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.

Three New Zealand citizens held for more than two months in the United Arab Emirates on drugs charges are due to appear in court today.

Three New Zealand citizens held for more than two months in the United Arab Emirates on drugs charges are due to appear in court tomorrow.

Former prime minister Helen Clark, whose Labour government froze relations with Israel in 2004, now hopes to strengthen United Nations-Israel ties.

Fresh plans are being drawn up to erect a modern complex on the site of what scholars of Islam contend is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Pakistan Government met the Taliban for the first time yesterday in a last-ditch attempt to end the group's seven-year campaign of terror.

A new finding about the domestication of camels in Israel casts doubt on the historical accuracy of some Bible stories.

This week the agonies of Syria and much of the Mid-East came sharply home to Oz, where the reps of 60 countries met in Sydney for Interpol's inaugural global security and counter-terrorism convention.

James Lane limbers up for a gastronomic adventure with a long-overdue massage.