Beyond the Headlines

Muslims around the world are marking the first Ramadan in three years to take place largely without Covid-19 restrictions. But now another crisis is casting a pall over the holy month. The war in Ukraine, a global economic downturn and a high oil price, among other factors, are driving food prices to an all-time high. Nations which import most of their food - including many in the Middle East such as Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen - are suffering the most. And the head of the World Bank has said the food crisis will last for months. On this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Taylor Heyman asks how Muslims are dealing with shortages and price hikes this holy month, and what governments are doing to help relieve the pressure.

Pakistan has a new prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. The 70-year-old this week replaced Imran Khan, who failed to stop a no-confidence motion against him in what was a dramatic last-minute vote on the night of April 9. Sharif won with 174 votes, after more than 100 lawmakers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf party resigned and walked out. Khan’s ousting and Sharif's win mean that no Pakistani prime minister since the country’s formation has been able to complete a full five-year parliamentary tenure. Imran Khan also became the first prime minister in the history of Pakistan to lose office through a parliamentary no-confidence vote. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Suhail Akram looks at Imran Khan’s fall from power and asks: will he return?

A group of Afghan refugees in Poland have rushed to support the millions of Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion. The painful memories of their own war are a shadow only too recent. One of the group, 27-year-old Sabur Dawod Zai, escaped the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan when the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. He, like so many others, embarked on an arduous journey to avoid the harsh rule of the Taliban and found himself in Poland. So when Sabur and his friends saw a newspaper photograph depicting four people, including two children, killed in the war, they could identify with the horror. Grateful for the warm welcome they received in Poland, they just wanted to pay it back. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Ahmed Maher explores how Afghans in Poland, themselves displaced, have mobilised to support Ukrainians fleeing the war.

Your curtains open on a timer. You rise with the sun shining - which it does most days of the year here - and a sensor detects when you’re standing under the shower, activating the water at your preferred temperature, no time or water to waste. Your refrigerator has the right ingredients to grab breakfast and pack a quick lunch; it automatically orders your groceries when you begin to run low. As you head for the door, the lights switch off, the climate control readjusts to account for an empty flat, and the lock engages automatically behind you. You hop on your bike and pedal to work - a flexible office space where you mingle with a few dozen other entrepreneurs, as well as some multinational corporations. The ride is ten minutes down the road, passing a few friends on the way. This is life in a 15-minute smart city. And this could one day be life at the Expo 2020 Dubai site, dubbed District 2020, a reimagined neighbourhood at the site of the most recent world’s fair that experts, visitors and the mega-event planners all say is a vision for the future. This week, as Expo draws to a close, we ask: what did we learn in the last six months about where we are heading and the choices we must make? And now, what comes next, for both the site itself and those who gathered there?

Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, millions of people have fled the country in search of safety elsewhere in Europe. Most are women and children, with men of fighting age required to stay and protect their homeland. So often the story of war is told through masculine eyes — soldiers fighting heroically on the front, typically male politicians battling for control of the narrative through speeches and summits — but as more and more women stream out of the country, it is falling to them to tell the world what is happening in Ukraine, and to highlight their role in forging the country’s future. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Erin Clare Brown travels to Romania and Moldova to hear first-hand from those who have fled the Russian campaign about what life was like inside a country under siege, and how it has changed for them since they left.

In the early hours of March 13, 2022, streaks of light punctuated the sky above the northern Iraqi city of Erbil as a barrage of rockets rained down on a building near the old town. The thud and blasts shook the city, orange flames rose up and thick black smoke stood out against the deep purple of the night. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines-Young looks at why Iran is raining rockets down on neighbouring Iraq.

