Turkey lifts veil on unemployment data, revealing bigger army of jobless A new, broader set of labor statistics has exposed a big gap between Turkey’s official unemployment rate and the actual joblessness in the crisis-hit country. Turkey
Rights group criticizes Jordan over debt imprisonment Human Rights Watch has highlighted the plight of poor Jordanians imprisoned for failing to pay back loans taken out to meet basic needs. Jordan
COVID accelerates evolution of Gulf economies The economic policy response to COVID-19 is an acceleration of specific trends already underway across the Gulf Cooperation Council members, variously affecting tax policy, labor market regulation and immigration policy. Saudi Arabia
Iran receives COVID-19 vaccine from Cuba Iran enjoys warm relations with the Latin American state and the two countries are also developing a coronavirus vaccine together. Iran
Without reforms, Iranian banking crisis looms As he prepares to begin his second term, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is faced with the prospect of a major banking crisis. Iran
Turks savor small doses of heartwarming news Though Turkey's various crises continue to bubble, the recent news wasn't all bad. Turkey
What a drag: Egypt’s smokers feel burn of price hikes Cigarettes are getting more expensive in Egypt thanks to rising production costs spurred by the government’s economic reforms. Egypt
Inflation likely to rise in Rouhani’s second term Despite its drastic cut in inflation to single digits for the first time in years, reports predict that Iran will see a return to its usual high inflation rates. Iran
Gaza's beaches unseasonably empty The Gaza Municipality has increased rent for the land used to set up beach resorts every summer, forcing many lodge owners to condense their facilities or close altogether. Palestine
Turkey’s forex market in agony after drastic measures Many brokerage houses have closed in Turkey since February, when the authorities drastically lowered the leverage ratio for foreign exchange transactions. Turkey
Water pictured around Renaissance Dam alarms Egyptians As negotiations to complete the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam studies remain stalled, satellite images show water pooling around the dam, raising Egyptian suspicions of unauthorized storage. Egypt
Iranian TV series dogged by real-life drama "Shahrzad," one of the most popular and expensive TV series in Iran, has been confronted with a huge campaign to stop it after its producer was mixed up in allegations of corruption. Iran
Iran needs new development vision The failures produced over the last three decades by divergent views on the definition of a "development plan" for Iran necessitates a new development paradigm. Iran
Berlin says German citizens 'no longer safe' in Turkey Ankara-Berlin animosity is likely to spill over from harsh words to action as Germans languish in Turkish detention and German investors are warned away from the country. Turkey
New Syrian banknote may be more than meets the eye Syria has issued a new 2,000-pound banknote sporting the face of President Bashar al-Assad; not surprisingly, the opposition refuses to use it. Syria
Bank project offers Palestinian women independence Hayati, a National Bank program, is making it possible for Palestinian women to start their own businesses, join the labor market and gain financial independence. Palestine