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
Sadr Gives Maliki 'Final Warning' Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr has issued a warning to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to withdraw militants from the streets amid a series of devastating car bombings throughout Iraq. Iraq
Turkey’s Kurdish Policies Complicate Ties With Iran, Iraq Turkey’s Kurdish policies are developing at the expense of its ties with Iran and Iraq. Iraq
Syrians in Israeli-Occupied Golan Remain Divided on Assad While Syrian President Bashar al-Assad enjoys considerable support from Golan Syrians under Israeli occupation, many are speaking up against his rule. Israel
Syria’s War Impacts Turkish Alevis Syria’s sectarian conflict is spilling over into Turkey’s Alevi community. Syria
Lebanon: Fault Line for Hezbollah's War on 'Takfiris' in Syria Just hours after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah announced that his party was fighting “takfiris” in Syria, two rockets struck a Shiite neighborhood in Beirut, suggesting that those “takfiris” might have military capabilities in Lebanon. Lebanon
EU Puts Hezbollah on Notice The European Union moves toward designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization as its arms embargo on Syria is allowed to lapse. Lebanon
Ankara Demonizes Hezbollah Ankara’s tough, religiously nuanced reactions to Shiite Hezbollah only reinforce perceptions of Turkey’s pro-Sunni foreign policies in the Middle East and Syria. Turkey
The Consequences of 'Bogie' Killing Abu Jihad “Show of Force” was a successful Israeli operation killing Fatah Military Chief Abu Jihad, but did it not also kill a potential peace partner? Palestine
Barghouti: Arab peace plan damages Palestinian cause In an exclusive written interview, jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti warns that the alternative to a two-state solution is a conflict "with no middle ground." Palestine
The Missing Syrian Peace US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are still working on the invitation list for Geneva II. Qatar
How We Lost The Syrian Revolution A Syrian activist in Aleppo laments the lost revolution as he reveals the sense of betrayal felt after rebels looted and ravaged his city. Syria
Is the Two-State Solution Bankrupt? (Take Two) The current political climate in Israel favors continuation of the settlement enterprise in the West Bank, pushing away any chance of a "two-state solution." Palestine
