Qantas has reassured passengers it's still safe to fly over Iraq, despite network partner Emirates' deciding to steer clear of the conflict-torn nation.

A plan to blow up a plane on Christmas Day in 2009 failed because the explosives became 'degraded' after he wore the same pair of underpants for two weeks.

Despite the danger of daily rocket fire, life carries on as normal under the Iron Dome, writes Rhys Davies.

Hamas has ruled out a ceasefire deal unless Israel "lifts the siege" on Gaza, the organisation's political chief has said.

Israel has resumed its air campaign against Gaza after Hamas rejected a six-hour truce and fired dozens of rockets over the border.

Social media has become one of the weapons of war. The Israeli army, which has been on Twitter since 2009, now has 286,000 followers.

Washington has warned Israel against any ground invasion of Gaza, as the UN says more than 40 of the 176 dead were children.

Kurdish leaders accuse Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of being hysterical and unbalanced, while he says the Kurdish capital, Erbil, is a centre for the Islamic State (Isis) and adherents of Saddam Hussein.

This winter was not a good one for farmers in the Fertile Crescent.

New Zealand is not likely to be part of a military intervention in Iraq, according to Prime Minister John Key.

Liam Dann asks, "What sort of economic fallout can we expect if Baghdad falls? It is a question that has carried serious geopolitical weight for thousands of years."

Pope Francis sacked the five-man board of the Vatican's financial watchdog - all Italians - in the latest move to break with a murky past under his predecessor.

Socotra has been called the Galapagos of the Middle East, writes Bhanu Bhatnagar.

Singapore's Changi Airport, a traditional stopover for New Zealanders but facing increased pressure from other airports in the Middle East, is expanding rapidly.

Pope Francis has called for Christians, Jews and Muslims to work together for peace as he toured holy sites in Jerusalem on the final day of his Middle East pilgrimage.

On a three-day Dubai stopover, James Hacon looks past the city's shiny veneer to discover some local secrets.

A British helicopter has crashed in Afghanistan, killing all five people on board, the UK Ministry of Defence announced.

Faltering Middle East talks are in tatters after two rival Palestinian factions agreed to form a new unity government that could include members who oppose Israel's existence.

Alan Fitzsimmons still gets a buzz out of opening up new markets for Fonterra after more than two decades selling New Zealand dairy products to the world.

To some, they are heroes ready to trade their personal liberty for the sake of high principle. To others, they are spoiled rich children, shirking their national duty on the backs of the less fortunate.

A New Zealand consultancy firm has found a lucrative niche taking Kiwi intellectual property to the Middle East.

Pumpkin Patch says it could open up to 40 more stores across the Middle East, a lucrative region for children's clothing retailers where big families are the norm.

Graham Reid visits one of the most famous sites in Christianity's history.