Will Rouhani sue critics who insult him? Iranian Vice President for Legal Affairs Hojjat al-Islam Majid Ansari said that the judiciary will pursue cases against critics who insult the president. Iran
Why Egyptians are angry about this supermodel's wedding Egyptian citizens are wondering if they helped pay for a supermodel's wedding with money her new father-in-law is accused of looting. Egypt
Secret sex life of the ultra-Orthodox has Israelis reading The story of Esti Weinsten, who fled the very strict Gur Hasidic sect and later committed suicide, has shaken and enthralled both secular and Orthodox Israelis. Israel
Turkish deputy PM: Coup's economic wounds 'easy to manage' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Mehmet Simsek, Turkey’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expresses optimism on the recent coup attempt's economic effects, saying the only real damage was to Turkey's image in the West. Turkey
How ambitions of 'Islamist cult' united Islamists, secularists in Turkey The ambitions of the Gulenists have been able to bring Turkey’s Islamists and secularists together for the first time in the country's political history. Turkey
Turkey-EU relations in tailspin after coup attempt Turkey’s ties with Europe have taken a turn for the worse as Turks accuse the European Union of deserting them after last month's coup attempt. Turkey
13 years later, Iraq passes de-Baathification law The Iraqi parliament passed a de-Baathification law to ban any political activity by the Baath Party, but its consequences are still unknown as warnings continue about potential destabilizing effects. Iraq
Palestinians fight back against currency counterfeiters Gaza officials say counterfeiting there is mostly limited to small-time operators, though sometimes high-quality foreign forgeries slip in. Palestine
Will Netanyahu dare to engage in regional settlement? According to a New Wave Institute poll, most Israelis support the regional guidelines proposed by the Israeli Initiative group — namely the two-state solution, normalization of economic ties with Arab states and international security guarantees. Palestine
UN report: West Bank house demolitions up 25% The number of Palestinian homes demolished by Israel has sharply increased this year, leading experts to question Israel's agenda. Palestine
Egypt hopes to refashion tourist industry in style Egypt is turning to the world of fashion to reinvent its threadbare tourism business. Bahrain
How Carlos Santana is helping to promote coexistence in Israel Carlos Santana will transfer part of his Tel Aviv concert benefits to the Hand in Hand network of Jewish-Arab joint schools in Israel. Palestine
Why some Egyptians yearn for return to monarchy Nostalgia for the period of King Farouk's monarchy has Egyptian youth focusing on that period's positives, without addressing its mistakes. Egypt
Ahmadinejad wants Obama to give back Iran’s $2 billion Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written US President Barack Obama another letter. United States
Jordanians worry over new Syria front The statement by US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter about opening a new anti-Islamic State front in southern Syria raised mixed reactions among Jordanians, with some expecting more refugees to flock through the borders between both countries should new clashes occur. Jordan
Why Abbas-MEK meeting made waves everywhere but Palestine Though many observers fret that the meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi was a sign that Abbas is taking sides in the region, the event was barely on the Palestinian radar. Palestine