A row has been brewing for months in the southern Indian state of Karnataka after dozens of Muslim students were barred by authorities from entering colleges because they were wearing the hijab. Widespread protests and counter protests by students attending local colleges and pre-universities have erupted across the southern coastal state, raising tensions in the communally sensitive region. Female Muslim students have lobbied for days outside the gates of their colleges, demanding the administration let them attend classes wearing the hijab. Their protests have been met by counter-demonstrations by students linked to right-wing Hindu groups. They wear saffron scarves - a colour used by hardline nationalists - and march in the streets chanting "Jai Shri Ram", a traditional Hindu salutation that has in recent years become a war cry. In this week's Beyond the Headlines, Nilanjana Gupta looks at why the hijab is the source of more division than ever in India.

More than a million people have now fled Ukraine. As Russia targets cities across the country, ordinary people have been faced with the unthinkable choice of staying put and facing bombardment - or leaving their homes, their communities, their lives. It is already the biggest European refugee crisis since the 1990s Balkan wars. The UN fears there could be 4 million people displaced in the coming weeks and months. If things continue to get worse it could be Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II. On this week's Beyond the Headlines host Leila Gharagozlou looks at the plight of the Ukrainians whose lives have been turned upside down.

On the morning of February 24, Katya Niporka was woken up by the sound of Russian artillery shaking Kyiv. Soon after, the rest of the world was waking up to the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared war on Ukraine and that an invasion was underway. For weeks Ukrainians had been hoping for the best and planning for the worst as hundreds of thousands of troops massed on the border. Most expected that, if an invasion happened, it would be in the south-east of the country, where Ukraine has been fighting with Russian-backed separatists since 2014. Few expected attacks on the capital. In this special episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Erin Brown asks what it felt like to be in Kyiv and under siege from Russian forces, and what the future holds for Ukrainians like Katya, who are weighing up whether to stay and fight or try and flee to safety.

Last month, archaeologists working in Oman’s north found what they believed to be a 4,000 year old board game. The discovery sparked interest worldwide, giving us a peek into the leisure time of the Gulf’s ancient people. Unlike in other areas of the world, where archaeological marvels focus on kings, queens and grand temples, much of the heritage work going on in the Sultanate right now focuses on how ordinary people lived. The artefacts, often dating back millennia, are some of the most well preserved in the world. They are changing long-held beliefs about how the region was first settled. In this week's Beyond The Headlines, host Taylor Heyman looks at how discoveries from their country’s past are inspiring the next generation of Omanis and the world.

Last week, a team of scientists at the JET laboratory in England announced a major step towards making what some hope will be the energy source of the future. Nuclear fusion offers the hope of producing near-limitless supplies of safe, clean energy to power our homes, workplaces and cities. It is also one of the greatest engineering and scientific conundrums that humankind has ever grappled with. It took decades of research to get to a test that only lasted five seconds. There is still a long road ahead. But those leading the quest are hugely excited by what they saw. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines Young asks: will nuclear fusion save mankind?

When you think of the Middle East, you might imagine hot weather, date palms, camels, coffee and hummous - but would the Winter Olympics ever cross your mind? Twelve competitors from five countries in the Mena region are taking part in the winter games in Beijing. And they have some interesting stories to tell about how they came to be there. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Leila Gharagozlou asks what it takes to compete in the Winter Olympics, and how much more of a challenge it is when you’re from a hot, arid region.

The idea of a virtual world existing in parallel to the real one was once the stuff of science fiction. But today, millions of people are already spending hours a day in virtual spaces and spending billions of dollars on things that simply don’t exist in a physical environment. When Facebook changed its name to Meta last year and rebranded itself as a “metaverse company”, what was once a controversial idea among tech enthusiasts came crashing into the mainstream. Now, the company and others like it are betting big that we will all be spending more and more time in the metaverse - doing everything from socialising and playing games with friends, to exercising and working remotely. On this week's Beyond The Headlines, host Arthur Scott-Geddes asks: what is the metaverse and is it really about to replace the real world?

