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
Are elderly Armenian women victims of hate crimes? The trial of a man arrested after a string of attacks against elderly Armenian women in Istanbul is rekindling fears that a racist gang may be at large in the city. Turkey
Syrian Kurdish party calls on Turkey, KRG to end embargo The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) is calling on Ankara and Erbil to open border crossings to allow trade and safe passage. Syria
Netanyahu is wrong on Iran deal Iran is going beyond its IAEA commitments in the six-month agreement reached in Geneva. Israel
Jailed cartoons of Turkey Creative cartoonists in Turkey employ different forms of graphic protest to deftly criticize Erdogan and his policies. Turkey
Netanyahu's 10 lessons to be learned on Iran There are 10 reasons for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon his fight over the deal with Iran and concentrate his efforts to restore relations with the Obama administration. Palestine
Egypt government to review Morsi pardons The Egyptian government has announced that it will review the pardons issued by ousted President Mohammed Morsi in October 2012, with some calling this an unconstitutional step. Egypt
Iraqi officials offer excuses, not apologies Amid the deteriorating security situation in Iraq over the past few years, officials have been hesitant to apologize or admit to mistakes, and instead resort to scapegoats and ready excuses. Iraq
Aleppo braces for major regime offensive The Syrian regime's successful takeover of the strategic town of Sfireh, south of Aleppo, has rebels worried that their gains in Aleppo will soon be reversed. Syria
Russia's turnaround in the Middle East Russian foreign policy in the region has benefited from a steady, nonideological focus as well as the missteps and neglect of other powers. Syria
Egyptian activists protest military trials in new draft constitution The approval of an amendment by a constitutional committee allowing military trials for civilians is considered a setback by democracy activists. Egypt
The next frontier in US-Iran relations: Reducing Iran-Israel tensions As the US brokered the normalization of ties between Egypt and Israel, the same could happen in Iran-Israel ties. Israel
Turkey, Iran influence Iraqi Kurdistan politics The post-election politics of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is subject to relationships among Iran, Iraq and Turkey. Iraq
