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
Syrian Kurds Win Support In Battle With Al-Qaeda Forces Syrian Kurdish forces are winning local support in Ras al-Ain by beating back jihadist groups. Syria
Jordan Tightens Grip On Opposition Activism Jordan has moved to stifle free speech, targeting Islamist and secular activists alike and reneging on promises of reform. Jordan
Turkey’s Kurdish Peace Effort At Crossroads The likelihood of a resumption of violence with the Kurds in Turkey is not a distant possibility. Turkey
Al-Qaeda Sinks Roots in Mosul Al-Qaeda continues to gain strength in Iraq, taxing the residents of Mosul, attacking minorities and "collaborators" and making the city a base of operations in Ninevah province. Iraq
Turkey's Road to China Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said NATO or any other country does not have the right to question Turkey’s decision to co-produce missiles with China. Turkey
Syrian Opposition Leader Rejects Iran Role in Syria Conference In an interview with Al-Monitor, Salem al-Meslet, vice president of National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, calls for the "London 11" group to relieve the humanitarian crisis in Ghouta. Syria
Turkey’s Spymaster: The Making of a Hero An impressive campaign by Hakan Fidan’s media team has made almost an entire nation worship him. Israel
Haniyeh Torn Between Honor And Gaza's Survival With the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas has found itself isolated and dependent on Israel for Gaza's daily survival. Palestine
Tunnel May Signal Shift In Hamas-Israel Conflict The tunnel recently discovered between Gaza and Israel may have been designed for kidnapping Israeli soldiers or for military operations in Israel. Palestine
Iraqi Shiites join Syria war Many Iraqi Shiites are joining the fight in Syria, by first receiving weapons training in Iran and then traveling to Lebanon, from where they are taken to Damascus by Hezbollah. Iraq
Saudi Decision on Security Council Is About Syria Saudi Arabia’s decision to decline a Security Council seat expresses anger in some Sunni Muslim quarters about the Syria war. Saudi Arabia
Iraqi Government Cannot Stop Terrorists Amid mounting questions on the efficiency of Iraq’s security apparatus, the Interior Ministry proves unable to provide even rough statistics on the daily bombings that afflict the country. Iraq
