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
Time not right for Turkish-Israeli reconciliation Neither Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan nor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are ready to do what is necessary to begin to normalize relations. Palestine
Women in Lebanon still threatened by sexism, violence Several cases of kidnapping, violence and other acts against women indicate that Lebanon still has a long way to go in ensuring gender equality. Lebanon
Syrian Kurds recruit regime loyalists to fight jihadists The Democratic Union Party (PYD) has reportedly established Arab brigades made up of regime loyalists. Syria
Lebanon government talks stall again Developments at the Geneva II conference and in the Western-Iranian nuclear talks may have stalled Lebanon’s government formation Lebanon
Rajoub: an agreement with Israel is within reach In an interview with Al-Monitor, Fatah senior official Jibril Rajoub is optimistic on peace talks: "If the Israelis are willing, creative solutions can be found for everything.” Palestine
The political roots of the Anbar crisis The current crisis in Iraq’s Anbar province can only be solved through a political solution. Iraq
Controversy surrounds alleged Iraq-Iran arms deal An Iraqi diplomat has been reported as claiming that Baghdad will sign an arms deal with Iran, but other officials from both sides refute his alleged assertions. Iraq
ISIS, al-Qaeda compete for supremacy in global jihad The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has emerged as a major challenger to al-Qaeda as the leading brand in the global militant jihad movement. Syria
Israeli security chiefs modify assessment on Syrian war The Israel Defense Forces estimate that the Syrian war may last a decade, ending with Syria being divided into several cantons, with jihadist forces on the Israeli border and Hezbollah gaining in military experience. Israel
Egypt’s museums looted during riots The wave of unrest and chaos in Egypt has given an opportunity for thieves to loot many of the country’s museums. Egypt
Syria sends diplomats to Geneva, fighters to Yabrud The fighting may intensify around Yabrud as the second round of negotiations in Geneva commence. Syria
Hamas deploys border patrol to prevent rocket attacks on Israel A recent round of rocket fire from Gaza and IDF air strikes was followed by an exchange of messages between the two sides and reaffirmation of a commitment by Hamas to try to prevent future rocket fire. Palestine
