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
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Worried By Possible US-Iran Entente Islamic Jihad is quietly concerned that improved US-Iran relations might result in Tehran rethinking its approach to the Palestinian cause. Palestine
The enigma of Qasem Soleimani and his role in Iraq Al-Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani, profiled in last month's New Yorker, has been among the most influential, and controversial, figures in Iran-Iraq relations. Iraq
Erdogan Should Back Geneva II Conference on Syria Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan could benefit Turkey by supporting the Geneva conference, not clinging to failing regime-change policies. Syria
Erdogan, Gulen Combat Islamophobia, Extremism Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen are leaders in promoting a more moderate Islamic image to the world. Turkey
Israeli Society Corrupted by Occupation Daniel Bar-Tal and Izhak Schnell have assembled articles by more than 20 Israeli researchers who describe the negative effects of the occupation and their impact on Israeli society. Palestine
Maliki Says Terrorism in Iraq 'Directly Related' to Syria In an exclusive written interview with Al-Monitor, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said, “The increasing growth of extremist groups” is the deeper problem in Syria and warned “against the narrow, revenge-based view that controls some of the region's countries." Iraq
Sexual Harassment in Gaza Caught on Video Goes Viral A young man was caught on video sexually harassing a woman at Rafah, raising fears that the phenomenon of sexual harassment experienced by Egypt might spread to Gaza. Palestine
Israel Remembers Vows of Soldier For Comrades in Golan Vows by Dan Almagor during the Tel Saki battle were transformed 40 years later into a memorial site for the Israeli soldiers who died there. Israel
Syrian Islamist Forces Gain in Aleppo Divisions among Syrian opposition groups may be hindering Geneva II. Israel
Turkey Suspects Turkish Students Who Visited Iran of Espionage The detention of 25 Turkish students who visited Iran on suspicion they had been used for spying and propaganda activities reveals how tense Iran-Turkey relations actually have become. Turkey
Elections Not Enough To Solve Iraqi Crisis The 2014 elections are unlikely to salvage what remains of the Iraqi state after years of bitter political divisions. Iraq
