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
Former Meretz Leader: Time Against Israel, Two-State Solution Former Meretz leader Chaim Oron is calling for settin aside the social justice struggle in favor of the fight over the "two-state solution." Palestine
Pre-Oslo Prisoners Still Obstacle To Palestinian-Israeli Talks Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected an Israeli offer to release 50 of an estimated 107 prisoners detained before the signing of the Oslo Accords, an issue that continues to stall negotiation efforts. Palestine
Al-Qaeda Divides Over Syria, Iraq As al-Qaeda and its various branches take advantage of instability throughout the Middle East, Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria and the Islamic State of Iraq have seen rifts between themselves recently. Iraq
Turkey-Kurdish Peace Could Be Victim of Istanbul Showdown Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hard-line approach in dealing with the Gezi Park demonstrators could endanger the Turkey-Kurdish peace process. Turkey
Israelis Invest in Cybersecurity Americans could learn from Israel about the demands of cybersecurity in the 21st century. Israel
Whether Qusair Will Tip The Balance Remains to Be Seen The defeat of Syrian opposition forces in Qusair may be a turning point toward a deepening of the conflict or a catalyst for a peace conference. Lebanon
Hamas Considers New Blend Of Resistance, Politics In the last of a three-part series on Hamas, its leaders seek to balance their tradition of uncompromising resistance to Israel with more nuanced considerations of governance. Palestine
Iranian Activism Abroad Mirrors Low-Key Election Campaign Iranians in the US and Europe try to mobilize support for free and fair elections to highlight restrictions in Iran's June 14 presidential vote. Iran
Are Cross-Sectarian Alliances Possible in Iraq? Following months of escalating sectarian tension across Iraq, both popular and political, some are beginning to explore the viability of forging political alliances that transcend sectarian divisions. Iraq
NGO Workers Sentenced By Egyptian Court The verdicts in the case prove the timidity of the Obama administration in engaging with the failures of Egypt’s democratic transition. Egypt
Erdogan Not Yielding to Protesters Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is determined to go ahead with his plan of building the Ottoman Artillery Barracks at Taksim Square. Turkey
