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
Risks Increase to Cover Syria War Journalists covering Syria face increased number of abductions. Syria
Former Israeli Minister Blasts Palestinian Prisoners Release Former Labor Minister Moshe Shahal, who chaired the Prisoner Release Committee in the Rabin government, criticizes the decision to release prisoners instead of freezing the construction in the West Bank. Palestine
Exclusive: Dahlan Family Visits Gaza Despite the animosity between former Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan and the Hamas leadership, his family was granted permission to visit the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Turkey Reconsiders Support For Jabhat Al-Nusra Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells US President Barack Obama he is “disturbed” by the rise of extremist groups in Syria. Syria
After Gezi, Is Turkey’s AKP Correcting Course? A report indicates that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) may be implementing a course correction in its handling of the Gezi park protests to better position itself for next year’s elections. Turkey
Hamas to Persist With Public Executions Despite Objections Hamas will go ahead with public executions by the end of August despite an outcry by human rights groups. Palestine
Israeli Army Seeks to Evict Villagers to Expand Firing Zone The Israeli army wants to evacuate the Palestinian West Bank villages of Masafer Yatta to accomodate its live-fire training area. Palestine
Hamas Monitors Facebook Activism Hamas' security services in Gaza are keeping a close eye on Facebook activity for hostile opinions and planned protests. Palestine
Has Al-Qaeda Infiltrated Lebanon? Amid regional chaos, some fear that al-Qaeda may have spread to Lebanon in the form of sleeper cells. Lebanon
Will Syria War Mean End of Sykes-Picot? There is speculation that the Syria war could signal a change in long-standing borders. Near East
Iran-Hamas Rebuild Ties Following Morsi’s Ouster After the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood from power, Hamas is again looking to Iran for support. Palestine
Baghdad Nightlife Cloaked in Fear Amid curfews and an unstable security environment, Iraqis in the nightlife business live in constant fear of militia attacks, security raids and customer brawls. Iraq
