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
Israeli minister's gift gaffe leads to awkward standoff with Russians When Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Israel, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel impulsively offered him the expensive drone he was admiring in an incident that amused but also concerned Israelis. Israel
Will Ankara feast on Turkey's largest food producer? Rumors that Turkey's largest food producer could be targeted in the government's post coup-attempt crackdown are eroding investor confidence. Turkey
Morocco takes lead in climate change fight, but at what cost? Morocco is pushing forward with an ambitious renewable energy sector, but its policies may be doing more harm than good. Morocco
How Egyptian women are working to counter rising prices Egypt’s consumers are fighting massive price increases by exchanging used goods on social media. Egypt
Rouhani inaugurates production at new oil fields Officially inaugurating production at three new oil fields, Iran’s president announced that the country is seeking to attract foreign investors to increase its oil output and benefit from the lifting of international sanctions. Iran
What's next for hundreds of companies seized by Turkish government? Turkey has a plan for handling almost 600 companies seized by the state for allegedly having ties to the Gulen movement, as the government looks to earn money for the Treasury. Turkey
House rushes to block Boeing sales to Iran The Rules Committee will set up floor action on the measure on Monday. Congress
Turning a true Turkish hero into a commodity Since the July 15 coup attempt, opportunists have been exploiting emotions and cashing in on others' memories. Turkey
Why is Jordan preventing Gazan refugees from doing their jobs? The Jordanian Ministry of Education is implementing a decision to ban Gazan teachers in Jordan from continuing to teach in Jordanian schools. Palestine
Under financial strains, Turkey designs "parallel budget" Turkey is creating a sovereign wealth fund, exempt from public auditing, which seems designed to function as a parallel budget. Turkey
Medicinal herb industry takes root in Palestine The cultivation of medicinal herbs in Palestine has been growing over the past decade in an industry that benefits from the experience of Palestinian former workers in Israeli settlements. Palestine
Will gold exports help boost Iran's economy? Iran has lifted restrictions on the export of raw gold to support its fledgling gold industry, but the sector will need more upgrades to compete in the global market. Iran