Four years after the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan remains in the shadow of that chaotic August day in 2021 when US troops finally withdrew, ending two decades of war.

The images from Kabul’s airport are still etched in global memory, as crowds of desperate Afghans clung to departing planes as the US backed government collapsed and the Taliban took full control.

Since then, the country is going through a deepening economic crisis and the end of an active conflict. All of this has been worsened by US aid cuts ordered by President Trump’s administration.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher explores what Afghanistan looks like today and examines the impact of America’s policies on its people. She speaks to CNN’s International Correspondent Isobel Yeung who was in Afghanistan recently to investigate this, and Sulaiman bin Shah, the former deputy minister of commerce who is currently in Kabul.

Nearly two decades after Israel withdrew from Gaza, dismantling settlements and military posts under Ariel Sharon’s leadership, the Israeli government has now approved a plan to take over the Palestinian enclave again, following 22 months of its war there.

What began as speculation this week quickly became official policy after a 10-hour security cabinet meeting, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gained approval to take full control of northern Gaza.

The plan includes displacing up to a million people and reshaping governance in the strip under an as yet undefined “civilian authority”.

Mr Netanyahu claims this move will restore Israel’s security and free Gazans from Hamas rule. But critics, including top military officials and former security leaders, warn this could destroy prospects for a ceasefire, worsen the humanitarian catastrophe and endanger remaining hostages.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to two Israeli figures on opposite sides of the debate: Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security think tank and former head of the research division in the Israeli military intelligence; and Ami Ayalon, a former commander of the Israeli Navy and former director of the Israel security agency Shin Bet. One defends reoccupation as a necessary strategy, the other calls it a dangerous step that could cost Israel its identity, security and future.

The toll of war is often measured in figures: the number of people killed, injured or displaced. But how do we calculate the cost of ending a war?

In the case of Gaza, where Israel continues to pursue a 20-month military offensive, the sacrifices will be difficult to quantify.

US President Donald Trump had been confident that a ceasefire would be reached this week as Israel and Hamas negotiate through mediators in Doha. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited and left the White House without a deal being reached.

It’s not the first time such talk talks have dragged on, but the collapse of the previous truce brings caution in its wake. Between the lines of any potential agreement are conditions that could be catastrophic for Gaza. What would aid distribution look like after the war ends? Will the entire population be “concentrated” into camps, as Israel's defence minister stated? Is reconstruction an option at all at this point? Will the strip be militarily occupied? Meanwhile, what impact will all this have on the West Bank?

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher discusses the painstaking efforts to end the war in Gaza and how a ceasefire could impact security, aid and governance in the enclave. She speaks to Tahani Mustafa, senior Palestine analyst at the International Crisis Group, and Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University.

Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

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 to be allowed into the enclave, although it has, so far, rejected calls for a ceasefire.

Thousands of protesters held a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza earlier this week amid a background of rising public anger towards policymakers.

In this episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Thomas Watkins, The National’s Washington bureau chief, examines the Gaza conflict from the US perspective.

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 Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government appears to be preparing for a long war. Officials say it could last from four to six months, but analysts say it could stretch for a year.

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Thomas Harding looks at how effective the Israeli offensive has been against Hamas so far.

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 attack from Hamas that killed more than 1,400 in Israel.

People in Gaza are facing non-stop bombardment. Those who have lived through war after war are saying this is the worst they’ve ever seen.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher takes a closer look at the condition of hospitals in Gaza by speaking to one of the doctors on the front line. We also explore how Gaza reached this point and what is expected of Hamas with the war entering its second phase.

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. And elsewhere in southern Lebanon, which shares a border with Israel, some towns are deserted.

The border has been the site of a so far contained conflict between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel – with nevertheless dozens of fatalities - in a splinter of the broader Israel-Gaza war.

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada Homsi from The National’s Beirut bureau asks how Lebanon’s Hezbollah is involved in the current conflict - and where it could go from here.

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 situation – should it offer civilians from Gaza a safe route out of the territory and welcome them as refugees? Or should it keep its border closed and leave 2.3 million people at the mercy of Israel’s retaliation for Hamas’s attack on October 7.

In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Ismaeel Naar talks to The National’s Cairo correspondent, Hamza Hendawi, about the predicament facing Egypt.

