For the first time in ten years, Afghans took to the polling stations to elect candidates to National Assembly and take part in the future of their country. But a series of violent attacks have put a damper on the democratic turnout. Afghan security forces claimed more than 100 attacks took place in the week leading up to the elections and on the day, killing 23 and wounding hundreds. The Taliban claimed most of the attacks, including bombing the office of one of the candidates in the south of t...
Oct 24, 2018•19 min
This week, Jordan and Syria opened their border for the first time in three years. The move promises to restore the possibility for movement of both goods and people between the two countries. Jordan plays host to a large number of Syrian refugees and migrants, many of whom fled the carnage when the war broke out 7 years ago. Others have worked for decades between the two borders, trading produce, medicine and other goods. What does the border opening mean for both Syria and Jordan politically? ...
Oct 17, 2018•21 min
The world’s leading climate change scientists warned governments to act on climate change today or face a catastrophic future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report is seen as the final warning. It says that if governments fail to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees by 2050, the world will witness significantly more violent drought, floods and extreme heat. And the Middle East is especially at risk. So are the UAE and other regional leaders doing their part? Tanzeed Alam, ...
Oct 10, 2018•27 min
Hundreds of men, women and children are being held in detention centres in Libya, just a stone’s throw away from clashes between rival militias, as journalist Sally Hayden has written for The National . Campbell MacDiarmid spoke with Hayden, who has direct contact with some of the men and women trapped in these jails, in this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines. Also this week, we look at the ongoing parliamentary elections in Iraqi Kurdistan. A year on from a failed attempt at independence, ...
Oct 03, 2018•20 min
US President Donald Trump's second United Nations General Assembly was, to say the least, uneven. It started off when he showed up late to his speech at the general debate, then 20 minutes late to the UNSC briefing that he chaired. He waffled on his stance toward the Palestinian-Israeli peace plan in the span of a day. He described his correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un as "beautiful". And then during his Security Council briefing on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass dest...
Sep 27, 2018•20 min
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced the Tomorrow 2021 plan this week. It includes 50 initiatives to spur growth in areas such investment, jobs creation and improving the overall quality of life in the emirate. The announcement was the culmination of a summer full of reforms for the UAE. Mina Aldroubi and Rory Reynolds, The National's news editor, discuss what this means for the country's future in this week's episode of...
Sep 19, 2018•16 min
Iraq needs two billion dollars to revive its cultural heritage and renovate areas destroyed by ISIS. But the country says it does not have the capacity to rebuild without support from the international community. How are the UAE and other foreign allies helping? Mina Al Droubi joins us from the Unesco conference in Paris to tell us. And in war-torn Afghanistan, child violence is on the rise more than 15 years after the US war in the country began. Preethi Nallu tells us firsthand how dire the si...
Sep 12, 2018•18 min
The first day of Iraq's new parliament was a chaotic one. Where does the new government go from here? Also, the US administration is proposing a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but it's one that has been out of favour for a long time. Why has the US-Palestine relationship become so fraught? We discuss both Iraq's new parliament and the US-Palestine situation with The National's foreign desk in this episode of Beyond the Headlines.
Sep 05, 2018•18 min
The Caspian Sea is the biggest enclosed body of water on earth, but depending who you ask, it’s either the largest lake in the world or a small inland sea. Either way, it has been a source of conflict among the five countries it borders — Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan — for the last 20 years. A recent gathering of the five countries might have resolved some of the legal matters. And as Robin Mills wrote for The National this week , a weakened Iran might have been left out...
Aug 29, 2018•20 min
This week Beyond the Headlines hosts two interviews from two different corners of the Muslim world — celebration at Hajj, and an update on the ongoing Rohingya crisis. In Makkah, where over two million Muslims are fulfilling their Islamic duties for Hajj, The National's Naser Al Wasmi gives a firsthand account from Saudi Arabia. How are pilgrims adjusting to the high temperatures, and what tips can we give to others who look to descend on Makkah? Also, Campbell MacDiarmid returns from a week-lon...
Aug 22, 2018•23 min
Maritime oil trade from the Arabian Peninsula relies exclusively on two strategic chokepoints: The Strait of Hormuz, to the UAE’s north, and Bab Al Mandeb to the south. Despite efforts to diversify the GCC countries’ economy, oil trade remains a lifeline. More than a third of the world’s petroleum trade by sea passes through the Strait of Hormuz. At its most narrow, The Strait of Hormuz is just 54 KM wide. It connects the Arabian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, separating the shores of Oman and Iran. ...
