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
Houthi victories in Yemen make Saudi Arabia nervous The rapid victories of the Shiite Houthi group in Yemen make Saudi Arabia worry that Iran is surrounding the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
Syrian rebels eye capital after gains in south Syrian rebels continue to make significant inroads in the country’s south as the Syrian government focuses on key battles in Damascus. Syria
IS sent warning letters to Middle East embassies Iran's deputy foreign minister has said that the Islamic State sent letters to embassies warning them not to attack the group and that the United States notified Iran and Syria that its coalition would not target Syrian bases. Iraq
Israeli defense minister warns of 'bad Iranian deal' Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon warns of Iranian aspirations for regional hegemony, claiming that the West did not present tough enough negotiation stances: ''Current discussions would result in an agreement that isn’t a good one.'' Israel
Former Israeli defense minister says conflict looms with Hamas In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Defense Minister Moshe Arens contends that Israeli politicians depict a false picture of deteriorating Israeli-US ties, especially in regard to Congress, saying that ''relations are very stable." Palestine
Can Israel, Palestine exist as parallel states on same land? Contrary to what politicians on both sides are willing to admit, the Israeli and Palestinian people can live together side by side, and might accept an idea of having two parallel, “overlapping” states established on the same land. Palestine
John Kerry: Iran deal not 'out of reach' Speaking ahead of a trilateral meeting in Vienna, US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed hope for the nuclear deal. Iran
How to defeat Islamic State's war machine The Islamic State has to be recognized as a lethal and effective war machine at the tactical level. Iraq
Rebels in Aleppo stretched thin between regime, IS Rebel supply lines to the city of Aleppo are at risk of being cut as the rebels simultaneously fight government forces and the Islamic State in Aleppo’s northern countryside. Syria
Hamas, IS share neither goal nor methods Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that Hamas and the Islamic State are fruits of the same tree, but there are significant ideological and methodological differences between the two groups. Palestine
Sudan restates claim to disputed territory with Egypt Sudan recently announced it was including the disputed Halayeb area as an electoral district for its elections in 2015, proving a setback to Egypt-Sudan relations that were gradually improving after Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s election as president. Egypt
Erdogan's Syria policies spark riots in Kurdish cities Turkey’s Syria policies spark massive protests in Kurdish cities, with at least 30 protesters killed; no relief for Syrians in Homs and Aleppo; Jabhat al-Nusra attacks Hezbollah in Lebanon. Lebanon
