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.

A billionaire businessman that was responsible for the biggest bank fraud Iran has ever seen has been executed, Iranian state media has said.

Egypt's former Defence Minister, Abdul-fattah al-Sisi, has failed to make any personal appearances in his campaign to win next week's presidential election.

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.

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.

Wynyard Group has signed a global partnership deal with UK-based Arquebus Solutions to deliver gun crime intelligence software for the law enforcement market.

Shocking images depicting US soldiers burning the bodies of what appear to be Iraqi insurgents have sparked a military probe.

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