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
Will Homs truce be repeated in Aleppo? Hezbollah sources indicate that efforts are underway, including interventions by Iranian and Turkish authorities, to repeat the truce reached in Homs last month in Aleppo. Syria
Syrian Kurds continue to blame Turkey for backing ISIS militants In a report from northeast Syria, Syrian Kurds, locked in a bloody battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), also fear a potential clash with Syrian government forces. Iraq
Ex-Islamic Jihad leader launches new armed group in Gaza A former Islamic Jihad leader has announced the creation of a new “resistance faction” in the Gaza Strip, which has been accused of promoting sectarianism. Palestine
Lapid slams Netanyahu for 'crisis' in US-Israel ties In a landmark speech, Finance Minister Yair Lapid broke ties with right-wing coalition members and laid claim to Israel's center-left. Palestine
ISIS 'hit and run' tactics reveal Iraqi security weaknesses The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is briefly occupying Sunni neighborhoods then immediately withdrawing, to weaken confidence in Iraqi forces and display its power. Iraq
Protests by Hamas government workers force banks to close Just days after the new Palestinian reconciliation government was announced, a crisis has broken out because employees of the former Hamas government in Gaza have not received salaries, unlike their Palestinian Authority counterparts in the West Bank. Palestine
Israel should put Fatah-Hamas government to the test The establishment of a Palestinian government culminates a decade of changes the Hamas movement is undergoing, offering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an opportunity to force it into changing its fanatical charter. Palestine
Transitional justice fails in Iraq After the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, measures to implement transitional justice have been largely unsuccessful. Iraq
Sinking ties with US linked to Netanyahu's political fortunes A drop in US-Israel ties has provoked a domestic political crisis for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces challenges from Avigdor Liberman and Naftali Bennett. Palestine
Will Sisi move beyond 'cold peace' with Israel? The pending gas deal between Israel and Egypt might be an economic necessity for President-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt
European women find appeal in Syrian jihad Radical European Muslim women are traveling to Syria to marry jihadist fighters and provide support. Syria
Obama administration gets it wrong on Hamas The recent call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque might inflame an already volatile situation around the unity government, which the United States should refuse to recognize. Palestine
