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
Iran, Saudi Arabia jockey for power in Yemen Yemen has become a stage for the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia on religious, economic, political and military levels. Saudi Arabia
Gazans at risk as winter looms Much of Gaza's water, power and sanitation infrastructure was damaged in the recent conflict, and repairs are taking time, which has left Gazans looking for alternatives to get through what could be a long, cold winter. Palestine
Turkish Central Bank fails to combat inflation The governor of Turkey's Central Bank has done well in financial stability, but time is running out for him to control inflation. Turkey
Beirut's archaeological heritage threatened by construction The new construction sites in Beirut are built without taking into consideration the archaeological heritage of the capital. Lebanon
Corruption plagues Iraqi TV, film industry The poor production quality of the Iraqi entertainment industry is the direct result of mismanagement made intractable by rampant corruption. Iraq
Donor pledges not enough to rehabilitate Gaza The Palestinian Authority needs at least $15 billion to properly restore Gaza’s economy, while donors have only pledged $5.4 billion for interim reconstruction. Palestine
As US economy recovers, Turkey's falters As US economic indicators improve, emerging economies like Turkey's are increasingly concerned over the prospect of US rate hikes. Turkey
Turkey uses defense industry as political instrument The Turkish government uses the defense industry to build its foreign relationships and to improve domestic standing. Turkey
Turkey opens first case against oil smuggling with Syria A court started to hear the first legal case of oil smuggling, revealing the dilemma between national security and the fight against radical Islamists. Syria
Egypt initiates plan to ensure food security Egypt plans to cultivate 4 million acres of strategic crops for its large population, but water scarcity and a lack of funds raise doubts about its feasibility. Egypt
Kurdish riots overshadow Fitch’s Turkey rating Deadly protests in Turkey over the siege of Kobani led to a shock at financial markets despite the good news of Fitch affirming the country’s investment grade. Turkey
Looking behind the Russia-Iran relationship Despite the common perception of Russia as Iran's main backer outside the region, the two big regional players’ relations are shaped by long-term interests that can clash with immediate concerns and may complicate the battle against the Islamic State. Russia
