COMMENT: A number of lessons can be learned from Belgium. This is particularly true for NZ where the problem of Islamic extremism is much more manageable.

Syrian rebel groups have promised to continue their war by adopting the guerrilla tactics of assassinations, armed raids and roadside bombs.

An outspoken billionaire Saudi prince wants an 'urgent' end to his country's ban on women driving.

New Zealand's partnership with Jordan was never more important than it is today, says Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Woman arrested after alleging rape is told she's free to go after case collapses.

A British tourist allegedly gang-raped in Dubai faces a prison sentence and needs $42,200 for legal fees after police accused her of having "extra-marital sex".

US President-elect Donald Trump has promised everything. But what does he stand for? These are his key policies.

The US presidential election has become an object lesson in everything that ails a country long seen as a beacon of freedom and hope.

Thousands of residents poured out of eastern neighbourhoods of Mosul yesterday, the first significant wave of people to escape the city held by Isis.

Iran's supreme leader says the statements made by the frontrunners in the US Presidential race are proof of the destruction of human values in the United States,"

COMMENT: It is time to sober up. The superpowers are drunk on rhetoric, mistrust and posturing. They are dragging us all towards the brink.

Qatar Airways will start flying next year and is offering fares as low as $1455 from Auckland to Europe return.

Nick Jenkins discovers a friendly way to visit the turbulent Middle East.

Iraq has launched its biggest fight against Isis. PM Haider al-Abadi pledged to raise the Iraqi flag over Mosul once more.

A 22-year-old woman is to be hanged this week after being found guilty of killing the husband she says abused her.

Watch NZH Focus: A Kiwi face transplant surgeon has lead his team in transplanting two donor arms to a retired marine who lost all four limbs in Afghanistan.

A stalled free trade deal with Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries will be completed, Trade Minister Todd McClay has announced.

On a clear afternoon last Monday a line of humanitarian aid trucks eased to a stop in front of a cluster of warehouses packed with aid supplies 24km outside the Syrian city of Aleppo.

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.

Graham Reid spends 24 hours in Dubai International's famously huge and busy terminals.

A Kiwi team is battling sweltering and dusty conditions in the Middle East.

Dubai's new rainforest hotel will make for a unique guest experience.

An Islamic State insider has revealed the never-before-told story of the shadowy meeting that spawned the bloodthirsty terror group.

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.

Christopher Adams runs into an alarming situation in a Middle Eastern market.

US-backed Syrian fighters have found evidence that the Islamic State has rewritten school textbooks to promote its violent ideology.

Isis fighters shot down a Russian helicopter above Syria, killing both pilots on board.

Relatives of Marie Colvin, a Sunday Times journalist, have filed a lawsuit claiming that Syrian government officials killed her.

Massacres attributed to Isis have struck on four continents this year, reflecting how its appeal is growing despite setbacks in Iraq and Syria.

COMMENT: David Shearer's article last week, "Border decisions condemn countries to conflict", seems conflicted.