Latest fromMiddle East
![Iran: Love songs in the shadow of a bridge](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
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](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
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](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
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.
![Iran: Banana-flavoured beer in an enclave of religious tolerance](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
Iran: Banana-flavoured beer in an enclave of religious tolerance
Tell people you're visiting an Armenian church in Iran and chances are you'll get some doubtful looks.
![Bomb kills seven in Egypt church attack](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
Bomb kills seven in Egypt church attack
A car exploded in front of a Coptic Christian church as worshippers emerged from a New Year's Mass in the Egyptian city of Alexandria early Saturday, killing at least seven people, officials said.
![The case of a socialite](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
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'](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
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)](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
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](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
Fine lines between pleasure and pain
Israeli David Grossman tells Helen Brown how writing helps him cope with grief.
![Iranian woman facing gallows](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
Iranian woman facing gallows
The Iranian woman facing the death penalty for adultery could be executed in the next 24 hours.
![First European flight to Baghdad puts Iraq back in business](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=871)
First European flight to Baghdad puts Iraq back in business
The small French airline Aigle Azur has become the first European-based carrier to resume flights to Baghdad since the early 1990s.