More than a million people have now fled Ukraine. As Russia targets cities across the country, ordinary people have been faced with the unthinkable choice of staying put and facing bombardment - or leaving their homes, their communities, their lives. It is already the biggest European refugee crisis since the 1990s Balkan wars. The UN fears there could be 4 million people displaced in the coming weeks and months. If things continue to get worse it could be Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since W...
Mar 04, 2022•10 min•Ep. 253
On the morning of February 24, Katya Niporka was woken up by the sound of Russian artillery shaking Kyiv. Soon after, the rest of the world was waking up to the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared war on Ukraine and that an invasion was underway. For weeks Ukrainians had been hoping for the best and planning for the worst as hundreds of thousands of troops massed on the border. Most expected that, if an invasion happened, it would be in the south-east of the country, where Uk...
Feb 25, 2022•11 min•Ep. 252
Last month, archaeologists working in Oman’s north found what they believed to be a 4,000 year old board game. The discovery sparked interest worldwide, giving us a peek into the leisure time of the Gulf’s ancient people. Unlike in other areas of the world, where archaeological marvels focus on kings, queens and grand temples, much of the heritage work going on in the Sultanate right now focuses on how ordinary people lived. The artefacts, often dating back millennia, are some of the most well p...
Feb 25, 2022•25 min•Ep. 251
Last week, a team of scientists at the JET laboratory in England announced a major step towards making what some hope will be the energy source of the future. Nuclear fusion offers the hope of producing near-limitless supplies of safe, clean energy to power our homes, workplaces and cities. It is also one of the greatest engineering and scientific conundrums that humankind has ever grappled with. It took decades of research to get to a test that only lasted five seconds. There is still a long ro...
Feb 18, 2022•28 min•Ep. 250
When you think of the Middle East, you might imagine hot weather, date palms, camels, coffee and hummous - but would the Winter Olympics ever cross your mind? Twelve competitors from five countries in the Mena region are taking part in the winter games in Beijing. And they have some interesting stories to tell about how they came to be there. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Leila Gharagozlou asks what it takes to compete in the Winter Olympics, and how much more of a challenge it is wh...
Feb 11, 2022•15 min•Ep. 249
The idea of a virtual world existing in parallel to the real one was once the stuff of science fiction. But today, millions of people are already spending hours a day in virtual spaces and spending billions of dollars on things that simply don’t exist in a physical environment. When Facebook changed its name to Meta last year and rebranded itself as a “metaverse company”, what was once a controversial idea among tech enthusiasts came crashing into the mainstream. Now, the company and others like...
Feb 04, 2022•20 min•Ep. 248
The UAE is a country of cars and buses. The only way to travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the two major cities, is by road - a journey of at least 70 minutes. But soon, that’s going to change. Right now, the UAE’s railways only transport freight… but Etihad Rail is building a passenger service that will eventually connect all seven emirates. With trains racing at up to 200 kilometres per hour, travelling from Abu Dhabi to Dubai will then just take 50 minutes. Soon, the country will feel much s...
Jan 28, 2022•22 min•Ep. 247
Filipinos will go to the polls in May to elect a new president, marking the end of Rodrigo Duterte’s years in power. Presidential hopefuls will be using what Filipinos call political campaign jingles to attract voters, a tradition that has been going since 1953. But did this ritual begin because of the secret pop aspirations of a CIA officer? The National has seen remarkable evidence that supports this suggestion. On this week's Beyond the Headlines host Robert Tollast looks at the strange story...
Jan 21, 2022•15 min•Ep. 246
In Israel in January 2021, then prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised the people that if they turned out at vaccine centres then Israel would be the first country to see an end to the pandemic, leading the world and acting as a global model for handling Covid. But that’s not quite how it’s worked out. While the country had begun to open up and life had started to return to normal, Israel, like much of the world, has been hit hard by the Omicron variant. On this week’s Beyond the Headlines h...
Jan 14, 2022•23 min•Ep. 245
Talks in Vienna between Iran and the US have resumed in the hope of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. It was then US President Donald Trump who, in 2018, decided to ignore foreign policy experts, and his own advisers, and pulled the US out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. By many accounts Trump’s decision was underpinned by a belief that he could get better terms. But he did not get the outcome he wanted. In fact, after a year of continuing to be in compliance with the lapsed deal, Tehra...
