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
Israel Must Invest to Deter Iran Alon Ben David writes that investing in preparing a military option against a potential Iranian nuclear weapon is not an "adventurous fantasy." Israel
Israel Defense Budget Can Be Cut Idan Grinbaum calls for a serious public debate and major cuts in the Israel defense budget. Israel
Armenian Women in Istanbul Subject to Racist Attacks The attacks on elderly Armenian women in Samatya show that racism is alive in Turkey as a latent threat, but also serves as a demonstration that Turkey now has a civil society that immediately stands up against racism, writes Cengiz Çandar. Turkey
Egypt’s ‘Post-Democracy’ Nears Point of No Return Wael Nawara writes that Egypt’s political crisis could lead to chaos or the intervention of the military unless the government and opposition agree to work together. Egypt
Israel's Prime Minister Has Several Fronts to Worry About Warnings that Syria's chemical weapons may fall into the wrong hands are raising concerns in Israel of a regional conflict, writes Ben Caspit. Israel
Iran Cracks Down on Journalists Ahead of Elections Omid Memarian talks to reporters in Iran who escaped arrest about the most aggressive raid on independent media since 2009, and about attempts to sever contact with the outside world. Iran
Turkey’s Syrian Dilemma Turkey is struggling with a Syria policy that has served only to prolong the conflict, as Ankara finds itself at odds with Paris over both Mali and Syria, writes Semih Idiz. Turkey
Turkish Opposition Party Criticizes Kurdish Initiative Turkish opposition leaders claim Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s talks with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan lack transparency and a clear endgame, writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
Iraqi Army Clashes With Protesters Spark Tribal Unrest Clashes between Sunni protesters and the Iraqi army in Fallujah in western Iraq have aggravated the demonstrations, with tribal leaders threatening retaliation, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Is the Turkish Military Getting a Fair Trial? Tulin Daloglu questions whether the Turkish military is getting fair treatment. Turkey
Fatah Still Cannot Challenge Hamas in Gaza Despite Fatah's large rally in Gaza and discontent with Hamas rule, Fatah still is unlikely to be able to challenge Hamas in Gaza, writes Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Al-Qaeda Taking Root in Lebanon As refugees move between Syria and Lebanon, fears grow that al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist groups could increase their influence in Lebanon, writes Mohammad Harfoush. Lebanon
