Hamas label Islamic State as terrorists? Hamas officials say the word “terrorism” is a politicized Western term and there is no international consensus, which is why it won’t label the Islamic State a terrorist group. Palestine
Hamas asks Iran for money, weapons A senior Hamas delegation visited Tehran last week to ask Iran to resume its financial and military aid to the beleaguered Palestinian Islamist movement. Palestine
Who keeps bombing French Cultural Center in Gaza? The French Cultural Center in Gaza has been targeted twice in two months, raising suspicions about who is behind the attacks, since the center is located near Hamas security headquarters and the unity government's Interior Ministry. Palestine
Expanding defense budgets feed fears of Middle East arms race A new report on arms-producing companies offers insight into the Middle East, where military experts say the armament race is likely to continue at an increasing pace. Pan Arab
How foreign imams radicalized Syria's war When eastern Aleppo fell to rebel factions, radical preachers from abroad quickly moved in and began proselytizing extremist views to the local population, raising fears that such effects may linger for years to come. Syria
Hamas official confirms Qassam rocket tests Hamas' testing of Qassam rockets points to the movement's failure to draw the right conclusions or lessons from its last confrontation with Israel. Palestine
