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....
Nov 03, 2023•19 min•Ep. 343
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...
Oct 27, 2023•31 min•Ep. 342
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 ...
Oct 23, 2023•17 min•Ep. 341
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 h...
Oct 19, 2023•31 min•Ep. 340
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 int...
Oct 17, 2023•10 min•Ep. 339
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...
Oct 13, 2023•12 min•Ep. 338
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 ...
Oct 09, 2023•17 min•Ep. 337
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 R...
Oct 06, 2023•25 min•Ep. 336
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 hav...
Oct 03, 2023•19 min•Ep. 335
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, ho...
Sep 26, 2023•13 min•Ep. 334
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 an...
Sep 20, 2023•9 min•Ep. 333
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....
Sep 12, 2023•13 min•Ep. 332
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...
Sep 08, 2023•22 min•Ep. 331
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...
Aug 28, 2023•38 min•Ep. 330
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 institut...
Aug 25, 2023•18 min•Ep. 329
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.
Aug 15, 2023•27 min•Ep. 328
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 territori...
Aug 11, 2023•16 min•Ep. 327
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.
Aug 03, 2023•18 min•Ep. 326
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 t...
Jul 24, 2023•28 min•Ep. 325
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, ...
Jul 20, 2023•15 min•Ep. 324
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 contri...
Jul 11, 2023•20 min•Ep. 323
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 furio...
Jul 05, 2023•14 min•Ep. 322
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.
Jun 26, 2023•11 min•Ep. 321
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...
Jun 20, 2023•13 min•Ep. 320
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...
Jun 16, 2023•21 min•Ep. 319
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 pass...
Jun 09, 2023•13 min•Ep. 318
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?
Jun 01, 2023•15 min•Ep. 317
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 de...
May 26, 2023•12 min•Ep. 316
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.
May 19, 2023•8 min•Ep. 315
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 wo...
May 12, 2023•22 min•Ep. 314