The UAE is a country of cars and buses. The only way to travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the two major cities, is by road - a journey of at least 70 minutes. But soon, that’s going to change. Right now, the UAE’s railways only transport freight… but Etihad Rail is building a passenger service that will eventually connect all seven emirates. With trains racing at up to 200 kilometres per hour, travelling from Abu Dhabi to Dubai will then just take 50 minutes. Soon, the country will feel much smaller. The National was given rare access to the new rail service. On this week's Beyond the Headlines you can join host Nilanjana Gupta on a journey into the future of the UAE’s transport system.

Filipinos will go to the polls in May to elect a new president, marking the end of Rodrigo Duterte’s years in power. Presidential hopefuls will be using what Filipinos call political campaign jingles to attract voters, a tradition that has been going since 1953. But did this ritual begin because of the secret pop aspirations of a CIA officer? The National has seen remarkable evidence that supports this suggestion. On this week's Beyond the Headlines host Robert Tollast looks at the strange story of the CIA and political campaign pop songs in the Philippines.

In Israel in January 2021, then prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised the people that if they turned out at vaccine centres then Israel would be the first country to see an end to the pandemic, leading the world and acting as a global model for handling Covid. But that’s not quite how it’s worked out. While the country had begun to open up and life had started to return to normal, Israel, like much of the world, has been hit hard by the Omicron variant. On this week’s Beyond the Headlines host James Haines Young takes a look at the Covid situation in Israel - once the global leader for vaccinations and now suffering rising hospitalisations and a barrage of new cases more than six times their previously daily peak.

Talks in Vienna between Iran and the US have resumed in the hope of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. It was then US President Donald Trump who, in 2018, decided to ignore foreign policy experts, and his own advisers, and pulled the US out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. By many accounts Trump’s decision was underpinned by a belief that he could get better terms. But he did not get the outcome he wanted. In fact, after a year of continuing to be in compliance with the lapsed deal, Tehran quickly began enriching uranium again. With no guardrails on Iran, Trump’s decision had in effect created a possible nuclear crisis. On this week’s Beyond the Headlines host Leila Gharagozlou looks at what negotiators in Vienna must contend with to strike a new agreement.

This week, as we wrap up 2021, we’re looking at two conflicts that have defined not only the past year, but the past few decades. We’re talking about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the collapse of the government and the country’s future under the resurgent Taliban. Also, we talk about May’s war in Gaza, the legacy of 11 days of rockets and air strikes, and whether there is any hope for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Lockdowns may have given way to Covid vaccine drives in 2021 but as the year ends, the spread of Omicron has pushed millions back into some form of social restriction. From the fall of Afghanistan to the electoral defeat of Israel’s longest serving prime minister; from the billionaires’ space race to renewed global action on tackling climate change, 2021 has been a year of change, a year of firsts and lasts and, for many, a year of ups and downs. In the final two episodes of 2021, we wanted to reflect on the year that was, on the biggest events that we at The National believe will come to shape how we remember this year and may well define some of 2022’s biggest moments.

A new variant of coronavirus is spreading across the globe. Named Omicron, after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, it has sparked travel bans around the world. In South Africa, where the variant was first identified, it has quickly become the dominant strain. And on Monday, UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced what is believed to be the first death caused by Omicron. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Cody Combs asks: how worried should we be about Covid’s new variant?

President Emmanuel Macron of France has been back in the Middle East. This time he was in Saudi Arabia, his first visit to the kingdom since 2017, before heading to the UAE. The French leader has made something of a name for himself in the region in recent years. He staked significant political capital on cajoling Lebanon’s leaders to pass reforms to solve their dire economic crisis. He hosted a political summit in Baghdad with officials from across the region – including Iran and the Gulf – that sought to build avenues for dialogue rather than conflict. He has visited holy sites in Jerusalem, cultural sites in the Emirates and met illusive musical icon Fairuz in Lebanon. He has cut deals on energy, defence, the environment, and culture. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines-Young looks at Macron in the Middle East: what came out of his recent visits, why he has been so engaged in the region and what that means for French diplomacy.

