Latest fromMiddle East

Dubai: Dizzying views in every direction
Eww, eww and awe ... Shayne Currie suffers vertigo in the world's tallest building.

Abu Dhabi: A mosque visit
Liz Breslin spends a day in Abu Dhabi, a city largely under construction.

Iran: Love songs in the shadow of a bridge
The residents of Isfahan know how to make the most of an enchanted evening on the banks of the Zayandeh River.

Please don't cry - it upsets a man's sex drive
Smelling a woman's tears can quell a man's sexual desire, a study has found.

Iran: 2000-year-old technology stands the test of time
Jill Worrall discovers a haven for royalty and an ingenious irrigation system in the desert city of Yazd.

Former Israeli president found guilty of rape
Moshe Katsav, a former president of Israel, was convicted on two counts of raping an employee while he was a cabinet minister

Three Wise Men and a couple of burqas
The presenters of motoring show Top Gear have caused controversy after dressing in burqas while filming in the Middle East.

The case of a socialite
'Calling me a 'socialite' is such a lazy way for journalists to undermine me,' says Jemima Khan.

Slain son's death 'absolutely senseless'
The mother of a murdered Bay of Plenty teenager said today she was unable to describe how she felt about her son's "brutal, absolutely senseless death". A Mongrel Mob member ran down Jordan Herewini in Murupara last year.

Iran: Persian pleasures (+recipe)
Food writers Greg and Lucy Malouf find their journey to Iran filled with incredible cuisine and warm hospitality.

Fine lines between pleasure and pain
Israeli David Grossman tells Helen Brown how writing helps him cope with grief.