Jan 07, 2022•15 min•Ep. 244
This week, as we wrap up 2021, we’re looking at two conflicts that have defined not only the past year, but the past few decades. We’re talking about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the collapse of the government and the country’s future under the resurgent Taliban. Also, we talk about May’s war in Gaza, the legacy of 11 days of rockets and air strikes, and whether there is any hope for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Dec 30, 2021•26 min•Ep. 243
Lockdowns may have given way to Covid vaccine drives in 2021 but as the year ends, the spread of Omicron has pushed millions back into some form of social restriction. From the fall of Afghanistan to the electoral defeat of Israel’s longest serving prime minister; from the billionaires’ space race to renewed global action on tackling climate change, 2021 has been a year of change, a year of firsts and lasts and, for many, a year of ups and downs. In the final two episodes of 2021, we wanted to r...
Dec 23, 2021•43 min•Ep. 242
A new variant of coronavirus is spreading across the globe. Named Omicron, after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, it has sparked travel bans around the world. In South Africa, where the variant was first identified, it has quickly become the dominant strain. And on Monday, UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced what is believed to be the first death caused by Omicron. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Cody Combs asks: how worried should we be about Covid’s new variant?...
Dec 16, 2021•16 min•Ep. 241
President Emmanuel Macron of France has been back in the Middle East. This time he was in Saudi Arabia, his first visit to the kingdom since 2017, before heading to the UAE. The French leader has made something of a name for himself in the region in recent years. He staked significant political capital on cajoling Lebanon’s leaders to pass reforms to solve their dire economic crisis. He hosted a political summit in Baghdad with officials from across the region – including Iran and the Gulf – tha...
Dec 09, 2021•28 min•Ep. 240
The UAE is 50 years old. Half a century of growth and change has taken place to bring a small desert country to the forefront of global recognition. Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world; in February, the UAE successfully sent an orbiter to Mars; and in November the UAE announced it would be the first country in the Middle East to test self driving cars. Not only is the country a hub for tourism and business, but it is also consistently found to be one of the safest countrie...
Dec 01, 2021•23 min•Ep. 239
There's been an ongoing debate over whether children should be vaccinated against Covid-19. Many countries have already begun inoculating those aged 12 and over. Some experts say that vaccinating the young is necessary for a return to normal life and for kids to get back to school. While there are parents who are happy about this, there are others who are cautious, particularly when it comes to vaccinating younger children aged between five and 12. One this week's Beyond the Headlines host Suhai...
Nov 25, 2021•19 min•Ep. 238
As winter approaches, thousands of refugees are stranded at the Belarus-Poland border. From young children to the elderly, all wrapped up as best they can be to cope with the deteriorating conditions as they wait for sanctuary in the European Union before the weather worsens. Some are chopping down trees in the forest to make fires for heat. At least 10 have already died in these freezing conditions. But the worst of the winter is still ahead of them. But this is no ordinary case of refugees see...
Nov 18, 2021•19 min•Ep. 237
Across the Middle East countries are struggling with the impact of climate change. Temperatures are higher and water more scarce. As populations grow, global warming and bad management have given rise to tensions between nations for what may one day become the world's most precious resource. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Leila Gharagozlou looks at how water scarcity is threatening not just the environment but the political stability of the region. Hosted by Leila Gharagozlou Produced...
Nov 11, 2021•15 min•Ep. 236
On October 25, soldiers in Sudan arrested Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, announced the dissolution of the government and declared a state of emergency. As the news got out, protesters flooded Khartoum and other cities, demanding his release and a return to the power-sharing agreement between a civilian political alliance, led by Hamdok, and the military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Then came a deadly crackdown on the mass rallies in the capital Khartoum, killing at least 12 people. Bu...
Nov 04, 2021•20 min•Ep. 235
Saudi Arabia, the word’s largest oil exporter, has announced it is going net zero on carbon emissions by 2060. A day later Bahrain followed suit and the UAE has already committed to doing so by 2050 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also pledged $186 billion dollars towards cutting carbon emissions. Over 100 countries have so far made the promise that experts say is vital for all countries if humanity is to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Only two small nations – Bhutan and Suriname – ...