The UAE is 50 years old. Half a century of growth and change has taken place to bring a small desert country to the forefront of global recognition. Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world; in February, the UAE successfully sent an orbiter to Mars; and in November the UAE announced it would be the first country in the Middle East to test self driving cars. Not only is the country a hub for tourism and business, but it is also consistently found to be one of the safest countries in the world. On this week's Beyond the Headlines Faisal Salah looks back at the 50 years since the formation of the United Arab Emirates through the eyes of those who lived through it.

There's been an ongoing debate over whether children should be vaccinated against Covid-19. Many countries have already begun inoculating those aged 12 and over. Some experts say that vaccinating the young is necessary for a return to normal life and for kids to get back to school. While there are parents who are happy about this, there are others who are cautious, particularly when it comes to vaccinating younger children aged between five and 12. One this week's Beyond the Headlines host Suhail Akram takes a look at Covid vaccinations in children.

As winter approaches, thousands of refugees are stranded at the Belarus-Poland border. From young children to the elderly, all wrapped up as best they can be to cope with the deteriorating conditions as they wait for sanctuary in the European Union before the weather worsens. Some are chopping down trees in the forest to make fires for heat. At least 10 have already died in these freezing conditions. But the worst of the winter is still ahead of them. But this is no ordinary case of refugees seeking asylum. Accusations from the EU are that Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko is using these people as pawns to put pressure on the bloc. Lukashenko denies this claim. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, we look at how thousands of people have become caught up in the crossfire of European power politics. Hosted by James Haines-Young Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson

Across the Middle East countries are struggling with the impact of climate change. Temperatures are higher and water more scarce. As populations grow, global warming and bad management have given rise to tensions between nations for what may one day become the world's most precious resource. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Leila Gharagozlou looks at how water scarcity is threatening not just the environment but the political stability of the region. Hosted by Leila Gharagozlou Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson

On October 25, soldiers in Sudan arrested Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, announced the dissolution of the government and declared a state of emergency. As the news got out, protesters flooded Khartoum and other cities, demanding his release and a return to the power-sharing agreement between a civilian political alliance, led by Hamdok, and the military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Then came a deadly crackdown on the mass rallies in the capital Khartoum, killing at least 12 people. But the protests have continued. On this week's Beyond the Headlines host Ahmed Maher looks at how Sudan’s political tensions escalated into a national crisis.

Saudi Arabia, the word’s largest oil exporter, has announced it is going net zero on carbon emissions by 2060. A day later Bahrain followed suit and the UAE has already committed to doing so by 2050 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also pledged $186 billion dollars towards cutting carbon emissions. Over 100 countries have so far made the promise that experts say is vital for all countries if humanity is to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Only two small nations – Bhutan and Suriname – have so far managed to achieve net zero. For larger economies, it will prove more of a challenge. On this weeks Beyond the Headlines, James Haines-Young looks at how the Gulf is getting serious about climate change. Hosted by James Haines-Young Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson

On October 14, another protest began on the streets of Beirut. An angry crowd marched with purpose, blocking traffic and yelling slogans. It is a city where such demonstrations have become an almost daily occurrence – but this one would be different. All of a sudden, shots rang out. Chaos ensued. And in the violent exchanges, seven people were killed and dozens more injured. Unlike the popular protests in 2019, these demonstrations were not against political corruption, unemployment, taxes or the economic crisis. The anger here was against a high-profile judge, who is, so far, refusing to be intimidated. Tarek Bitar is rocking the status quo in Lebanon. His job is to investigate the Beirut port blast. Over a year after it happened, still nobody has been held to account. Bitar has boldly called some of Lebanon’s biggest political players in for questioning. And the people out marching that day want him removed. In this week's Beyond the Headlines host Gareth Browne looks at how the investigation into the Beirut port explosion is opening up wounds - both old and new. Hosted by Gareth Browne Produced by Ayesha Khan, Arthur Eddyson and James Haines-Young

