Latest fromMiddle East

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.

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
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
'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.

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
The small French airline Aigle Azur has become the first European-based carrier to resume flights to Baghdad since the early 1990s.