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
Egypt’s 'Lost Dream' of Linking Congo, Nile Rivers For more than a century, there's been talk of linking the Congo and Nile rivers to provide Egypt with water, yet successive Egyptian governments have strongly opposed such an undertaking. Egypt
Iraq Plays Politics with Security As Elections Approach Iraqi politicians treat security as an electoral matter, while security disintegrates throughout the country. Iraq
Has Egypt Lost the Plot? Egyptians seem to have forgotten the initial goals that fueled uprisings against the Muslim Brotherhood and the denial of human rights. Egypt
The Iranian Trend And Geneva Nuclear Talks Al-Monitor’s coverage of Iran as negotiations commence this week in Geneva with expectations of progress on the nuclear file, and implications for Syria and the region. Israel
Nour Party: Don't Blame Islamists For Brotherhood's Mistakes In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, the head of the Egyptian Salafist Al-Nour Party, discusses the mistakes of the Muslim Brotherhood and the upcoming elections. Egypt
Syrian Arab Village Welcomes Kurdish Fighters Villagers consider arrival of Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) forces a liberation in light of the presence of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups. Syria
Iran: US Has Time, Rouhani Doesn’t If the Iranian president makes the United States a decent offer in the Geneva negotiations, it should take it — and build on it to deal with regional issues and Iran’s support for terrorist groups. Iran
Will Bishops Be Included in Deal To Release Lebanese Detainees? New information suggests that a deal is near to secure the release of nine Lebanese citizens detained in Syria in March, but questions remain about two kidnapped bishops' fate. Lebanon
UN Body Led by Ahmet Uzumcu Wins Nobel Peace Prize Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressed deep pride for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, led by a Turk, Ahmet Uzumcu. Syria
Lapid Draws Own Red Line on Iran Israel’s finance minister has said Iran should have no centrifuges and no plutonium at all. Palestine
Lebanon Stability Depends On Iran-Saudi Entente The warming trends in US-Russia and US-Iran ties may or may not benefit Lebanon, unless Iran and Saudi Arabia end their sectarian regional policies. Saudi Arabia
In Iraq, Honor Crimes Spread to Cities Once common only in rural areas, the practice of murdering women and other Iraqis for what some perceive as immoral acts has made its way into the country’s urban centers. Iraq