Aug 15, 2018•14 min
The Bab-el-Mandeb strait is just 18 miles wide, but a large slice of global trade passes through its vital waters every day. To its north is a war zone in Yemen, and to its south sits Djibouti, a tiny but strategically crucial East African nation. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, we dissect the importance of Bab Al Mandeb, both economically and geopolitcally. Host Charlie Mitchell talks with Jennifer Gnana, who covers energy and business for The National, about the importance of Bab Al M...
Aug 08, 2018•18 min
Today we’re bringing you an interview with Jamie Angus, director of the BBC World Service Group. He spoke to The National’s Nick Webster in our Abu Dhabi studio about the BBC’s efforts to curb the proliferation of fake news. The Middle East is regarded as prime territory to cause further division and increase tension for online fraudsters. So what can established news organisations do to help consumers tell the difference between what is real and what is not? Mr Angus tells us how the BBC is tak...
Aug 02, 2018•12 min
The newly elected prime minister in Pakistan is not a new name in the country. Imran Khan has led he country to cricket glory and been a longtime politician and philanthropist, and last week won a contentious election to become the country's new prime minister. Now, as Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party attempts to build a coalition, we ask how this man-of-the-people will achieve his many promises, and if the country can finally find some political stability under his stead. In this epi...
Aug 01, 2018•25 min
It was looking like Iraq was turning the corner last year, after defeating ISIS and garnering more confidence from its Arab neighbors. But recent protests that have left more than 800 wounded and 11 dead are dampening the optimism. These latest demonstrations started over three weeks ago with residents of Basra upset over high unemployment, and a lack of electricity or fresh water. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, we talk to journalist Patrick Osgood about the protests in Iraq and the re...
Jul 25, 2018•26 min
In a week-long series of events, the UAE will host Chinese President Xi Jinping for his first trip to the country. The tour will look to further develop bilateral relations between the two countries. China is already the UAE's top trade partner, and now both countries are looking further strengthen their bond through diplomacy and a sharing of cultures. We look at the Chinese-UAE relationship in this week's Beyond the Headlines. Host Naser Al Wasmi speaks to Ali Al Dhaheri, the UAE Ambassador to...
Jul 18, 2018•20 min
In Fallujah, where four years ago ISIS first gained significant ground in Iraq, life tentatively goes on. But though the territorial rule of ISIS has for now been erased in Iraq, the group still shows signs of life. And Baghdad seems to be doing little to address this concern. In this week's Beyond the Headlines, we look at how safe a country in political flux actually is from a potential ISIS resurgence. Sofia Barbarani reports from Fallujah and talks to those affected by four years of ISIS occ...
Jul 11, 2018•19 min
The Arab Coalition has paused its offensive in Hodeidah, as announced on Sunday by UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash. This is in the hopes of giving UN special envoy Martin Griffiths enough time to implement his peace plan. With the liberation of Hodeidah from Houthi control imminent, the Coalition now looks to negotiate Houthi withdrawal from rebel-held Sanaa. The Coalition is also welcoming a larger media presence in Yemen to combat Iranian influence and propaganda. Th...
Jul 03, 2018•14 min
With a decisive — however manufactured — election result, incumbent Turkish president Recep Tayipp Erdoğan now moves forward with a mandate to form a new government in Turkey. Though there are many questions from the opposition and humanitarian groups about the legitimacy of the democratic process, Erdogan will lead Turkey for at least another five years. How will this government take shape, with the role of prime minister being phased out and a consolidation of executive power to Erdogan's offi...
Jun 27, 2018•16 min
Afghanistan has become a byword for conflict. But the past weeks saw extraordinary scenes of Taliban fighters and their usual foe —government security forces — embracing in the streets in a historic, if short, ceasefire. Could it herald something bigger, such as an end to the war? Or will ISIS make that impossible? This week we spoke to Ruchi Kumar, The National's correspondent in Kabul, and asked if the chances of peace have increased. Has anything really changed?
