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
Israeli Army Avoids Confronting Settler Violence West Bank settlers have once again attacked Palestinian residents and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, and once again the army and police showed no attempt to apprehend the lawbreakers. Palestine
Dahlan-Abbas Reconciliation Not a Done Deal Attempts to reconcile the two Fatah rivals have so far failed, and have instead prompted internal Fatah bickering. Palestine
Lebanon: Between Tripoli and Balochistan Northern Lebanon is paying the price for the rise of radicalism in the region. Lebanon
The Saudi Leadership Crisis US Secretary of State John Kerry will try to persuade the kingdom to be part of the solution to the crisis in Syria. Saudi Arabia
'Next Generation' Seeks WMD-Free Zone in Middle East A network of young strategists from across the region sees new opportunities for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction.-- Syria
Al-Moussawi Says Iraq Can Be'Bridge' to Syria Solution In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Ali Al-Moussawi, top media adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, discusses the Geneva II Syria conference and Iraqi-Turkish relations. Iraq
Five Trends in Iran-Turkey Trade, Energy Ties International sanctions and regional tensions over Syria could still upset the uptick in Iran-Turkey economic relations, but the trend is positive. Turkey
Five Reasons US Should Change Policies Toward Syria’s Kurds The United States may have been placating Turkey by denying a visa to Salih Muslim, head of Syria's Democratic Union Party. Syria
Egypt Sets New Limits On Mosque Activities Setting stringent, if hard to enforce, rules on activities that take place in mosques, Egypt’s new government has incensed Islamists of various political persuasions. Egypt
Iran Nuclear Talks Overlook Terror Progress in the nuclear talks may have taken terrorism off the agenda. Israel
Maliki Seeks to Leverage US-Iran Opening Security is at the top of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s visit to Washington, but he may also consider a US-Iran rapprochement as a means to strengthen his chances for a third term. Iraq
The Return of Mohammed Dahlan The UAE and Egypt are pushing for a reconciliation between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and former Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan, who would return to Fatah. United Arab Emirates
