Alan Duff: It is no religious cover-up
COMMENT: Burkinis be damned is the one-sided debate raging here in France. Comeback king Nicolas Sarkozy has promised voters he'll ban the burkini.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest fromMiddle East
A man in terminal decline
Graham Reid spends 24 hours in Dubai International's famously huge and busy terminals.
Defence force battles 45C heat
A Kiwi team is battling sweltering and dusty conditions in the Middle East.
The world's first hotel with a rainforest
Dubai's new rainforest hotel will make for a unique guest experience.
Fateful night Isis was created
An Islamic State insider has revealed the never-before-told story of the shadowy meeting that spawned the bloodthirsty terror group.
Big Read: 'Too hot for human survival'
In parts of the world right now, it feels like 60C. Experts fear it won't be long till the scorching heat threatens human survival.
Dubai: Souks you, sir
Christopher Adams runs into an alarming situation in a Middle Eastern market.
Isis rewrites textbooks to push ideology
US-backed Syrian fighters have found evidence that the Islamic State has rewritten school textbooks to promote its violent ideology.
Russian helicopter shot down by Isis
Isis fighters shot down a Russian helicopter above Syria, killing both pilots on board.
'There was nothing random about attack'
Relatives of Marie Colvin, a Sunday Times journalist, have filed a lawsuit claiming that Syrian government officials killed her.
Isis' influence grows as territory shrinks
Massacres attributed to Isis have struck on four continents this year, reflecting how its appeal is growing despite setbacks in Iraq and Syria.
Migrants face greater risk at sea
This year is turning out to be one of the deadliest for asylum-seekers who try to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
Rob Harris: Shearer's analysis falls along simplistic lines
COMMENT: David Shearer's article last week, "Border decisions condemn countries to conflict", seems conflicted.
NZ to extend its deployment in Iraq
The non-combat deployment in the battle against the Islamic State had been set to finish early next year, but would now last until November 2018.
Border decisions condemn countries to conflict
In the same way, people in 100 years will live with the consequences of the decisions we make now.
Isis strongholds hit by disfiguring disease
A disfiguring tropical disease has spread across the Middle East as millions are displaced from the war-torn region.
Luxury sales fading as oil falls and tourism slows
In the Middle East, the luxury-goods industry is grappling with shifting sands.
Jihadists blamed for death of chief
Lebanon's Hizbollah militia has blamed the killing of a militant described as its top commander in Syria on extremist Sunni insurgents.
Editorial: EU refugee solution earns a cheer
It is not often that international solutions work so well but when it happens, it deserves a tentative cheer.
Wounded dad worries for his kids
Recovering in Turkey after a deadly air strike in Aleppo, all Abu Abdu Tebyiah could think about was the six children he had been forced to leave behind.
Isis attacks initiate an odd alliance
The Isis affiliate in Egypt prompts Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian militant group Hamas to form an unlikely alliance against the terrorist group.
Russian leader puts the squeeze on Assad
Putin's announcement that Russia will begin withdrawing the "main part" of its military from Syria is a surprise potential end to a six-month intervention.
Qatar Airways coming to NZ - confirmed
This will be the new longest flight in the world - more than 18 hours flight time between Doha and Auckland.
How Isis is earning $30 million a month
The terrorist group is making millions by funnelling dollars looted from banks into legitimate currency markets in the Middle East.
Attacks sign of Isis threat to Baghdad
Isis militants killed dozens of people in two major attacks on Baghdad yesterday, bombing a market and assaulting security forces on the city's outskirts.
'It is the sound of birds singing'
Across Syria's battered and blasted landscape, the relief was palpable as an unlikely truce actually took hold.
Up to 70,000 heading to border ground zero
Up to 70,000 Syrians are heading for Turkey, threatening to send a new wave of refugees into Europe as Syria's civil war intensifies.
Isis offers bounties to join Libya ranks
Isis is building an "army of the poor" in its new haven in Libya by recruiting foot soldiers from Africa's poorest nations, intelligence chiefs warn.
Could you sit in economy for 18 hours?
Qatar Airways to launch new route from Doha to Auckland that will become the longest flight in the world.
Qatar Airways coming to NZ - report
Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways has plans to fly to New Zealand.
Editorial: Stronger ties with Iran are good for NZ
Bringing Iran back from the cold has implications for New Zealand. With restrictions lifted, exporters should expect demand to rebound.