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
Iran accuses enemies of coronavirus scaremongering Tehran is tossing around accusations of fomenting panic over the coronavirus epidemic as the country's biggest holiday approaches. Iran
Idlib and the collapse of Erdogan’s foreign policy Gambling on Russia to secure results in Syria turns out to be Ankara’s biggest miscalculation Syria
Why Iraq may opt to avoid lawsuit over Soleimani killing Iraqi political parties have abstained from involving Iraq in the preparation of a judicial file involving the assassination of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iraq
How Netanyahu is burying the two-state solution If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ever had the common sense to leave room for a future agreement with the Palestinians, he buried it recently with his decision to build new housing units in Jewish east and south Jerusalem neighborhoods. Palestine
PA plans to bypass Israel by issuing construction permits, rebuilding demolished homes Palestinian Minister of Local Government Majdi al-Saleh has recently announced he will be issuing permits that allow Palestinians to build houses in Area C of the West Bank, ignoring the need for Israeli approvals. Palestine
Pompeo calls for Idlib cease-fire The US secretary of state calls for an Idlib cease-fire as the UN and aid groups warn the exodus marks the largest humanitarian crisis in the nine-year Syrian war. Syria
Intel: US leans on Turkey despite tensions The top US military commander in Europe told Congress today that Turkey remains a key ally despite the Donald Trump administration’s decision to boot the NATO partner from the F-35 program after it took delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense system last summer. Syria
Turkey-backed forces accused of cutting water to Syrian Kurdish-run region Turkish-backed Syrian rebel forces have reportedly stopped a pumping station in Ras al-Ain from providing water hundreds of thousands of people including internally displaced Syrians and Islamic State captives and their families. Syria
Assad retakes M5 highway at great cost to civilians The Syrian government has taken control of the Damascus-Aleppo highway for the first time in eight years, but the cities and towns along this critical M5 have been devastated by the regime's brutal march toward victory. Syria
Why is Egypt building a wall along its border with Gaza? Although it coincides with Washington’s Mideast peace plan, observers and experts say they believe that safeguarding and boosting national security are the real reasons behind Egypt's decision to build a new wall along its border with the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Gaza rebrands border protests to resist US peace plan Palestinians are preparing to resume the march of return along the Gaza border with Israel under a new name and expanded to include resistance to the US peace plan. Palestine
Hamas-Russia meeting in Doha riles PA The Palestinian Authority has accused Hamas of going over its head in meeting with Russian officials about the US peace plan. Palestine
