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
Why Abbas needs Hamas Despite attempts by Hamas to topple Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the latter knows that he must preserve the Fatah-Hamas unity government at all costs, as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip risk becoming two Palestinian states. Palestine
Gazans reject Israel's calls to disarm Gaza's factions appear to be united in rejecting Israel's demand that the area should become a weapons-free zone. Palestine
Fighting on Golan border puts Israel on the spot Israel has intercepted a drone over the Golan Heights, but turned a blind eye to a Syrian warplane near its border, highlighting the complex reality of the war in Syria and the difficulty in calculating what is in Israel's best interest. Israel
Hariri’s visit sign of Iranian-Saudi rapprochement Saad Hariri's return to Lebanon coincided with a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and appears to be part of Riyadh's plan to invest in fighting terrorism and promoting moderate Islam. Saudi Arabia
Iran helps Iraq's Kurds but Baghdad still priority Iran has provided the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq with arms to fight the Islamic State but is wary of alienating Baghdad. Iraq
US gives new priority to foreign fighters in Syria US regional allies, including Turkey, may finally be forced to crack down on extremists in Syria. Israel
Iraq's Sunni, Shiite Turkmens fall out over IS The six-week Islamic State siege of the Shiite Turkmen town of Amerli has exposed the little-discussed rift between Iraqi Shiites and Sunni Turkmens. Iraq
Lebanon's main prison a hotbed for terrorists Roumieh Prison holds a variety of detainees, including terrorists and radical Islamists who pose a challenge to security in the lockup and in the country. Lebanon
US shuns tribal leaders who claim to have infiltrated IS A group of tribal sheikhs want to visit Washington to convince US officials to drop Baghdad and give them direct support. Iraq
Why Israelis saw the Gaza war differently The Israeli public reacted to a war that dragged on without a clear victory and showed unprecedented solidarity with the troops without the peace protests present during previous conflicts. Palestine
Israel gained upper hand in final days of war Israel’s withdrawal of ground forces, and focus on air power, gave it the upper hand in pressuring the Palestinian resistance factions to a truce. Palestine
IS massacre leaves families of victims stunned The families of 1,700 military cadets slaughtered at Camp Speicher on June 11 have received little or no attention from Iraqi authorities. Iraq