Oct 28, 2021•22 min•Ep. 234
On October 14, another protest began on the streets of Beirut. An angry crowd marched with purpose, blocking traffic and yelling slogans. It is a city where such demonstrations have become an almost daily occurrence – but this one would be different. All of a sudden, shots rang out. Chaos ensued. And in the violent exchanges, seven people were killed and dozens more injured. Unlike the popular protests in 2019, these demonstrations were not against political corruption, unemployment, taxes or th...
Oct 20, 2021•19 min•Ep. 233
Iraqis went to the polls on October 10, 2021. Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi had promised an early election when he came to power in last May amid mass protests, which began in 2019. People had taken to the streets against government corruption, failing public services and unemployment. But as the ballots were counted it appeared that only about a third of the Iraqi population turned up to vote. Will the Iraqi elections bring a change? asks host Leila Gharagozlou on this week's Beyond the Hea...
Oct 14, 2021•13 min•Ep. 232
World Fairs, or Expos as they are now more commonly known, have been showcasing the future of technology since the first was held in London in 1851. Predictions of flying cars, a colony on the moon and personal jetpacks are yet to come true but there have also been visions of the future that have guided humanity to building a path forward. As Dubai hosts Expo 2020, Future Editor Kelsey Warner hosts this week's Beyond the Headlines and asks: how do we see our future? Hosted by Kelsey Warner Produ...
Oct 07, 2021•12 min•Ep. 231
Even before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the UN’s refugee agency estimated that 2.6 million people had already fled the country. The diaspora has grown over decades of military campaigns and fighting. In the latest exodus are men, women and children mourning the loss of their homes, their communities and two decades of freedom. In this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Sulaiman Hakemy speaks to some of those who left Afghanistan and asks: what comes next? Hosted by Sulaiman Hakemy Pr...
Sep 30, 2021•21 min•Ep. 230
From the sidelines to the front lines, women in Saudi Arabia are joining the military for the first time in recent history. In September, photos of these determined women in service uniforms made a splash in media outlets, in the latest display of just how far Saudi women have come since the ban on driving was lifted two years ago and the floodgates of opportunity opened. Announced in 2016, Vision 2030 aims to transform the kingdom’s social and economic model and open it up to the world. But it ...
Sep 22, 2021•12 min•Ep. 229
Every year, for millions of parents, pupils and teachers around the world, September means the summer holidays are coming to an end and it is time to go back to school. But in Lebanon, the mix of fuel shortages, economic inflation, power cuts and the Covid-19 pandemic means the country's education system may not be able to handle the influx of pupils, potentially leaving thousands of children without proper schooling. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Finbar Anderson examines the effects...
Sep 16, 2021•17 min•Ep. 228
On September 11, 2001 New York's World Trade Centre towers were brought crashing down, forever changing the course of history. Almost 3,000 lives were lost that day – as well as America’s innocence. With the country’s vulnerability to terrorism so cruelly exposed, the US instigated two foreign invasions whose consequences are still being felt today. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Leila Gharagozlou examines the legacy of 9/11 in America and Afghanistan.
Sep 09, 2021•16 min•Ep. 227
America’s longest war is over after the dramatic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan ordered by President Joe Biden. The Taliban have taken Kabul. Barely a shot was fired. With the final evacuations planes now departed, many people vulnerable to Taliban revenge have been left behind, despite assurances from the US and other governments, and have been forced into hiding. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Gareth Browne looks at the inadequate evacuation of Afghanistan and speaks to th...
Sep 02, 2021•14 min•Ep. 226
In April 2021, customs officers in the Saudi city of Jeddah searched a shipment of Lebanese pomegranates. Hidden inside the fruit were more than five million circular, beige Captagon pills – illegal amphetamines. It was the latest in a long line of interceptions in recent years that have seen officers in the kingdom stop millions of pills and tonnes of drugs being smuggled in. But for Saudi Arabia, it was the final straw. The kingdom announced a ban on imported fruits and vegetables from Lebanon...
Aug 26, 2021•28 min•Ep. 225
Afghanistan has seen war for decades, but none of them has involved so decisive a military takeover of the country as the latest. The speed with which the Taliban swept the country has shocked the world. Why did the Afghan army collapse? Did president Ashraf Ghani have to flee? Is this a betrayal by the US administration? And what about the safety of Afghans, particularly women, under Taliban rule? These are some of the many questions people in the country are asking, but there are no easy answe...
Aug 19, 2021•23 min•Ep. 224
