World Cup migrant workers still detained in Qatar: report The Guardian has confirmed that three migrant workers from Pakistan and India arrested in January after their World Cup-related contracts were terminated remain in detention to this day. By Beatrice Farhat In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict
Qatar World Cup ambassador says homosexuality is 'haram' Qatar’s human rights record is under scrutiny in the lead-up to the World Cup, particularly regarding the treatment of LGBTQ people and laborers. Gulf
Turkish mine disaster sends blame flying In the wake of an explosion that killed 41 miners, several Turkish bodies are trading blame for safety failures in the coal industry. Turkey
Health of Turkey’s plastic waste workers under threat as European imports grow A report by Human Rights Watch finds Turkish authorities are not enforcing a law to protect vulnerable workers and local residents from toxic fumes. Turkey
How Sisi is trying to win votes of informal sector workers As presidential elections approach, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for an initiative to provide insurance for irregular workers who have no social security, pensions or health coverage. Egypt
Will end of land-for-pay program kill Palestinian reconciliation? The announced suspension of the distribution of government-owned land in lieu of government salaries in Gaza is raising questions about the decision's impact on the reconciliation. Palestine
Exploiting Palestinian workers is not ‘economic peace’ Palestinians increasingly depend on Israel’s goodwill to open its gates for poor West Bank workers. Palestine
International boycott hits labor meeting in Istanbul Protesting Ankara’s crackdown on dissent, two of the largest international labor organizations and dozens of national trade unions have boycotted a major multilateral meeting in Istanbul. Turkey
Child labor soars in Syria's liberated areas The Syrian war has left many children as the sole breadwinners for their families, pushing them to work at difficult and often dangerous jobs with long hours and little pay. Syria
Israel's construction sector deadly for Arab workers Lawyer Hadas Tagari is collecting and publishing data on the troubling number of deaths in Israel's construction sector, mainly among Arab laborers, to bring attention to the problem. Palestine
