Beyond the Headlines

Riad Salameh, Lebanon's former central bank governor, was once celebrated as a “financial wizard” who kept the country’s economy prospering for years. He is now an international fugitive wanted by France and Germany, and sanctioned by the US and the UK. He is wanted for the alleged embezzlement of hundreds of millions of dollars in Lebanese public funds, which were funnelled into real estate prope...

Two years ago, Afghanistan as the world knew it collapsed. After the withdrawal of US and other forces backing the government, in scenes that shocked the world, the Taliban marched into the Afghan capital Kabul pretty much unopposed. On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Sulaiman Hakemy looks at the dire consequences for ordinary Afghans.

Gaza is often referred to as the world’s largest open air prison. Under siege by Israel, half of the 2.3 million people living in the territory are unemployed. Leaders from the ruling Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, meet in Egypt in talks that they say seek to end the divide that has been making life all the harder for people in Gaza ever since Hamas seized power there in 2007. While these...

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Fatima Al Mahmoud reflects on how August 4, which witnessed the largest non-nuclear explosion in history in Beirut, changed the lives of many, including her own.  She speaks to Lebanese who decided to leave the country - and others who decided to stay.

Since the fighting broke out on April 15, more than 3.1 million people have fled their homes – looking for safety abroad in Egypt, Chad and the Central African Republic. There is still no end in sight for this continuing war of generals between Mohamed Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who heads Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan. Massive efforts are under way...

Millions of people across Europe are feeling the intensity of extreme weather as a relentless heatwave sweeps across the continent. Pavements have radiated heat, forcing people to retreat indoors to escape the punishing rays. The sound of air conditioners has become deafening. Europe’s latest heatwave could see it recording its hottest-ever temperatures this week. And this emergency situation coul...

Every year on July 11, the world observes World Population Day, designated by the United Nations to raise awareness about global population issues. It serves as a reminder of the significant challenges and opportunities presented by the ever-increasing number of people on our planet.   Longevity, or the length and quality of human life, has become a subject of great interest and importance in rece...

France has entered a second week of unrest, after riots triggered by the police killing of a teenager of North African descent spread across the country. Seventeen-year-old Nahel M, from the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, was shot dead in his car at point blank range by a policeman on June 27 - and France is reeling from his death. Cars have been set on fire and shops looted by rioters. Tens of thou...

Hajj falls during Dhu Al Hijja, the 12th month in the Islamic calendar. The annual pilgrimage itself is fard, meaning mandatory, for every able-bodied and financially capable Muslim, at least once in their lifetime. It is no wonder then, that this event is so important. This week on Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher talks to a woman about her experiences at Hajj, her first time seeing the Ka...

110 million: that is the number of people who have been forcibly displaced around the world due to persecution, conflict, violence and human rights abuse. This record level has been reached amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan which have forced millions of people to flee their homes. Out of that number, 35.3 million are classed as refugees, or people who crossed an international border to f...

On June 14, Lebanon's parliament failed again to agree on a new president. The position has been vacant for eight months, since the end of Michel Aoun’s term. Neither of the two candidates made it through the voting process. Former finance minister Jihad Azour, who is backed by most of the country's Christian parties, received 59 votes. Suleiman Frangieh, supported by the Iran-backed Hezbollah par...

At least 288 people were killed and hundreds injured in the deadly crash that happened in Odisha. It jolted India. News crews rushed to the accident spot in Balasore to find mangled train coaches rammed on top of each other. So far, at least 80 bodies remain unclaimed. But this is not the first such tragedy. India has seen many deadly train accidents before. The country’s rail network is huge, spa...

Nato, Sweden, F16s, inflation and refugees. What do they all have in common? Erdogan and Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the run-off election on May 28, defeating Kemal Kilicdaroglu. On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher unpacks everything that happened over the past few weeks and asks: what comes next?

On May 14, Cyclone Mocha unleashed its fury upon the port town of Sittwe in the Rakhine state. The devastation was catastrophic, particularly for the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. Even a week after the disaster, the survivors are left with no shelter, food or clean water to drink. Human rights activists describe their suffering as an ongoing silent genocide by Myanmar’s military junta. This...

Hope, disappointment, joy and confusion are some of the emotions Turks felt after a rollercoaster election day.   In the vote on May 14, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scored 49.51 per cent, just shy of the 50 per cent need for an outright victory, but 4.63 per cent ahead of his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.   Now they’re heading for a decisive run-off vote on May 28. This week on Beyond the Headl...

Syria’s devastating civil war has raged for more than 12 years. In that time, Half a million people have been killed, by some estimates. Three million have been left with a disability. And half of the country have been forced from their homes, including many now living in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. The economy has collapsed and the infrastructure has been shattered - 70 per cent of t...

Millions of people in the UK and around the whole world are preparing for a rare weekend indeed, with a new king to be crowned. On May 6, the coronation of King Charles III will be held at Westminster Abbey, marking the high point of his accession to the throne. Huge crowds, parades and shows in the street are planned. From around the world, people are heading to London to get a live view of this...

Life for many in Sudan has become intolerable. People have been trapped in their own homes by two weeks of fighting and failed ceasefires. Disruptions to power, the internet, water supplies and food have been widely reported.   Little wonder then that, since the violence broke out on April 15 between the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group and the army, many have chosen to flee. Some have been...

Khartoum has been hit by days of fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force. As the death toll rises, people have been forced to shelter from the violence, and food, water and medicine supplies are running short. The US UK, EU, UAE and Saudi Arabia are among those who have called for calm.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher is joined by corresponde...

Can a handshake transform a region?   After long years of tension, Saudi Arabia and Iran decided in March to normalise diplomatic relations. Weeks later, the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers met face-to-face - and the handshake took place.   The landmark agreement entails patching up the rift by reviving a security cooperation pact, reopening embassies within two months and resuming trade, inve...

Nothing says Ramadan more than joyous gatherings of family and friends, dining tables heaving with delicacies as the sun sets.   But this Ramadan, many people are struggling to make ends meet, with the cost of living having soared globally.   For months, The National has been tracking the prices of food staples in supermarkets across the Middle East and North Africa – and seen how shoppers have ad...

On March 27, Israel ground to a halt in protest at a set of judicial reforms put forward by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right wing coalition.   Demonstrations had been rumbling for weeks against the proposals, but then on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu fired defense minister Yoav Gallant for speaking out against the bill. It was like he had lit a match. Within hours, one of the largest demonst...

On February 21 Tunisia’s president Kais Saied declared that “a criminal plan has been set up since the beginning of this century to alter the demographic structure of Tunisia”.   Civil rights groups and activists considered the statement dangerous and warned that it could encourage hate crimes against the sub-Saharan minority, who already face tough conditions.    The Tunisian president's comments...

Thousands died and millions were displaced in a matter of moments following the violent earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey. While survivors are now trying to rebuild their lives, there is one group for whom recovering from the earthquake is an even harder challenge: the children who lost their parents.   Some have lost their parents and even a month on at least 160 infants and children remain un...

First they were forced to flee their homes in Myanmar after the military regime launched a campaign of ethnic cleansing against them. Then they faced more horrors in the Bangladeshi refugee camps where they had sought sanctuary. Now, Anjana Sankar reports on the perilous sea crossings many Rohingya are embarking on – in another desperate attempt finally to find a safe home.