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
Political Agenda Seeps Into Israeli Army's Top Brass There is an effort afoot by right-wing activists in the national religious camp to influence the top Israeli military leadership, writes Akiva Eldar. Israel
Defense Chiefs Distrust Israeli Political Leadership Recent revelations about the relations between former chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Defense Minister Ehud Barak imply that the defense establishment questions the capabilities of the Israeli political leadership, writes Alon Ben David. Israel
Mali Conflict Threatens Security in Maghreb Region France becomes involved militarily in Mali as Islamist militants spread their influence, shedding a brighter light on potential regional implications of escalating conflict in the country, writes Ambassador Nassif Hitti. Lebanon
Paris Murders Just One Element Of PKK Puzzle Tulin Daloglu writes that the recent murders of three PKK members in Paris may not derail the current initiative by Prime Minister Erdogan, but other issues might. Turkey
Syrian Silent Majority Demands'Transition to Rationality' Syrians are voicing their desire for a new civil society based on rationality, negotiation and compromise, writes Geoffrey Aronson. Syria
Lebanon Faces Increased Pressures From Syrian Refugees Mohammad Harfoush reports on how Lebanon is trying to deal with the strain of increasing numbers of Syrian refugees. Lebanon
Young Palestinian Activists Seize Initiative at Bab Al-Shams The grassroots Palestinian move to erect an outpost in an area wanted by Israel for illegal settlements could be the start of a new tactic, Daoud Kuttab writes. Palestine
Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense US President Barack Obama has made an inspired choice by nominating Chuck Hagel to be US Secretary of Defense. Pan Arab
Who Is Behind Paris PKK Murders? Kadri Gursel speculates on whether the murders of three PKK activists in Paris might be linked to the recent peace initiative between Ankara and the PKK, and the "regionalization" of the Kurdish issue in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Turkey
Syrian Armed Groups Among Those Displaced in Lebanon Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are reportedly in Lebanon, and their presence is having a destabilizing effect on the country, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Issawi Crisis Signals More Iraqi Sectarian Violence After Iraqi Finance Minister Rafi al-Issawi’s bodyguard was arrested, sectarian tensions have resurfaced, threatening the Iraqi political scene, writes Ali Abdel Sadah. Iraq
Turkey-Israel Tensions Set Back Turkish Energy Interests Tulin Daloglu writes that Ankara’s poor relations with Israel are hampering its energy interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel
