The Trump administration has taken initial steps to ease sanctions on Syria following a surprise policy shift announced earlier in May. The US Treasury Department lifted sanctions on several individuals and entities, while the State Department issued a waiver to the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. This move aims to boost investment, financial services, [...]
As the world gets ready to observe World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning about the rising number of teenagers using tobacco in the Middle East. Jordan has one of the highest teen smoking rates in the world, with 33.9% of teenagers using tobacco. This year’s theme, “Bright [...]
West Bank: Israeli forces conducted raids on foreign exchange shops in various cities in the West Bank, such as Ramallah and Nablus, alleging that the parent company has ties to terrorist organizations. They are targeting Al-Khaleej Exchange Company because of these alleged connections. The owners of money exchange businesses suspected by Israel of channeling funds [...]
The Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), Ali Al-Alaq, said that Iraq is strongly committed to fighting money laundering and the funding of terrorism. He spoke at a recent conference in Baghdad and explained that Iraq is working closely with other countries to follow international rules. He also said that Iraq is open [...]
The latest nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. have ended. Iran said the talks were difficult but helpful for understanding each other.The U.S. found the talks encouraging and said they were both direct and indirect. The meeting lasted over three hours and covered technical issues. Both countries agreed to keep talking in the future. [...]
Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, said that Iraq is now getting about $87 billion in foreign investment, showing that the world has more confidence in Iraq’s economy. Speaking at the Tehran Dialogue Forum, he explained that Iraq is working to grow its economy by investing in the gas industry, with plans to fully use its [...]
Jordan’s total public debt reached JD44.804 billion by the end of February 2025, according to the Ministry of Finance. This includes JD10.219 billion owed to the Social Security Investment Fund, which increased slightly from January. Overall, public debt now equals 117.4% of the country’s GDP. In January alone, debt rose by 0.8%, and the debt-to-GDP [...]
A huge explosion happened at Shahid Rajaee port, Iran’s biggest commercial port, near Bandar Abbas. At least 14 people died and around 750 were injured. The blast broke windows, damaged buildings, and was felt up to 50km away. The fire started in a warehouse full of chemicals and spread from one container to another. Officials [...]
An Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo to discuss a potential ceasefire and the release of hostages with mediators. Egypt and Qatar proposed a long-term truce of 5-7 years, ending the war, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza, and exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas is reportedly willing to halt military operations and cede Gaza governance [...]
A new study published in International Studies in Sociology of Education reveals that Lebanon’s ongoing political and economic crisis has driven parents to seek unregulated “shadow” education, such as private tutoring, to compensate for the failing public school system. Underpaid and unsupported teachers often tutor privately to survive, impacting classroom teaching quality. The sectarian government’s [...]