Iraqis went to the polls on October 10, 2021. Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi had promised an early election when he came to power in last May amid mass protests, which began in 2019. People had taken to the streets against government corruption, failing public services and unemployment. But as the ballots were counted it appeared that only about a third of the Iraqi population turned up to vote. Will the Iraqi elections bring a change? asks host Leila Gharagozlou on this week's Beyond the Headlines. Hosted by Leila Gharagozlou Produced by Ayesha Khan, Bob Tollast, Mina Al Droubi and Arthur Eddyson

World Fairs, or Expos as they are now more commonly known, have been showcasing the future of technology since the first was held in London in 1851. Predictions of flying cars, a colony on the moon and personal jetpacks are yet to come true but there have also been visions of the future that have guided humanity to building a path forward. As Dubai hosts Expo 2020, Future Editor Kelsey Warner hosts this week's Beyond the Headlines and asks: how do we see our future? Hosted by Kelsey Warner Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson

Even before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the UN’s refugee agency estimated that 2.6 million people had already fled the country. The diaspora has grown over decades of military campaigns and fighting. In the latest exodus are men, women and children mourning the loss of their homes, their communities and two decades of freedom. In this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Sulaiman Hakemy speaks to some of those who left Afghanistan and asks: what comes next? Hosted by Sulaiman Hakemy Produced by Taylor Heyman, Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson

From the sidelines to the front lines, women in Saudi Arabia are joining the military for the first time in recent history. In September, photos of these determined women in service uniforms made a splash in media outlets, in the latest display of just how far Saudi women have come since the ban on driving was lifted two years ago and the floodgates of opportunity opened. Announced in 2016, Vision 2030 aims to transform the kingdom’s social and economic model and open it up to the world. But it was really in 2019 that major and long-awaited changes to guardianship laws took place. Women were able to take more ownership of their careers, finances, education and marital status.Legal, social and economic reform overcame traditions that had resisted change for many years. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher marks Saudi National Day by speaking to the women who were once spectators but have become leaders and trailblazers of social change.

Every year, for millions of parents, pupils and teachers around the world, September means the summer holidays are coming to an end and it is time to go back to school. But in Lebanon, the mix of fuel shortages, economic inflation, power cuts and the Covid-19 pandemic means the country's education system may not be able to handle the influx of pupils, potentially leaving thousands of children without proper schooling. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Finbar Anderson examines the effects of Lebanon’s crises on the country’s education system.

On September 11, 2001 New York's World Trade Centre towers were brought crashing down, forever changing the course of history. Almost 3,000 lives were lost that day – as well as America’s innocence. With the country’s vulnerability to terrorism so cruelly exposed, the US instigated two foreign invasions whose consequences are still being felt today. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Leila Gharagozlou examines the legacy of 9/11 in America and Afghanistan.

America’s longest war is over after the dramatic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan ordered by President Joe Biden. The Taliban have taken Kabul. Barely a shot was fired. With the final evacuations planes now departed, many people vulnerable to Taliban revenge have been left behind, despite assurances from the US and other governments, and have been forced into hiding. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Gareth Browne looks at the inadequate evacuation of Afghanistan and speaks to those who have been abandoned to the most uncertain of fates.

In April 2021, customs officers in the Saudi city of Jeddah searched a shipment of Lebanese pomegranates. Hidden inside the fruit were more than five million circular, beige Captagon pills – illegal amphetamines. It was the latest in a long line of interceptions in recent years that have seen officers in the kingdom stop millions of pills and tonnes of drugs being smuggled in. But for Saudi Arabia, it was the final straw. The kingdom announced a ban on imported fruits and vegetables from Lebanon, dealing a huge blow to farmers already suffering from the country’s economic collapse and sending a shockwave through the region. Over the last decade, Captagon has spread across the Middle East to become one of the most consumed narcotics. It gained particular infamy in the early years of the Syrian war as the drug of choice for militants like ISIS. Fighters took the pills on the battlefield as it fuelled them to fight for days without sleep or food. In this week's Beyond the Headlines host James Haines Young introduces a major investigation by The National into the Middle East’s Captagon crisis. Hosted by James Haines-Young Produced by Arthur Scott-Geddes, Arthur Eddyson and Ayesha Khan

