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, Turkey agree on Gulen Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Moscow this week, where he found some common ground with the Russian government on Gulen, while continuing to disagree on Syria. Turkey
Obama ramps up on Syria The US president is giving new priority to the threat from terrorists in Syria, while calling for increased military support for opposition forces. Syria
Will Netanyahu recognize new Palestinian government? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government will be challenged if the new Palestinian unity government accepts the Quartet’s conditions and receives international backing. Palestine
Hamas will keep limited force in unity government Hamas will accept, and not challenge, the PLO's agreements with Israel. Palestine
Is Egypt winning war on terror in Sinai? Egyptian military officials repeat statements that the Sinai Peninsula is under their complete control, but locals paint a different picture, as the war on terror continues. Egypt
Turkey cracks down on drug cartels Turkey's intense crackdown on narcotics operations is delivering serious blows to criminal enterprises associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and European drug networks. Turkey
Israel should take Prince Turki's offer on Arab Peace Initiative Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud spoke in Brussels with retired Gen. Amos Yadlin about the Saudi initiative for ending the conflict, saying, "Israel has nuclear weapons. … The Arabs aren’t crazy. We want to talk peace." Saudi Arabia
Gezi resistance anniversary recalls impact on Turkey On the first anniversary of the Gezi revolt, the bottom line is that it failed to transform into a political movement, but did manage to transform Turkey. Turkey
Hamas denies ISIS presence after Gaza jihadist killed in Syria A Palestinian jihadist militant fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) was killed last week in Syria, reflecting the rise of Salafist militants in Gaza, but Hamas remains adamant that the radical group does not exist in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Rival Kurdish parties battle for power in Syria A series of tit-for-tat incidents has worsened relations between the Kurdistan Workers Party of Abdullah Ocalan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Massoud Barzani. Syria
Sunni, Shiite scholars attempt to ease Iraqi political conflicts As Iraq's sectarian conflicts have always exacerbated political strife, communication networks between Shiite and Sunni clerics are sorely needed. Iraq
War profiteers plunder Syria Both Syrian government forces and rebels are accused of rampant, systematic looting and robbery of civilian homes. Syria
