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
What do Iraqis want from their leaders? What do Iraqis look for in a leader? Unsurprisingly, security, low corruption and development top many people's lists. Iraq
Can Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE form Arab security alliance? With the Islamic State (IS) out to change the regional order, Gulf states ought to establish a security alliance to prevent this from happening. Saudi Arabia
Iraqi prime minister’s task not an easy one Amid the security, political and social unrest, the tasks of Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Haider al-Abadi, will be hindered if the people do not unite. Iraq
US missile shipment delay should teach Israel lesson Now that the White House policy of scrutinizing arms shipments to Israel is out in the open, Israel might begin to understand the price it will pay for rejecting a diplomatic process with the Palestinians. Palestine
Iran's atomic chief wants detonator issue closed The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran complained that the number of questions regarding Iran's nuclear program were increasing, despite Iran's cooperation and previous understandings. Iran
Aleppo's Christians in Syrian crossfire Christians in Aleppo fear an uncertain fate; Iran’s decisive role in the appointment of Haider al-Abadi as Iraqi prime minister-designate; battle for Arsal may not be over yet; Netanyahu is Israel’s "weakest prime minister" ever; lobbying profiles of Gulf countries to be released. Iraq
Would Gul battle Turkey’s 'parallel state'? Outgoing President Abdullah Gul’s distinction between Gulenist wrongdoers within the state and innocent members of the community shows the difficulty of dismantling the “parallel state” without crippling democracy and social peace. Turkey
Arsal battle brings Syrian refugee issue to the fore in Lebanon Since the Arsal battle, Lebanon has been taking a new look at its Syrian refugee crisis, which it has been struggling with for years. Lebanon
Amid regional instability, Turkey focuses on domestic agenda Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party are engrossed in the transition to a presidential system, but unrelenting developments in the Middle East will leave Ankara facing major regional problems. Syria
Southern Israeli city of Sderot is tired of cease-fires Fourteen years of rockets have bred hard feelings in the southern Israeli city of Sderot — which range from despair to utter despair — with residents actually hoping for a continuation of the battles, and frustration over the fact that the IDF did not conquer the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Lapid sets up separate communication channel with US While the Israeli prime minister blames the US administration and the IDF for his political failure in the Gaza incursion, US officials prefer to communicate with Finance Minister Yair Lapid or Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Palestine
Who's responsible for what happened in Gaza? Israel’s policy of strangling the Gaza Strip while ignoring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is what strengthened Hamas; thus, any agreement that will be reached in Cairo will be viewed by the Israeli public as surrendering to terror, even if its terms appear in previous agreements signed by Israel. Palestine