Afghanistan has seen war for decades, but none of them has involved so decisive a military takeover of the country as the latest. The speed with which the Taliban swept the country has shocked the world. Why did the Afghan army collapse? Did president Ashraf Ghani have to flee? Is this a betrayal by the US administration? And what about the safety of Afghans, particularly women, under Taliban rule? These are some of the many questions people in the country are asking, but there are no easy answers. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Sulaiman Hakemy examines what happened in the crucial hours before Kabul fell to the Taliban, and what’s next for the country.

On August 5th, Iran inaugurated a new president putting an end to the 8-year presidency of reformist Hassan Rouhani and ushered in a new, hard-line government. The new president, Ebrahim Raisi is said to be handpicked by the supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the man who controls Iran's religious ideology and political ideology. Mr Raisi is a hard-line cleric who won his election amid accusations of corruption and historically low voter turnout. The new president had vowed in his campaign to continue the nuclear talks in Vienna, in an effort to get US sanctions removed and help relieve some of Iran’s economic pain. He also tempered his usually hard-line rhetoric around Iran’s domestic policy. But, now, a week since President Raisi was inaugurated, Iranians are already seeing a change. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Leila Gharagozlou talks to an expert on Iran’s political space and an Iranian reporter about the future of one of the world’s most closed off countries, Iran.

In the final episode, we follow the volunteers who took to the shattered streets of Beirut in the hours and days after the explosion of August 4, 2020. Host Finbar Anderson delves into the ongoing investigation into the blast and asks: will it ever bring justice to the city’s people?

In Episode 3 of The Blast, The National’s Finbar Anderson recounts the day of the explosion. As The fire in Warehouse 12 grows in intensity, a fire crew arrives to try to tackle the blaze, but it’s like nothing they’ve ever seen before. They call for backup. Ghassan Hasrouty and his colleagues are still working in the silos next door, offloading grain from the ship that docked earlier in the day. They’re just metres from Warehouse 12, and the deadly stash of explosives inside it. Bystanders living in the neighbourhood around the port come to their windows and onto their balconies. They watch the blaze as it grows and grows. Others are completely unaware of what’s happening down at the port. Like Sarah Copland, an Australian UN employee who’s feeding her 2-year-old son Isaac his supper next to the big glass windows of the family’s dining room in a quiet Beirut neighbourhood less than a kilometre away from the fire. This is Zero Hour. It’s the story of what happens when a city blows up, told by the people who were there. This episode includes accounts that some listeners may find upsetting.

In Episode 2 of The Blast, The National’s Finbar Anderson and Sunniva Rose head down to the docks of Beirut port. They try to piece together what was happening in the six years the ammonium nitrate sat in a warehouse and how it led to the huge explosion.

On August 4, 2020 the heart of Beirut was ripped apart by a huge explosion caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonating at the city’s port. The National’s Finbar Anderson was one of the thousands injured in the blast – hit by flying shards of glass in his own living room. In The Blast podcast he has traced the events of how that tragic day came to pass. In Episode 1 Finbar speaks to Boris Prokoshev, the captain of the ship that first brought the ammonium nitrate into Beirut port. Boris tells us his story of how he, The Rhosus and its cargo made the journey to Beirut and why they all got stuck there.

