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
Why does Turkey suddenly need so many bankruptcy trustees? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's battle against the Gulen movement is making some people very rich — and bankrupting others. Turkey
How these female engineers intend to fix Gaza’s roads Three engineers from Gaza came up with a new technique for asphalt roads, hoping to fix the poor conditions of streets in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Gaza markets full of Ramadan treats, but who can afford them? With the onset of Ramadan, Gaza’s merchants have plenty of goods to sell for fair prices, but face a costumer base with very little cash. Palestine
Is Rouhani’s economic team about to crack? An escalating dispute between Iran’s Central Bank governor and the minister of economic affairs and finance is threatening to crack President Hassan Rouhani’s economic team. Iran
Will gas thaw the ice between Russia, Turkey? Russia’s interest in crucial energy projects with Turkey may facilitate fence-mending between the two countries after months of crisis. Turkey
How Israeli students are responding to price-gouging landlords with this new app Israeli activists are promoting tenant protection laws, rent price databases and a special app — all in an effort to reduce rent prices. Israel
Will the end-times begin at this Iraqi lake? The hidden water source of Lake Sawa in the desert of the Iraqi province of Muthanna has turned it into a religious, historical tale. Iraq
Why PayPal is leaving Turkey US-based online payments giant PayPal will halt its operations in Turkey, but there seems to be more to the story than meets the eye. Turkey
What is keeping foreign money out of Iran’s stock exchanges? Beyond the remaining US primary sanctions, a plethora of issues within Iran is effectively acting to hold back badly needed foreign investment. Iran
Iran finds new port partner in India Though Iran has made use of the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions to boost ties with India, deepening trade with New Delhi is only part of its vision for such cooperation. Iran
Erdogan kicks off African tour with creative history lesson As Turkey’s relations with the West continue to sour, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is off to try his luck in Africa. Turkey
EU eyes return as Iran’s first trade partner With the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions, Iran and the European Union can now restore their commercial ties — but not without bumps in the road. Iran
