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
Russia keeps eye on Islamic State Russia views the expansion of the Islamic State in Iraq as a threat to its own security, especially given the potential return home of Russian-born jihadists. Iraq
Davutoglu faces uneasy relationship with Assad Ahmet Davutoglu declared two years ago in his role as foreign minister that he would rather resign than shake Bashar al-Assad’s hand; he now has to find a way to coexist with Syria. Iraq
Islamic State inciting Arab-Kurdish divide in Iraq Reports of Ninevah province Arabs fighting with the Islamic State are contributing to anti-Arab sentiments among Iraqi Kurds. Syria
Unexploded Israeli ordnance creates more danger for Gazans An Israeli ordnance exploded on Aug. 13, killing six people, including an Associated Press journalist, highlighting the serious danger Israel’s war remnants pose to the local population. Palestine
IS threatens Iraq's minority Shabak community Iraq's Shabak minority is in danger, targeted by the Islamic State. Iraq
In shadow of war, Israel starts to return to normal The fraught mood that characterized Israeli society since the abduction of the three teens and throughout this war seems to be dying down, with Jews returning to the Arab towns and social media interactions becoming more moderate again. Israel
When will the US, Europe wake up to the threat of radical Islam? With the murder of James Foley the West starts understanding the danger of radical Islam, internalized already by Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and even by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestine
To stop Hamas, Israel should cut electricity and supplies to Gaza If Israel still wishes to regain its deterrence vis-a-vis Hamas without entering Gaza, it will be left with one option only: shutting off Gaza electricity and closing the crossing points to the 400 daily supply trucks entering the Strip. Palestine
Provocations in Turkey as Kurdish peace process gets serious Turkey’s peace process with the Kurds faces a major test amid explosive incidents apparently aimed at shaking the determination of both the government and the Kurdish side. Turkey
Sunnis do not believe Abadi is solution to Iraq's crises Members of the local council in Anbar province say that replacing Nouri al-Maliki with Haider al-Abadi will not solve the problems Sunnis have endured under Maliki’s rule. Iraq
Saudi Arabia seeks Yemen reconciliation to subdue Houthis After months of fierce fighting in Omran, the city fell under the control of armed Houthis, while Saudi Arabia was seeking to achieve national reconciliation in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Anti-Arab sentiment on rise in Turkey Growing protests against Syrian refugees signal changing perceptions toward Arabs in Turkey. Culture & Society
