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
Border Clashes Confront Turkey With 'Afghanistan of the Levant' Clashes adjacent to Turkey's border with Syria have the potential of causing a lot of headache for Turkey, not only for their security implications but also for the international image of Turkey and the country's relations with allies, primarily the United States. Syria
Turkey at Post-Kemalist Crossroads Turkey is going through a post-Kemalist transition with problems and habits of the former region still prevailing. Turkey
Iraqi Government Suppresses Baghdad Demonstrations The Iraqi government exercises its power to allow and reject popular demonstrations at will. Iraq
Murder, Menace Stalk Istanbul's LGBT Community A transgender woman was recently strangled to death in her house, leading the LGBT community in Istanbul to push harder than ever for hate-crime legislation. Turkey
Egyptian Unrest Rattles Rafah Palestinians Regular clashes between the Egyptian army and militants on Gaza's border are terrifying Palestinian residents in Rafah. Palestine
Seized Documents Suggest Fatah Plotted to Frame Hamas in Egypt Hamas has leaked internal Fatah documents it says proves that its rival was trying to frame it in Egypt's political crisis. Palestine
Engel: Sanctions, Not Rouhani, Only Chance for Iran Deal Eliot Engel, ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, discusses sanctions on Iran, his support for missile strikes against Syrian airfields and the need to maintain US military assistance to Egypt. Egypt
House Intel Committee Chairman Not Hopeful on Iran's Rouhani Mike Rogers, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence chairman, says claims of Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani’s moderation are more marketing than reality. Iran
More Iran Sanctions A Mixed Bag for Netanyahu The Israeli prime minister may still have to defer his “mission accomplished” moment in Iran. Israel
More Troubling News For Turkish Media’s Independence Can Dundar, veteran journalist of Milliyet daily, is fired under government pressure. Turkey
Iraq’s Civilian Activists Under Siege Civilian activists in Iraq have increasingly been subject to attacks, killings and threats from the authorities, militias and terrorist organizations. Iraq
Egypt’s Military Shows No Restraint Egypt’s political factions may soon regret their deal with the military as a pact with the devil in unseating deposed President Mohammed Morsi. Egypt
