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
Deputy: Qatar's expulsion of Brotherhood won't impact Hamas In an interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas deputy leader Mousa Abu Marzouk said the provisions of the cease-fire deal with Israel were the most Hamas could achieve from the war, but he also indicated that it expects to obtain more of its demands in upcoming negotiations. Palestine
Turkish villages smuggle IS oil through makeshift pipelines In the village of Hacipasa, almost every house is connected to an illegal oil pipeline smuggling IS oil into Turkey. Syria
With Temple Mount as flashpoint, violence rises in Jerusalem In the midst of increasing violence and harassment against Arabs in Jerusalem and tensions over the Temple Mount, the Jerusalem Municipality announced encouraging news about two building plans in East Jerusalem Arab neighborhoods. Palestine
Khamenei: Iran rejected US offer to cooperate against IS Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that despite statements by US officials, it was Iran who had rejected cooperation with the United States against the Islamic State group. Iran
Turkey rows against the tide Ideological assumptions based on Islamist and Sunni sympathies, as well as a series of bad judgments, leave Turkey with diminished influence in a region where it once hoped to play a leadership role. Iraq
Hamas frustrated by Israel’s flouting of cease-fire deal Key terms in the cease-fire agreement with Israel have not been implemented, raising Palestinians' frustrations. Palestine
Israel skeptical about US strategy on IS While the US finds a new interlocutor in Israel's opposition leader, the Israeli security establishment is not reassured by President Barack Obama's latest speech, since it fears that much like Hamas, the Islamic State cannot be defeated by airstrikes alone. Iraq
Gaza fishermen say Israel not honoring cease-fire terms The cease-fire to end the Gaza war included a provision to extend Gaza’s fishing zone, but local fishermen say Israel has yet to implement the new arrangement. Palestine
Iran Foreign Ministry casts doubt on US coalition against IS Iran's Foreign Ministry said that the US-led coalition to fight the Islamic State includes countries that had helped fuel terrorism in the region. Iran
Egyptian tribes wary of new provincial boundaries President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's decision to redraw provincial boundaries is worrying Arab tribes in remote and impoverished areas, where they fear diminishing revenue and development from the central government. Egypt
Syrian rebels break uneasy peace in Golan Heights Syrian rebels, including Jabhat al-Nusra, are hoping they can take control of Quneitra province and break the siege on Ghouta in eastern Damascus. Israel
The return of Lebanese 'self-security' The growing fears of a jihadist presence in Lebanon have pushed some Lebanese villages toward increasingly relying on themselves for security. Lebanon
