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
'Irish Sam' Joins Fight in Syria Housam Najjair, also known as "Irish Sam," discusses his forthcoming book and his experiences waging war against former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, writes Ali Hashem. Syria
Turks and Kurds Must Prepare for 'Truth' Orhan Kemal Cengiz calls for Truth Commissions to complement peace talks between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey
Israeli Center Keeps Focus On Human Rights Naela Khalil reports on B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights center that documents Israeli violations in the Palestinian territories. Palestine
Obama Should Re-Launch Peace Process Some are expecting US President Barack Obama to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, but this should not mean negotiations just for the sake of negotiations that eventually go nowhere, writes Nassif Hitti. Palestine
Lebanon's Gathering Storm Over Syria As the Syrian conflict enters its second year, Lebanon's security situation is weakening as sectarian tendencies rise, signaling a coming crisis, writes Scarlett Haddad. Lebanon
Iraq’s New Sunni Awakening A resurgence of Sunni identity and demonstrations against the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is weakening Iraqi nationalism and intensifying sectarianism, writes Harith Hasan. Iraq
No Military Solution for Assad Or the Rebels Secretary of State John Kerry has said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can't "shoot his way out" of the civil war; but neither can the opposition, writes Geoffrey Aronson. Syria
Davutoglu Invokes Ottomanism As a New Order for Mideast Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's suggestion of an Ottoman model for a new Middle East order is likely a misreading of regional politics that could prove hard for Turkey to back away from, writes Tulin Daloglu. Syria
Israel: Re-thinking Syria's Opposition Shlomi Eldar writes that a film clip showing Syrian rebels shooting into the air along the Golan border offers an ominous signal to the world, and especially to Israel. Israel
Rival Kurdish Parties Clash in Syria Fighting between rival Kurdish groups in Syria adds further uncertainty to the war in Syria, writes Wladimir van Wilgenburg. Syria
Morsi, Brotherhood, Opposition Taken Aback by Court Decision The decision by Egypt’s Administrative Court to postpone the parliamentary elections scheduled for April provides President Morsi, the Brotherhood and the opposition an opportunity to reconsider their strategies and take the country back from the brink, Bassem Sabry writes from Cairo. Egypt
Obama’s Visit to Israel Is All About Iran US President Barack Obama will have a broad regional agenda when he visits Israel, including the peace process, but the trip is really all about Iran, writes Alon Pinkas. Israel
