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
Iraq's ancient city of Ur: source of law, site of wonder Tourists are slowly beginning to return to the ancient Sumerian city of Ur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, raising hopes among some locals. Iraq
Iran questions Iraq's promise to import oil despite sanctions In a surprising statement, Iran's oil minister recently complained that Iraq is abiding by the US sanctions and canceling some energy deals with Iran. Iraq
Israeli scientists count down to first private moon mission A group of young Israeli scientists are hoping to make history by landing the first Israeli-made private spacecraft on the moon. Israel
Will bill to protect Iranian whistleblowers really expose corruption? While some Iranian lawmakers’ efforts to help whistleblowers expose corruption should be welcomed, such initiatives are not likely to achieve their stated goals as long as a comprehensive strategy is not defined and implemented. Iran
Egypt's Red Sea Mountain Trail creates jobs for local Bedouin community The success of the Sinai Trail, a popular route for hikers, has spurred the development of another, more ambitious project along the Red Sea. Egypt
Israel’s cannabis revolution Israel has authorized the sale of medical cannibas in pharmacies and is experimenting with fines and community service in lieu of jail time for recreational users. Israel
Egypt’s Pan-African road marks millennial milestone for development Egypt announced the completion of its segment of the Alexandria-Cape Town Road, which it is hoped will boost economies, trade and tourism the length of the African continent. Egypt
Hamas leadership woos Egypt's top imam A Hamas delegation recently met with Al-Azhar officials in Egypt, where the movement received support for the Palestinian cause. Palestine
Turkey’s agricultural decline drags down related industries The alarming decline in Turkey’s agriculture, the core reason behind soaring food prices, is having a spillover effect on agro-industries, especially the food and beverage sector as well as other industries that manufacture inputs for the agricultural sector. Turkey
Why Iran’s service startups scream for workers despite jobs crisis Despite a national jobs crisis, Iran’s online service providers are finding it hard to hire staff on account of a combination of old mentalities toward employment and the novelties of new working conditions. Iran
Turkish ruling party sets up mobile food stalls to lure votes Turks are lining up in the thousands to buy subsidized vegetables at mobile stalls in Istanbul and Ankara as the ruling party attempts to fight soaring food prices ahead of elections. Turkey
First municipal real estate department opens in northern Syria The Azaz local council in Aleppo’s northern countryside opened a real estate department with Turkish support. Syria