Beyond the Headlines

For decades, the relationship between the United States and Arab countries has been complex and multifaceted, and defined by a combination of geopolitical interests, economic ties and regional conflicts. This often-fraught relationship has been affected by many factors, including the Arab-Israeli conflict, regional power dynamics and US military interventions. With the current war between Israel a...

We’re almost six weeks into the Israel-Gaza war and few believe it will end any time soon. Calls for ceasefires from the international community have fallen on deaf ears and hostage release negotiations are proving fruitless. But end at some point, it must.   And when it does, what will peace look like – for Gaza, for Hamas, for Israel?   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher is joi...

The US is feeling the pressure of the war in Gaza because of the way President Joe Biden is deemed to be handling the conflict. In the days after the October 7 Hamas attacks, Mr Biden visited Israel and expressed his staunch support for the country. But as civilian casualties rise in Gaza, the Biden administration has begun to call for temporary pauses in hostilities and for more humanitarian aid...

A month ago, the military wing of Hamas attacked the Israeli border on October 7th, killing more than 1,400 Israelis and igniting a brutal war. Israel retaliated through a relentless bombing of Gaza and its people, saying Hamas militants were its only targets. However, the civilian death toll has passed 10,000. A mass attack by Israeli armoured divisions was predicted as a response. However, Prime...

Life in Gaza has been nothing but harrowing for a month now. Fighting between Hamas and the Israeli military has intensified, with Israel saying the war has now entered its second phase, as its army surrounds Gaza. But civilians are still paying the highest cost of this war. More than 9,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including more than 3,600 children, since October 7, which has seen an atta...

There is a whiff of war in Lebanon. Haunted by memories of previous conflicts, many Lebanese are worried about a major escalation, and preparing for the worst. Families have packed emergency bags in case they need to suddenly be evacuated. People have begun stockpiling medicine and water. In Tyre, the urban soundscape is occasionally interrupted by the sound of bombardment coming from the frontier...

The world’s attention has turned to a corner of the Sinai region of Egypt. The location is the Rafah Crossing, where for days lorries laden with aid have queued to enter the Palestinian territory from Egypt. On the other side of the crossing, Palestinians and dual nationals trapped in Gaza wait under Israeli rocket fire in the hope of being able to leave. But Egypt finds itself in an impossible si...

In September, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood in front of world leaders at the UN General Assembly and displayed two maps: one showing Israel’s isolation at the time of its creation in 1948, and another showing the Arab countries that have normalised relations with it. He referred to a “new Middle East”.   That came amid US-led talks aimed at Israel and Saudi Arabia establishing f...

The world is now witnessing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Thousands of residents have been killed or injured by 10 days of airstrikes. Hospitals and medical facilities are struggling to operate, and the enclave has no access to food, fuel, electricity or a clean water supply. Ambulances and lorries full of humanitarian supplies are currently queuing on the Egyptian border with Gaza, waiting for a...

Israel was taken by surprise a week ago when Hamas stormed across its border. The surprise attack has had huge ramifications in the Middle East and for the world. Leaders in western countries have backed Israel and said that the country has ‘’the right to defend itself’’ as it goes after Hamas with a bombing campaign in densely populated Gaza. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Ismaeel Naar s...

At 6.30am on Saturday, October 7, Hamas fighters crossed from Gaza into southern Israel as more than 5,000 rockets were fired by the militants from the enclave into towns and cities. The group called the attack Operation Al Aqsa Flood. In the hours and days that followed, more than 1,000 people have been killed on both sides as fighters opened fire at a music festival and then staged running battl...

The next UK election may be more than a year away but the race for No 10 Downing Street has already begun. Take this week Conservative conference in Manchester, with the governing party presenting themselves as agents of change – despite having been in power for 13 years and counting. Expect more salesmanship next week when pretenders Labour, who are well ahead in the polls, gather in Liverpool.  ...

A landmark agreement to open diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel seems to be approaching. In a recent interview with Fox News, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country is moving closer to establishing relations with Israel.   Such a deal would mean the expansion of the Abraham Accords, which were signed three years ago with the US as a broker, and normalised relatio...

From the flash floods in Libya and the earthquakes in Morocco, Turkey and Syria, to the raging wildfires that scorched Maui and the hurricanes and typhoons that left devastation in their wake in the US: it's impossible to ignore the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. 2023 has been marked by a series of apparently natural disasters. But just how natural were they? And how mu...

You can’t control a storm. Especially one as bad as Storm Daniel.  But when two dams which hadn’t been maintained since 2002 break; when authorities tell thousands of people to stay at home instead of evacuating them the night that Derna was swept into the sea; then you start to wonder, how much more could have been done to prevent the deaths of 11,000 people? Entire neighbourhoods gone. Families...

Thousands have died, families have been separated and homes reduced to rubble by the sudden devastation that struck Morocco on the night of September 8.   As rescue crews search for the missing, the nation is grappling with the aftermath of the biggest natural disaster to hit the country in 120 years.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Phil Green looks at what happened when the earthquake s...

Sultan Al Neyadi is the first Arab to serve on the International Space Station for a six-month mission, the first Arab to perform a spacewalk and one of the first two astronauts from the UAE, along with Hazza Al Mansouri. Dr Al Neyadi has joined a very select group of people, becoming one of only 270 people from 21 different countries to have visited the International Space Station. His stint in o...

Unique and empowered. This is what it feels to be an Emirati woman. It is a blend of embracing one's roots and cultural identity, while evolving every day in a dynamic and diverse country, to contribute to the development of the nation. For that reason, every year on August 28, Emirati women come together to appreciate their efforts, celebrate their work and highlight their achievements.   The Emi...

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...