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
NGO finds work for Syrian refugees in Turkey Rizk, a nongovernmental organization affiliated with the Syrian Forum, has been able to secure jobs for many Syrian refugees in Turkey and now hopes to equip Syrians with the skills to rebuild their country when the war is over. Syria
Israel's proposed 2016 budget fails to deliver on promised social reforms Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon promised reforms in banking, cost of living, housing prices and more, but the 2016 budget that he presented to the government carries no extraordinary social vision. Israel
Rouhani: 'Merchants of sanctions' upset by nuke deal In a televised interview, President Hassan Rouhani says the gates of the world have opened up to the Iranian people. Iran
Will Iran buy French warplanes? With restrictions set to come off in the medium term, Iran has an even greater incentive to modernize its antiquated air force. Iran
Turkish media digs deeper into gold mogul corruption scandal New media reports on Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-born Turkish businessman accused in Turkey’s infamous December 2013 corruption probe, could have serious repercussions for Ankara and Tehran. Turkey
Gaza money traders profit from dollar-shekel exchange rate manipulations Gazans are calling for tighter monitoring by the authorities over money traders, who they believe are manipulating dollar-shekel exchange rates to their advantage. Palestine
Tobacco eats away West Bank agricultural lands Tobacco cultivation is expanding rapidly in the West Bank without regulation, threatening the Palestinian economy and agriculture. Palestine
Will Iran get its billions back? Iranian officials have issued contradictory statements about the size of Iran's blocked foreign reserves. Iran
Lobbying 2015: Morocco courts US backing in Sahara dispute Morocco is spending upwards of $3 million a year to convince US politicians – including presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton – to back its claims over the disputed Western Sahara. So far, it’s working. Morocco
Lobbying 2015: US turns page on Bahrain's crackdown US military aid to the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain is flowing again after its strong anti-Islamic State stance and pricey PR push. Bahrain
Lobbying 2015: UAE asserts itself with record-smashing lobby blitz The United Arab Emirates spent a record $12.7 million last year to face down criticism from Islamists and US airlines. United Arab Emirates
Despite fame, Gazan painter struggles to make living Renowned Gaza artist Fathi Ghaben has suffered from poverty and feels cheated, but still believes he will be rewarded for his work someday. Palestine
