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 parliamentarian: We will defend Lebanon from IS In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said Lebanon was under direct threat from the Islamic State and that Hezbollah stood ready to confront it. Saudi Arabia
Fatah source: no chance of reconciliation with Hamas In an interview, a Fatah source in Gaza said that Hamas arrested him and his colleagues during the fighting, and that the rift between Hamas and Fatah was about to explode. Palestine
US-Iran cooperation on IS makes Israel uneasy Although Israel is increasingly uneasy about the possibility of US-Iran cooperation in fighting the Islamic State, Israeli security officials say the emergence of a regional Islamic caliphate would be a strategic disaster. Palestine
Hamas eyes armed resistance from West Bank Hamas officials have expressed a desire to shift the armed confrontation with Israel to the West Bank, prompting a Palestinian Authority crackdown on Hamas. Palestine
Christians in Homs province fear jihadist advance Christians in the strategic Wadi al-Nasara area are pinning their defense on the Syrian army’s ability to hold the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra at bay. Syria
AQIM defectors raise fears of IS branch in North Africa A senior leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, leading some to speculate that an IS branch is in the making in North Africa. Algeria
New jihadist generation in Lebanon With the latest security clashes between Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra members and the Lebanese army, it seems that Salafism is shifting its priorities to Lebanon. Iraq
Expropriation of land reveals Netanyahu's strategy The expropriation of West Bank land, contrary to his commitment at his 2009 Bar-Ilan speech, reveals the true strategy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dividing the Palestinians while stalling. Palestine
Qatar foreign minister believes abducted bishops still alive Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah said that he has obtained information that two bishops kidnapped in Syria last year are still alive. Qatar
Regime, rebels continue clashes in Zabadani Rebel fighters attacked several Syrian army checkpoints around the town of Zabadani, but it has so far failed to produce safe passageways for civilians and rebel fighters. Syria
Is Turkey the weakest link in anti-IS coalition? Held back by political weaknesses and ideological constraints, Ankara is likely to be the weakest and most reluctant member of the planned coalition against the Islamic State. Iraq
Russia focuses on eliminating Middle East terrorist threat Increased terrorist activity in the Middle East has Russia rethink its foreign policy, and support the Arab League's intention of a "comprehensive treaty of collective security." Palestine
