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
Banks remain fearful of US-approved transfers to Iran An Iranian-American doctor tells Al-Monitor that his charity’s efforts to send money to Iran for an orphanage led to his US bank account being closed. Iran
Competition heats up for Gaza reconstruction contracts A lack of transparency in the bidding stage is clouding Gaza reconstruction ahead of the donor conference in Cairo. Palestine
Lapid's budget a betrayal of social justice The 2015 Israeli budget achieves two of Finance Minister Yair Lapid's goals, but reflects the political interests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than making a commitment to social justice. Israel
Fighting robs Iraqi farmers of harvest The Islamic State attacks and defensive military operations have affected the agricultural sector in Iraq's Salahuddin province, where wheat production had been expected to reach 4.5 million tons this year. Iraq
Turkey threatens credit rating agencies Turkey’s top leaders have threatened to cancel the contracts of credit rating agencies Fitch and Moody’s as financial markets get nervous at the prospect of Turkey being downgraded. Turkey
Gaza hospital cleaners strike Hospital cleaners in Gaza are on strike over unpaid wages from the consensus government, one of many problems in Gaza since the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas. Palestine
What will Turkey do if Russia turns off gas? The risk of Russia cutting gas supplies to Europe amid the Ukraine crisis has exposed Turkey’s energy vulnerability, with Istanbul, its most populous city and main industrial hub, dependent on Russian gas. Turkey
The truth about Turkey and Islamic State oil While oil sales by the Islamic State across the Turkish border are a real problem, the Turkish government does not condone it. Syria
Support grows for Gaza's boycott of Israeli goods The recent Gaza war has seen a boost in support for a local boycott of Israeli goods, but short of alternatives, it is hard to envision how such a boycott campaign will work. Palestine
The gentrification of Tel Aviv In 1948, several hundred families were sent to settle a piece of land on the northern outskirts of Tel Aviv, but today the land is valued at billions of shekels and the residents battle a real-estate tycoon over eviction. Israel
Gaza farmers want guarantees Israel won’t destroy their lands Farmers in Gaza are fed up with replanting their battered lands only for Israel to destroy them, and want negotiators in Egypt to guarantee their security. Palestine
Turkey’s economic growth fizzles Turkey’s economic growth slowed to 2.1% in the second quarter, well below expectations, forcing the government to review its year-end target of 4%. Turkey
