Beyond the Headlines

The significance of Syria’s return to the Arab League

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.

King Charles coronation: What to expect from the day and the new king?

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.

Sudan’s refugee crisis

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.

Why has Sudan erupted in violence?

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.

How the Saudi-Iran reconciliation could transform the Middle East

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.

How rising living costs are affecting Arab households in Ramadan

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.

Why Netanyahu’s judicial reforms brought Israel to a halt

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.

The plight of the black community in Tunisia

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.

How did children survive the Turkey-Syria earthquake?

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.

The new wave of misery crashing over the Rohingya

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.