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 formal ties.   But today, as we record on October 18, we’re in a different reality. The Israel-Gaza war has created a dangerous potential turning point for the region - and the world - putting peace on the back burner.   On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Sulaiman Hakemy asks whether the Israel-Gaza war is the start of something much bigger – and even worse.

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 ceasefire to allow them in.

This is happening while hundreds of thousands of families have been internally displaced from northern Gaza to the south of the strip after an Israeli evacuation order. They are still struggling with the continued bombardment of airstrikes and often have nowhere to stay.

In this episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza. 

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 speaks to officials and analysts about the Israeli response and what have been described as “failures” of the government ahead of the Hamas attack. They also discuss the subsequent diplomatic efforts since the attack on the morning of October 7 – and what could come next.

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 battles with residents and armed forces. In response to the unprecedented breach in its security, Israel fired a barrage of rockets into Gaza and has threatened to destroy Hamas. Israeli officials are calling the attacks "their 9/11" and have declared a total blockade of Gaza. In this episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at what is happening in Israel and Gaza, how the people of both sides are dealing with the escalation of violence and what’s next, as the fighting, at the time of recording, shows no immediate signs of ending.

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.  

 

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Damien McElroy explores whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak can turn his party’s fortunes around, examines how the Conservatives are facing the issues of the world - and discusses the policies anticipated towards the Middle East.

During a visit to the Gulf in May, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he would revoke sanctions on Syria. This week, he kept that promise.

He signed an executive order on Monday to waive or review penalties, some of which have been in place for decades. The move comes as a relief for struggling Syrians after almost 14 years of a brutal civil war that has devastated their economy.

For their transitional leader Ahmad Al Shara, it’s a milestone that could give him the legitimacy that he and his Hayat Tahrir Al Sham-led government so desperately seek. But it also brings him new and complicated challenges.

“President Trump wants Syria to succeed – but not at the expense of US interests,” the White House said, while establishing ties with Israel would be a priority. The question is, what pressures could this impose on the new Damascus government?

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, guest host Ban Barkawi looks at US interests in Syria and the fine line Mr Al Shara will have to walk to keep his people and the West happy. She speaks to Jihan Abdalla, The National’s senior correspondent in Washington, and Omar Dahi, director at Security in Context.

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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 relations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. Morocco and Sudan have since joined.

 

The past few weeks have witnessed high-level visits to Riyadh by members of the Biden administration to discuss the matter; Saudi Arabia’sappointment of its first envoy to Palestine; and Israel's tourism minister landing in Saudi Arabia for a UN event, becoming the first Israeli minister to lead an official delegation there.

 

In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, host Ismaeel Naar looks at the recent moves towards the normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and asks what could this mean for the region and the Palestinians?

 

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 much did humanity contribute to them – via climate change?

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Phil Green explores the influence of climate change on a year of catastrophes, how the Middle East is directly affected - and what can be done?

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 killed in their own homes. Bodies turning up after the waves had brought them back to land. Search and rescue teams telling whomever has remained alive to quiet down so they can try and listen for a faint sound coming from under the rubble.

The scene was apocalyptic.

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher talks about Storm Daniel, its impacts on the city of Derna and the gigantic task ahead for authorities and rescue workers to sort through the rubble and identify the dead.

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 struck Morocco and the longer-term impact it will have on the North African country.

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 orbit was a milestone for the UAE and a symbol of the country’s ambitions in the realm of science and exploration. So what does this mission mean for the UAE’s future astronauts? And what’s next for Arab space exploration? On this episode, host Sarwat Nasir dissects just what such missions mean for the UAE and what kind of legacy Dr Al-Neyadi will have.

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 Emirati Women’s Day was launched in 2015 by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, wife of the late founding father Sheikh Zayed, and known as the Mother of the Nation. It was to bring recognition to the crucial role of women in the country.

On this special episode celebrating Emirati women, Shireena Al Nowais sat down with five of the most powerful and successful sisters in the UAE: Al Kaabi sisters and Al Jaber sisters.

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 properties across Europe and the US.

The Salameh saga shows how a man was able to appropriate an institution for his personal gain and that of his inner circle for decades, without raising alarms among auditors, international banks or even central bank employees, until the entire system finally crumbled.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, Nada Maucourant Atallah delves into the story behind Riad Salameh's fall from grace.

