Beyond the Headlines

How the killing of a teenager exposed a fault-line through France

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 furious debate about police reform, race and equality – with some blaming migration, others institutionalised racism. President Emmanuel Macron has been meeting with mayors and officials to explore "deeper reasons" for the riots.

On this episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Lemma Shehadi investigates how one death has exposed such division.

Hajj - A journey of faith and self-discovery

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.

World Refugee Day - The voices of resilience

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 World Refugee Day. We feature three people from three conflict-torn countries who have survived the pain and harsh reality of displacement to tell their story.

Why Lebanon can’t elect a new president

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, host Nada Homsi in Beirut explores the reasons behind the country’s political impasse.

What can India do to avoid another train tragedy?

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 passengers every day, and there is even more demand it cannot meet.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Suhail Akram considers what may have led to the Odisha train crash, why train derailments are such a huge problem in India, and asks what Indian railways could do to cater more safely for its millions of commuters each day.

What does Erdogan’s win mean for Turkey and the world?

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?

Cyclone Mocha wrecks Myanmar Rohingya’s lives and hopes

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 despair and survival coming out of Myanmar in the aftermath of the cyclone.

What’s at stake in Turkey’s election run-off?

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.

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.