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
Turkey’s Kurdish Initiative May Affect Syria's Kurds Cengiz Candar writes on the relationship between Turkey's peace initiative and its policies in Syria. Syria
Lebanon’s Shiites BeginTo Question Hezbollah Following the funerals of Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria while fighting for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, some Lebanese Shiites are questioning their exact role in the conflict, writes Elie Hajj. Lebanon
A Holocaust Remembrance Day For Evacuated Gaza Settlers Daniel Ben Simon spent the Holocaust Remembrance Day with Ganei Tal settlement evacuees, for whom the disengagement from Gaza is more than a memory. Palestine
Iraq's Baathist Legacy Refuses to Fade Away Iraq’s attempt to rid itself of the legacy of the former ruling Baath Party must account for the fact that many former party employees will be worse off as a result, writes Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iraq
Is Israel Heading Toward Apartheid? Akiva Eldar contends that Israel's discrimination against the Palestinians contradicts the intentions of its forefathers. Palestine
Kerry's Visit Leaves Israelis Indifferent Mazal Mualem wonders why the optimism left by President Barack Obama turned into indifference toward his secretary of state. Israel
Golan's Druze DividedOn the Syrian Struggle Shlomi Eldar reports from the Golan Heights that Druze there are just as divided about events in Syria as residents of the country. Israel
Israel and Muslim Brotherhood Face the Same Enemy As Israel prepares to celebrate its 65th Independence Day free of conventional threats, Iran's nuclear threat still looms, writes Alon Ben David. Egypt
Jabhat al-Nusra Declares Allegiance to Al-Qaeda The leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq has made a speech declaring the integration of Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra and his own organization, Mushreq Abbas reports. Iraq
Sinai Opium Growers Repent, Turn to Medicinal Herbs Sinai herbalist Ahmed Saleh, a 38-year-old Bedouin tribesman, tells Mohannad Sabry how he persuaded local opium growers to switch their crop to herbal gardening. Egypt
Hamas, Hezbollah Take Opposite Sides in Syria Hamas and Hezbollah leaders find themselves on opposite sides of the war in Syria, writes Shlomi Eldar. Palestine
Iraq: The Parliament That Barely Meets The Iraqi parliament, already not known for its long hours, barely met in March amid a new power struggle between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