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 meetings do take place every now and then, the internal turmoil being seen in the occupied territories coupled with the rarity of the protests in Gaza has made us stop and think.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher talks Gaza, the West Bank, reconciliation and everything in between.

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.

After 12 days of war between Israel and Iran, a ceasefire has brought a sense of cautious relief to the region.

Even after almost 21 months of war in Gaza and its spillover into neighbouring countries, the latest escalation set a dangerous precedent that could provoke more cycles of warfare and destabilise the Middle East.

The question is how did we reach this boiling point? The answer goes back decades, to a time even before the 1979 revolution in Iran when the country enjoyed a more co-operative relationship with Israel under the shah.

At the same time the region was going through a transformative period against the backdrop of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and rising anti-imperialist sentiments. As events unfolded and political leaderships changed over time, so did the strategic interests that Israel shared with Iran.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher dives into the context that soured the relationship between the two countries, and the more recent events that brought about the air war.

She is joined by The National's assistant foreign editor Aveen Karim, senior fellow at UCLA Burkle Centre for International Relations Dalia Dassa Kaye, and independent Israeli analyst Ori Goldberg.

We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our two-minute listener survey. Click here.

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 by the UN, US, African Union, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and many others to bring the warring sides to a table where they could agree to end the bloodshed.

About 3,000 people have been killed so far, although these figures might be massively understated as doctors continue to struggle to reach patients and victims in need, while war crimes are being widely documented.

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada Al Taher looks into what has become of Sudan after 100 days of war and how this conflict has impacted the region.

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 could last for weeks more, according to the UN weather agency.

On this episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Victoria Pertusa looks into why summers keep getting hotter and hotter. She speaks to locals and experts to explore the factors and patterns that make heatwaves increasingly prevalent in recent years, and finds out how different communities are coping with this challenge.

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 recent years. Advances in healthcare, improved living conditions and technological innovations have contributed to a remarkable increase in life expectancy worldwide. However, as the global population continues to rise, what is the future of ageing and longevity.

The average lifespan has been shorter in the past because of the risk of dying at birth, in childhood, in the middle of a raging battle or being mauled to death by wild animals. However, taking out those threats, an average human has long been capable of reaching a 70th birthday.

And now, with breakthroughs in our understanding of genetics and billions of dollars being poured into life sciences research, we may find ways to extend our lives even further, maybe to even double that number, in the next few decades.

This episode of Beyond The Headlines was previously aired on June 23, 2022.

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 thousands of police officers have had to be mobilised to restore order.

The killing has prompted a furious debate about police reform, race and equality – with some blaming migration, others institutionalised racism. President Emmanuel Macron has been meeting with mayors and officials to explore "deeper reasons" for the riots.

On this episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Lemma Shehadi investigates how one death has exposed such division.

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 Kaaba and what lessons she took from her pilgrimage.

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 find safety under the mandate of UN agencies.

This week on Beyond The Headlines, we are commemorating World Refugee Day. We feature three people from three conflict-torn countries who have survived the pain and harsh reality of displacement to tell their story.

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 party and its allies, got 51. Both fell below the required threshold.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada Homsi in Beirut explores the reasons behind the country’s political impasse.

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, spanning more than 100,000km, but it is also old and overburdened. It carries more than 25 million passengers every day, and there is even more demand it cannot meet.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Suhail Akram considers what may have led to the Odisha train crash, why train derailments are such a huge problem in India, and asks what Indian railways could do to cater more safely for its millions of commuters each day.

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 week on Beyond The Headlines, host Anjana Sankar looks at one of the most distressing stories of despair and survival coming out of Myanmar in the aftermath of the cyclone.

Up until last week, it seemed unthinkable for a UN member state to strike a nuclear site. But Israel did just that when it launched its attack on Iran, hitting military and atomic sites, and killing key figures of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

It also seemed unthinkable for missiles to penetrate Israel’s Iron Dome and destroy infrastructure in cities such as Haifa and Tel Aviv.

Yet again, civilians are paying the heaviest price. More than 240 people have been killed in Iran so far. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes. One week on, the war shows no signs of abating, with the US hinting it might get involved, too.

A sense of unease has gripped the region, with neighbouring states fearing further escalation. A group of 20 countries including Gulf states, Jordan and Egypt has called for an end to hostilities. In a worst-case scenario, the repercussions could be catastrophic for them, too.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the consequences of the war on the Middle East and asks what will happen to the region if Tehran were to fall? She speaks to Hasan AlHasan, senior fellow for Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and Thomas Juneau, Middle East researcher and a professor at University of Ottawa, Canada.

Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

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 Headlines, Nada AlTaher talks about what’s at stake.

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 the electricity system is damaged, one in three schools is in ruins and only half of hospitals are working fully. A decade of war has cost the country over a trillion dollars.

Twelve years ago, the Arab League expelled Syria. President Bashar Al Assad was accused of starting the war with a bloody crackdown on opponents of his dynastic family rule. But now, the regional body has voted to allow Syria to return.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines Young hears from the head of the Arab League about the decision to allow Assad to return – and looks at what this means for the region and the conflict itself.

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 historic moment.

 

The new King served the longest apprenticeship of anyone waiting in the wings to become British ruler.  At 74, King Charles III will embark on the new reign hoping to connect with people and provide a unifying force for the public after some bitter divisions that have rocked British politics.

 

In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Damien McElroy looks at the coronation of King Charles and what we should we expect from the event - and the king himself.

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 part of the mass evacuations of diplomats and foreigners. But many Sudanese have also fled their homes and escaped to neighbouring Chad and Egypt. The UN Refugee Agency expects the outflow to continue.   On this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher explores the refugee crisis created by the violence that has erupted in Sudan.

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 correspondent Hamza Hendawi to discuss what is happening in Sudan - and how the dire situation could resolve itself.

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, investment and cultural accords. The China-brokered deal could lead to a major realignment in the Middle East. And, while it is a coup for Beijing, it represents a geopolitical challenge for the United States.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Ismaeel Naar looks at how Saudi Arabia and Iran were able to finally reach the negotiating table - and asks what the thawing of ties means for the wider region.

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 adopted new strategies, routinely searching for discounts and reining in other spending, as higher prices influence their purchasing patterns.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Enas Refaei takes us to Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan - where our correspondents explore the new strategies of shopping.

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 demonstrations in Israel’s history took place.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines Young looks at Mr Netanyahu’s controversial reforms and asks why they have provoked such anger.

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 coincided with an unprecedented crackdown targeting hundreds of sub-Saharan Africans. Lawyers Without Borders said they estimate around 300 people have been detained and placed in an irregular migrant detention facility in just one wave of arrests. Tunisia's ministry of interior said they were only applying the law and the migrants being detained were in the country illegally.   In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Ghaya Ben Mbarek looks at the plight of migrants and black people in an increasingly unwelcoming Tunisia.

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 unidentified. Horror, devastation and heartbreak is what the majority of children in Syria and Turkey have endured as a result of the disaster that violently shook the region in the early hours of February 6.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Mina Aldroubi looks at the child survivors of the February 6 earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, what happened to them after they were found under the rubble and how humanitarian agencies have protected them.

Canada, urging de-escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel, but US President Donald Trump has already left, having warned that residents of Tehran "should immediately evacuate".

Iran's reaction is one of the key issues on the agenda today.

In this special episode of Beyond the Headlines, Geo-Economics Editor Manus Cranny asks Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief, and Mohamad Ali Harisi, Foreign Editor, for the inside view.

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.

Since the start of the Russia- Ukraine war, more than 12 million people have fled their homes. Military casualties on both sides are believed to have topped 200,000 while civilian casualties in Ukraine are at nearly 7000, according to the latest UN figures.   A year on, and there are still no signs of returning to a normal way of life.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Enas Refaei looks at the human toll of the war and the lives that were changed in the blink of an eye. She also talks to people caught in the crossfire who tell us how they find small ways to cope with the suffering.

The UN says that 2022 was the deadliest year for Palestinians since systematic records began in 2005. Israeli security forces killed 151 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank territories and east Jerusalem last year, while 24 Israelis were killed by Palestinians.   This year there is no sign of a decline in the volume of violence. Tensions are high in Israel and the occupied territories after a spate of attacks against Israeli citizens, raids on Palestinian communities by the Israeli military and a return to power of longtime prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this time leading the most right-wing government in the country’s history. The situation looks dire, UN and international officials are calling for urgent action to ease anger, calm tensions and stop the rumbling violence.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines-Young focuses on Israel and Palestine to understand what’s driving the latest rounds of violence and ask if we’re heading towards a new intifada.