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 considers role in peace talks, Gaza energy The Kremlin prefers a multilateral, not bilateral, approach to the peace process, while Gazprom considers opportunities in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Al-Qaeda now frontline threat to Israel With gains in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, al-Qaeda and its affiliates threaten Israel more than ever. Iraq
Syrian foreign minister calls for national unity government In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Walid Moallem, Syria's minister of foreign affairs and expatriates, said that the Syrian National Coalition's rejection of a resolution condemning terrorism was "unfortunate and strange." Syria
Are UN Security Council anti-al-Qaeda terror statutes properly enforced? The UN Security Council has established a regime for a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo against the al-Qaeda network since 1999, but new circumstances bring about serious doubts if such a regime is still functioning. Yemen
Kerry may address Israeli public on peace deal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman agree on most points of US Secretary of State John Kerry's ''terms of reference'' document. Palestine
Crime, arms possession increase in Israeli Arab society In an interview with Al-Monitor, Knesset member Issawi Frej deplores the increase of weapons within Israeli Arab society and criticizes Israeli policy for not dealing with the phenomenon. Israel
Egyptian woman attacked in Tahrir Square as police watch, laugh On the anniversary of Egypt's Day of Rage, an Egyptian woman is subjected to the same police brutality her fellow citizens revolted against three years ago. Egypt
Netanyahu seizes chance to put Bennett in his place Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be encouraged by a poll that anticipates 18 mandates for a new party headed by him, if he decides to reshape the Likud Party or form a new coalition. Palestine
Netanyahu reveals no intention of settler withdrawal Against the backdrop of Israeli attempts to blame President Mahmoud Abbas for the failure of the peace talks, a new study recommends immediate steps to separate from the Palestinians, thus preserving Israel’s Jewish-democratic character. Palestine
Government, Brotherhood fail to attract Egyptian youth Both the current Egyptian authorities and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed to attract the support of the youth, while women participated in the recent referendum to support stability. Egypt
Netanyahu readies alibi for collapse of peace talks The bickering between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and HaBayit HaYehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett is the warm-up for the main event, when the US-brokered peace talks collapse. Palestine
Residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs live in fear of attacks Following a string of attacks by extremist groups targeting the mostly pro-Hezbollah southern suburbs of Beirut, locals in this area carry on with their lives, although with tightened security measures. Lebanon
