Beyond the Headlines

The Pope's visit to Abu Dhabi

Pope Francis's visit to the UAE was the first time a Catholic pontiff stepped foot in the Arabian Peninsula.

During his Mass, he prayed for his devotees at Sports Zayed City Stadium and for everyone in the region.

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, Naser Al Wasmi talks to those who attended the Mass and discusses how the visit impacts the region.

A week after Davos, did the WEF solve anything?

The richest and most powerful people met at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. 

The range of topics was as wide spanning as the challenges the world faces today. 

Although this year’s forum wasn’t as well attended as previous iterations of the prestigious event, it still gathers important leaders from around the world. 

But, with so many pertinent issues, such as climate change, the gender gap and trade tensions looming on the world, is one week enough to solve the world’s most pertinent crises?

The UAE-Saudi Arabia co-operation plan, explained

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are entering a new phase of co-operation.

The two countries announced a seven-point co-operation plan this week on money management for children, natural crises emergency plans and, perhaps most interestingly, a joint cryptocurrency.

The move is the latest sign of strengthening ties between the two, and should open the door for easier business relations. It also strengthens the bond between the two countries as they look to face regional challenges in unity.

We explain the deal in this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines.

The great Arab rivers are under threat

For thousands of years, the great Arab rivers sustained some of the world’s most important ancient civilizations.

The Nile River fuelled the development of 10 thousand years of Pharaonic rule. The Tigris and Euphrates, home of Mesopotamia, were witness to some of the most important developments to mankind, including agriculture and the written word. The rivers helped spread Islam during Prophet Mohammed’s conquests and sustained generations.

But today, whether through government policies or global warming, all three rivers are under threat.

As Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week looks for solutions to global problems, we assess the crises surrounding the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Full report: How the great tides of history turned

Pompeo's timely tour of the Middle East

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on an expansive tour of the Gulf and wider Middle East this week. His task is to clarify President Donald Trump's often-confusing interests in the region.

We discuss in this week's Beyond the Headlines.

Last month, President Trump tweeted that he would pull out of Syria within 30 days, sending shockwaves around not just the region, but in his own administration. Since then, the White House has said there is timetable on US withdrawal. The message keeps changing.

The National's Hashem Osserian explains how Pompeo's tour will influence the region going forward on Syria. We also ask Cinzia Bianco of Gulf State Analytics, about what else is on Pompeo's agenda.

In Central African Republic, poaching thrives in the chaos

In the middle of Africa lies one of the world's most neglected crises. In the Central African Republic — an environmentally diverse but politically fraught state — the illegal hunting of endangered species is rampant. 

How did the country become such a hotbed for poaching, and is there hope to rectify the situation? We look at the issue in this week's Beyond the Headlines podcast.

Chinko is a wildlife refuge in the eastern part of CAR and one of the most uniquely diverse ecological landscapes in Africa. It's also home to communal violence and combative groups vying for control of some of the country's most valuable resources — illegal animal parts. 

The National's Campbell MacDiarmid speaks to experts and conservationists who explain the chaotic situation in CAR, and offer insights into how the country can start trying to resolve the issue.

Reasons for cheer from an often dour year

The Middle East is not known for its good news, and 2018 was no exception. But in between the usual stories of war and political turmoil, The National's journalists found reasons for hope. We shine a light on the reasons for optimism in this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines.

In Iraq, date farmers work toward a future where their country is a business hub. In the West Bank, Palestinians find inspiration in art and culture. In the UAE, cultures merge to celebrate music and heritage. These stories helped remind us that plenty of reason to celebrate, however dour the headlines might seem.

What more can we do to curb global warming?

The GCC has welcomed the rule book laid out as part of a COP24 deal struck in Poland, but scientists say the world is running out of time to avoid the catastrophic events brought about by unmitigated global warming. How can the region do more? Climate experts explain on this episode of Beyond the Headlines. 

We hear from Dr Deepthi Mittal, a program leader of the World Wildlife Fund in the UAE. She has urged governments to heed the call by scientists warning that current commitments are not enough.

We also speak with Tanzeed Alam, managing director of Earth Matters Consultancy, who explains the challenges ahead for governments in the GCC as they look to break away from their fossil-fuel based economies.

Yemenis continue to suffer as warring sides negotiate

Millions are on the brink of famine in Yemen. But for the first time in two years, the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels are negotiating a resolution.

Last week, the UN Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, put forth a series of confidence-building measures. He says both sides need to adhere to a series of concessions to build any sort of chance at a settlement. So far, he’s succeeded in bringing both sides to agree on a prisoner exchange and made way for Houthi fighters injured in the war to fly to Oman for treatment.

But the number of lives saved on the ground will ultimately define the success of these talks and that means ensuring humanitarian aid gets to the millions of starving Yemenis.

We look at the process of peace in Yemen, and discuss the dire humanitarian crisis, in this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines.

We hear from The National’s Mina Al Droubi, who is in Sweden reporting on the peace talks, and Jueliette Touma, the UNICEF Regional Chief of Communications in the Middle East and North Africa.

How Kuwait and Iraq were shaped by George H.W. Bush

In August 1990 the Iraqi military invaded neighbouring Kuwait, bombing its capital city and sparking a war that would last six months and result in thousands of deaths. Not long after the invasion, late president George H W Bush spearheaded a US-led intervention against the Iraqi forces and the country’s dictator Saddam Hussein.

The death of the 41st US President on November 30th served to remind of Kuwait’s close relationship with the late president and the United States, as they paid tribute to the man who intervened against Iraq on their behalf.

But across the border, for Iraqi civilians scarred by the coalition’s violent bombing of their country, the image they paint of Bush is very different.

On this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, we discuss the lasting legacies of the Republican president in the region.