Jun 20, 2018•19 min
Last week, The National spoke to Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. We bring you the second part of that interview in this edition of Beyond the Headlines. Listen to part 1 for his take on the Qatar crisis. Dr Gargash discusses the wider Arab world and the ever-shifting dynamics of the region, from the war in Yemen, Iran’s influence in the region, and Donald Trump's relationship with the GCC. Listen to Part 1 . Subscribe to Beyond the Headlines for free on Apple Pod...
Jun 13, 2018•25 min
This week, The National spoke to Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. He talked about how the Arab world has changed significantly a year since the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt cut all diplomatic and travel links with Qatar.The worst diplomatic crisis to ever hit the GCC has changed regional dynamics in the region. The four nations insist that to normalize relations with Qatar, Doha will have to change what the quartet claims are troubling grievances. But as t...
Jun 07, 2018•20 min
Yemen's military is within striking distance of one of their biggest victories since civil war began in 2015. The forces, backed by the Arab coalition, was last reported to be within 10km of Yemen’s third largest city, Hodeidah. We analyse what this could mean for the future of the four-year civil war in Yemen with Fatima Alasrar, a senior analyst at Washington-based Arabia Foundation. The city of Hodeidah lies on the Red Sea coast, and is home to the country’s largest port. Much of the country’...
May 30, 2018•20 min
Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr wants a government that is inclusive of all Iraqis. His coalition won the largest number of seats in Iraq’s latest parliamentary elections. But Mr Al Sadr didn’t win enough to form a majority. This prompts weeks, if not months, of negotiations with different factions to form a government. His victory comes as a surprise to many. Prime Minister Haidar Al Abadi, whose bloc finished third, is now talking to the cleric. Mr Al Abadi, who claims ISIL’s defeat as his own doi...
May 23, 2018•15 min
As Israeli and American officials celebrated the controversial move of the United States' embassy to Jerusalem, Israeli soldiers were murdering peaceful Palestinian protestors. This week, host Naser Al Wasmi looks at the latest atrocities carried about by a newly empowered Israel against their Palestinian neighbours. Jack Moore and Willy Lowry, who have each spent time in Gaza and the West Bank, give their perspectives. #Gaza #Israel #Palestine #MiddleEast #News
May 16, 2018•24 min
For the first time since 2009, Lebanon voted to elect 128 members to parliament. Saad Hariri, the current Prime Minister of Lebanon and his Sunni-dominated party fared better than expected. But he lost seats to Hezbollah, the Shiite-movement that now has more seats and pull in the parliament than ever before. As in almost any election in the Arab World, this one was marred in controversy. Voter turnout was low with less than half of the population taking to the ballots. Those who did vote accuse...
May 08, 2018•18 min
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday claimed Iran was developing a "secret" nuclear weapons programme in breach of the 2015 deal agreed with world powers. Iran responded by saying an alleged archive of tens of thousands of records was merely part of a "ridiculous propaganda" machine. We analyse the situation between Israel and Iran and how it pertains to the Iranian nuclear deal in this week's Beyond the Headlines podcast. We spoke to Robert Kelley, who was director of the Intern...
May 02, 2018•18 min
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has always held a tight grip on media in his country. After seven years of a vicious war, the strongman maintains strict control over all news coming out of his side of the country. The National was given a glimpse into what President Bashar wants the world to interpret about his regime. Our correspondent, Gareth Browne saw right through it. We spoke to Gareth as he returned from a week-long government-monitored trip into Assad's Syria. He told us about how the c...
Apr 25, 2018•13 min
The US launched airstrikes on Syria this week, sparking a wide range of reactions from the international community. The US-led airstrikes targeted a factory believed to be the source of a Syrian-regime chemical weapons attack last week, which killed dozens. Chemical weapons experts have been blocked from the Syrian attack site by regime forces, reinforcing claims that longstanding President Bashar Al Assad was responsible. But, with so many powers involved in the country, the question of who was...
Apr 17, 2018•15 min
Extremist groups in Syria are planting landmines and booby traps all over the country with the intention of killing civilians. Even children aren't safe from bombs that are often disguised as toys. In this week's Beyond the Headlines, we look at the situation in Syria and the growing civilian deaths from the perspective of humanitarian efforts aimed at helping those affected by these attacks. Imad Aoun is a field communications adviser for Doctors Without Borders. We talk to him about a report h...
Apr 11, 2018•14 min
