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
Intel: Republican-held Senate sides against Trump on Iran war powers The Republican-held Senate passed a resolution 55-45 today to constrain President Donald Trump from initiating offensive military action against Iran. Congress
Ankara shifts gears to cease-fire in Syria Turkey's tone has softened on its military confrontation with Syria with Defense Minister Hulusi Akar telling fellow NATO ministers in Brussels that Ankara sent 5,000 additional troops to the rebel-held province "to secure a lasting cease-fire." Syria
Turkey grows erratic as clashes in Idlib escalate The Turkish government seems increasingly irrational as clashes intensify between Syrian government forces and Turkey-backed rebels in Idlib. Syria
Displaced yet again, Syrians flee Idlib for Manbij With intense shelling and catastrophic conditions in Idlib province, the Syrian Democratic Forces are welcoming refugees into areas they control to the east around Manbij. Syria
How Houthi forces won key Yemeni district Houthi rebels take over Yemen's strategic Nahm district, defeating Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition. Saudi Arabia
Democrats call on Trump to sanction Libyan warlord Khalifa Hifter Democrats are wary that the Donald Trump administration may be too friendly with Libya’s Khalifa Hifter, so they’re calling for sanctions. Turkey
Peace with the region is not a peace plan The Trump peace plan is flawed because it has more to do with building a coalition against Iran rather than with promoting peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia
New Jersey woman takes on traffickers in Iraq's Kurdistan region The Kurdistan Regional Government, with the help of a former US State Department official, is fighting human trafficking. Iraq
Erdogan vies for leverage in Syria's Idlib as Turkish troops reinforce positions Following recent clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doubled down on threats to retaliate against ongoing regime offensive in Idlib. Syria
Trump budget spotlights Tunisia in pitch to overhaul foreign military aid The State Department is dangling potential US aircraft sales to Tunisia as part of its pitch to overhaul foreign military aid. Iraq
Intel: Turkish demands on Idlib complicate Russia’s pursuit of compromise Following last week's large-scale Turkish military deployment in the Idlib de-escalation zone to prevent the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from further advancing, a new attack by the Syrian army led to the death of five more Turkish troops. Syria
The power Hamas holds over Israel’s elections Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows that terror attacks by Hamas right before the March 2 elections could cost him his job. Palestine
