Middle East
Jean Sasson: Stepping out of the Shadows
Author Jean Sasson moved to Saudi Arabia as a young woman in 1978 with a thirst for adventure. The life she found there and the women she met profoundly changed her world. Her relationship with one… Audio
North Korea and China stronger together, and having a bit of a laugh at America
Our nation's place in the world is explored by four experts in international relations: Professor Tony Ballantyne, Dr Marcelle Dawson and Professor Robert Patman from Otago University; along with… Audio
Middle East wrap, protests in Iran and Iraq
Sebastian Usher reports on the protests in Iraq and Iran, the Syrian war and reform in Saudi Arabia. Audio
Rouzbeh Parsi: Iran nuclear deal 'actually works'
The fallout from Donald Trump's decision to leave the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran is being felt across Europe and the Middle East and beyond. Dr Rouzbeh Parsi is a Senior Lecturer at Lund University… Audio
The path to the attack on Syria
A week full of ugly claims and counterclaims about a chemical weapons attack ended with today's bombing of targets in Syria.
Seven years of war in Syria, child deaths rising
Today marks the seventh anniversary of the Syrian conflict. UNICEF says the number of children killed has already passed 1000 in 2018 as many as were killed in all of 2017. UNICEF's Regional chief of… Audio
Palestinian factions reach agreement - Hamas
The Palestinian group Hamas says it has reached an agreement with rival group Fatah, ending a decade-long rift.
What it's like to find a terrorist in your own family tree
How might we begin to think and talk about terrorism in a way that doesn't simplify the issues or condone the actions, but builds understanding? Prof. Peter O'Connor traces his own family story. Audio
A journey to better understanding: Israel & Palestinian
Journalist and author, Nir Baram, spent a year and a half traveling through the occupied territories around East Jerusalem and the West bank speaking with Arabs and Jews, Jewish settlers and… Audio
Unpicking the Qatar crisis
Kathryn Ryan speaks to former Al Jazeera journalist and current head of Amnesty International's UN office in New York, Sherine Tadros, about the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and four of its… Audio
Meeting in Cairo to decide future of Qatar
A New Zealander working for Al Jazeera, Kamahl Santamaria, thinks a third party maybe needed to break the stalemate Qatar find itself in. Audio
Murdoch Stephens: Raising the bar
Murdoch Stephens is on the show to talk about his fight to double the refugee quota. Audio
Qatar ostrasized
The University of Waikato's Al Gillespie on what the cutting-off of Qatar by fellow Arab states means. Audio
Insight: Inside the Israeli Hospital
In this BBC Worldwide production Tim Samuels follows two doctors on their rounds in Israel's Ziv hospital as they treat Syrians - both civilians and fighters - who have been seriously wounded in their…
Brownlee: NZ should not intervene on Israel/Palestine conflict
Within 48 hours of becoming Foreign Minister, Gerry Brownlee has called the New Zealand co-sponsored UN resolution on Israel 'premature'.
Syria 'the humanitarian test of our time' - Lyse Doucet
The BBC's Chief International correspondent, Lyse Doucet reports on future of Syria and the region on a day when as many as 100 people have been killed in a a toxic gas attack, which activists say is… Audio
Public Enemy - Episode 4
How do you fight a president who is hostile to your culture? Audio
Bettany Hughes: Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities
Bettany Hughes is an award-winning historian, author, and broadcaster. She has just released a comprehensive book on Turkey's capital, entitled Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities. Her previous books… Audio
Emma Beals: a culture of safety in warzones
NZ journalist Emma Beales has won this year’s James W Foley Freedom Award for her work. Since 2012 has covered the civil war in Syria. Audio
Focus on Middle East peace
A foreign policy analyst is casting doubt on the real worth of New Zealand's initiative for peace in the Middle East. Audio