On August 4, 2020 the heart of Beirut was ripped apart by a huge explosion caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonating at the city’s port. The National’s Finbar Anderson was one of the thousands injured in the blast – hit by flying shards of glass in his own living room. In a four-part mini-series one year later, he has traced the events of how that tragic day came to pass. Beginning with how the ammonium nitrate ended up in Lebanon, Finbar speaks to the officials who knew it sat at the port for six years and to the victims and their families, whose lives changed forever on that summer’s day. And finally, we examine the fallout in the year since as people demand answers and await the official investigation. Join us from August 2 to August 5 at TheNationalNews.com or on your favourite podcast app. Subscribe to Beyond the Headlines to hear the full story.

An IT technician facing the sack for discussing voting habits at work or parents barred from home schooling their children. It sounds pretty dystopian, but activists say a new French law may bring these restrictions into reality. Supporters of the anti-separatism bill say it will reinforce France’s commitment to secularism. But those opposing it say the legislation erodes civil liberties, religious freedoms and unfairly targets the Muslim community. Last week the bill was passed into law. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Taylor Heyman asks: who’s right?

Every year in Saudi Arabia, as the time of the pilgrimage to Makkah nears, thousands of people from the city and around the country gather to volunteer for Hajj. Often these people will give up their daily lives and work to take time out to help those who visit the holy sites. As Muslims flock to the city to complete one of the essential requirements of their faith, a taskforce of thousands of Saudis is deployed to see to their needs. On this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Ayesha Khan looks at the Saudis who put their lives on hold to volunteer at Hajj.

Iraq’s summer is crippling the country. People are having to seek refuge indoors to escape scorching temperatures that regularly reach 50°C. But indoors isn’t much better with regular power blackouts adding to people’s frustrations. So, aside from shade within the four walls of their houses, there is little else that Iraqis can do to cool themselves down. Electricity in the country is scant, and what little there is, is rationed into limited time slots each day. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Suhail Akram asks whether Iraq’s power problem has any end in sight.

On July 9, 2011, when South Sudan finally became independent after a 56-year struggle and a bitter secession from Sudan, it was a dream come true for many. Roughly the size of the United Kingdom and Germany combined, the new country had its own passport, as well as football and basketball teams singing a national anthem under their own flag. One of the most diverse nations in Africa, with more than 60 languages and dozens of ethnic groups, the creation of South Sudan was hailed as a way out of decades of strife. But 10 years after independence, visitors to the capital Juba will see a country suffering from underdevelopment and extreme poverty – the direct result of five years of civil war that stymied the transformation of the young country into a viable state. On this week's Beyond the Headlines Ahmed Maher travelled to South Sudan to see how the world's youngest country has fared during a decade of independence and investigate what the future holds for a nation brought to the brink by years of brutal conflict.

On June 28, Ethiopia’s federal government declared a ceasefire in Tigray. Mekelle, the capital of the restive region, sprang to life as thousands flooded the streets chanting and dancing, many draped in Tigrayan flags. The announcement was supposed to end eight months of war which has left at least 7,500 people dead. Hundreds of thousands more have been forced to flee their homes in the fighting between government troops, their allies and Tigrayan rebels. But shortly after the ceasefire declaration, the Tigrayan rebels declared they would not stop fighting until all federal troops were removed from the region. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, Taylor Heyman looks at whether a lasting peace can be found in Tigray.

With one hundred days to go before Expo 2020 opens its gates, the grounds are buzzing. The site is bigger than 600 football fields. And there are twenty thousand workers busy building, welding and adding the final touches ahead of the grand opening on October 1. The event, running over six months, will be one of the most ambitious ever held. This week's host Nilanjana Gupta takes a look behind the scenes of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Like millions in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a football fan. Before he became the country’s leader, he was a semi-professional player. He publicly backs a small Istanbul team - which won the country’s super league in 2020 - and was the best man at the wedding of Mesut Özil, the German national team footballer who is of Turkish heritage. Mr Erdogan’s love of the game and his close ties to certain clubs and the national team is wrankling with some fans who say the president is politicising a once national-unifier. As the country competes in the delayed Euro 2020 finals, some are even saying the president has made them switch off completely. On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines Young asks: is the Turkish President politicising football?