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
Israeli Road Project Increases Tensions on Lebanon Border Israel plans to build a road near the Lebanese border and the Wazzani River, the site of many conflicts and confrontations in the past, reports Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
Iraq's Border Becomes New Fault Line in Syrian War An ambush on the Iraq-Syria border that killed 62 Syrian soldiers and nine Iraqi guards has brought the Syrian civil war to Iraq, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
John Kerry's Syria File Secretary of State John Kerry, a veteran and critic of the Vietnam war, is now himself a decision maker regarding U.S. policy toward the civil war in Syria, writes Geoffrey Aronson. Syria
Lebanon Beset by Kidnapping,Drugs and Jabhat al-Nusra Instability, kidnapping and terrorism have taken hold of Lebanon during a period of turbulence exacerbated by the civil war in neighboring Syria, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Ocalan Peace Plan Irks PKK Militant Leaders Both PKK militants and Turkish officials and politicians committed to the negotiations with Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan are worried that the leaked letters might undermine the process, writes Ilnur Cevik. Turkey
Shin Bet Ex-Deputy: Israel Shouldn't Humiliate Abu Mazen In an interview with Mazal Mualem, former Shin Bet Deputy Director Israel Hasson accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of treating the Palestinian Authority chairman disgracefully, while acknowledging that Abu Mazen also made mistakes. Palestine
Campaign Against Hagel Was A Loser Another few unnecessary, unjust and unwise campaigns, such as the one against Chuck Hagel’s nomination for Secretary of Defense, and the myth that the Jews control the United States will become a legend, writes Akiva Eldar. Israel
Ocalan Negotiations Impact Future of Turkish Presidency Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s negotiations with Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), are not just over a peace agreement; they have implications for the future of the Turkish presidency, writes Kadri Gursel. Turkey
Iraqi 'Sahwa' Forces Elect New Leadership After years of Sunni divisions and a rapidly changing sectarian landscape in Iraq, Sahwa forces have elected a new leadership, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Al-Qaeda Sees Opportunity In Iraq’s Sectarian Conflict As Sunni demonstrations and sectarian tensions throughout Iraq continue to escalate, al-Qaeda is focusing all its efforts on taking advantage of Sunni vulnerabilities, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Iran, P5+1 Diplomacy Just Getting Started The good news about the talks between Iran and the P5+1 in Kazakhstan may be the shared interest in turning the talks from events into a diplomatic process to allow time to bridge the gulf between positions, writes Mohammad Ali Shabani. Iran
Beirut on Edge After Nasrallah Speech The speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Feb. 26 holds many similarities to his speech on May 6, 2008, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
