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
Russia puts brakes on Turkey's truck traffic Moscow responds to Ankara’s threats to cancel natural gas and nuclear power station contracts by closing its borders to Turkish trucks. Syria
Rouhani shifts gears on economy With the Iranian economy losing steam, the Rouhani administration is changing tack and adopting a new stimulus package as the nation waits impatiently for sanctions removal. Iran
Israeli settlers win tax battle In the battle over municipal funding and tax breaks, Likud ministers side with the powerful settler lobby. Israel
As popularity rises, Iran tries to control Telegram messaging app Iranian authorities have asked Telegram messaging service to block "immoral" content. Russia
Has Iran entered 'new era' of economic policies? Iran's supreme leader backs the establishment of a new paradigm of economic management and shuts the door to a resumption of past economic policies. Iran
Will Black Sea cuisine be Erdogan's lasting legacy? Once looked down on as bland and basic, Black Sea cuisine flourishes in Istanbul as a nutritional and exotic option. Turkey
Will Palestine get its own currency? Two decades after the Oslo Accord, and after the issuance of Palestinian passports and the raising of the Palestinian flag at the UN, Palestinians still await their own currency. Palestine
Palestinians fired in retaliation for protests Israeli employers are dismissing Palestinian workers in settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, a trend with dire consequences for Israel's economy. Palestine
Israel, Palestine both stand to lose by cutting economic ties If President Mahmoud Abbas follows through with threats to end the Palestinian Authority's economic cooperation with Israel, there will be wide economic repercussions for both sides. Palestine
Egypt's fake mosque problem For years, Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Endowments has been weeding out dozens of fake mosques that employ thousands of salaried workers paid by the state to do nothing. Egypt
Gazans find money in rubble of destroyed houses Even university graduates have taken on the arduous work of extracting concrete and iron from the rubble of houses destroyed during last year's war in Gaza's stricken economy. Palestine
AKP accused of cooking books before elections Critics are claiming Turkey's ruling party has manipulated financial figures to paint a rosy economic picture ahead of the Nov. 1 snap elections. Turkey
