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
Hezbollah Denies Ownership Of Downed Drone Ali Hashem asks, If Hezbollah was not responsible for the drone downed over Israel, who was? Palestine
US Considers Next Steps in Syria The Obama administration, which acknowledges Syria probably used chemical weapons, is likely to use the information to rally Russian support at the Security Council. Syria
Israeli Finance Minister Lapid Leaves Out Peace Akiva Eldar listened to the speech of Finance Minister Yair Lapid at the annual conference of the INSS, and remarked that the word “peace” was missing. Palestine
Hezbollah Base Questions Support for Assad With Hezbollah members increasingly dying in Syria, some of the party’s base are re-evaluating its role in the conflict, writes an Al-Monitor correspondent in Beirut. Lebanon
Why Did Israel Forget About a Prisoner in Egypt? After 12 years in Egyptian prison, Israeli Ouda Tarabin embarks on a hunger strike as a last resort to awaken public opinion, writes Shlomi Eldar. Egypt
Egypt Struggles to Reclaim Role In Africa As tensions heat up between Egypt and Ethiopia regarding a major Ethiopian dam on the Nile, Egypt is seeking to reassert itself, writes Abdelrahman Youssef. Egypt
Battle for Qusair Key Front in Syria War The aim of the battles raging on the Syria-Lebanon border near Qusayr is directly tied to the war in Syria, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
US Not Considering Arms To Syrian Rebels The Obama administration resists congressional pressure for military aid to the Syrian rebels; Al-Monitor writers take on the case of Fazil Say and the resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Palestine
What Is the Extent of Hezbollah's Involvement in Syria? While Hezbollah claims that it has sent militants to Syria to protect Lebanese citizens living in border towns, there are conflicting reports regarding the size and purpose of the party’s involvement, writes Elie Hajj. Lebanon
Economic Peace Before a Political Solution in Israel, Palestine Following dismayed reactions to Secretary of State John Kerry’s Israel/West Bank visit, both sides debate prioritizing economic peace, writes Adnan Abu Amer. Palestine
Rocket Attack Could Shake Israel-Egypt Security Ties The rockets fired lately on the southern city of Eilat might force Israel to choose between the security of its citizens and keeping the peace accord with Egypt, writes Alon Ben David. Egypt
The Gap Between the US And Israel on a Nuclear Iran President Obama may not be bluffing in promising to deal with an Iranian nuclear "weapon," he just may not be hearing Israeli wishes to limit Iranian nuclear production "capability," writes Ben Caspit. Israel
