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
Donor pledges not enough to rehabilitate Gaza The Palestinian Authority needs at least $15 billion to properly restore Gaza’s economy, while donors have only pledged $5.4 billion for interim reconstruction. Palestine
Kerry's three Israel-Palestinian options The Obama administration objects to the Palestinian plan of turning to the UN for recognizing Palestine, thus hesitating between two options: a new outline based on former negotiations or a series of gestures and negotiations without a deadline. Palestine
Turkey uses defense industry as political instrument The Turkish government uses the defense industry to build its foreign relationships and to improve domestic standing. Turkey
Turkey to train Syrian rebels, but at what cost? As talks continue for the use of Turkish bases in airstrikes against the Islamic State, Ankara agrees to train Syrian rebels in a move that increases the risk of Turkey’s Pakistanization. Syria
Has Israel accepted the Palestinian unity government? Israel has allowed trucks with goods to enter Gaza, thus cooperating with the same Fatah-Hamas government it refused to recognize four months ago. Palestine
Assad dismisses security chief of powerful 'Branch 40' The dismissal of Col. Hafez Makhlouf, head of Syria's internal security, may be a sign of reformist policies or even a change of leadership within the regime. Lebanon
Is Anbar Islamic State's Achilles' heel? The Islamic State’s control of Anbar province and the city of Fallujah is key to their survival, and if lost the group's demise would follow. Iraq
Syrian regime takes advantage of coalition strikes While the world focuses on the Islamic State, the Syrian army is making significant gains in Damascus and Aleppo. Syria
Egypt initiates plan to ensure food security Egypt plans to cultivate 4 million acres of strategic crops for its large population, but water scarcity and a lack of funds raise doubts about its feasibility. Egypt
Yemen’s Houthis draw the attention of Iraqis The Houthis in Yemen recently made the Iraqi headlines, as some consider that there are measures to direct the media toward the support of Shiite parties outside Iraq after internal failures. Saudi Arabia
What it's like to fight for Hamas Abu Abdel Rahman, a fighter with Hamas’ Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, still dreams of fighting against Israeli forces in the last Gaza war. Palestine
Common enemy brings Iran, Saudi Arabia closer Relations between Saudi Arabia and the Shiite movements in Yemen, namely the Houthis, have fluctuated over the years but may turn into a Saudi-Iranian rapprochement as a common enemy threatens both sides. Saudi Arabia
