Lineage gets you only so far in today’s Iran. A black turban confirms Hassan Khomeini’s claim to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad; and his surname affirms that here is one of the bluest of Persian bluebloods – Khomeini is a grandson of the revered father of the revolution, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah​ Khomeini. Hassan is no black ...

Five years after our withdrawal from Iraq, the time is ripe for America’s first great work of reckoning. And we might just have it in Youngblood, Matt Gallagher’s dark, suspenseful meditation on Americans’ impact abroad. The novel throws us into the daily tedium of the military’s “Clear, Hold, and Build” policy during the twilight of the American operation. With the ...

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. Saudi Arabia’s $3bn aid package to Lebanese security forces has been suspended amid the fallout between regional powers Riyadh and Tehran. The ...

Australia is now in negotiations with three countries about taking some of the asylum seekers who are now in detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island. Negotiations are under way with Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, officials said, to allow the resettlement of asylum seekers.  And less advanced discussions are taking place with three other countries as the Turnbull government ...

Several other men were spoken to by officers before the group was dispersed. Inquiries are continuing. Meanwhile a man suffered suspected facial fractures and several others were left bloodied and beaten after a brawl at a late-night venue in inner Sydney this morning. Up to six men were involved in a fight that started at the Strawberry Hills Hotel in ...

It’s not unusual for a woman to receive a bouquet of roses from her husband on Valentine’s Day. What is unusual is to receive them in a court holding cell after a couple has spent months apart in separate jails. The wife and husband in this instance are Aya Hegazi and Mohamed Hassanein, the founders of the Belady Foundation, an ...

Federal Liberal MP and former industry minister Ian Macfarlane has announced he is quitting politics, saying sitting on the backbench was no longer an option. The Queensland MP is the fourth Liberal to announce their retirement from politics in the past week. Mr Macfarlane has held the seat of Groom for 18 years, nine of which he spent as a ...

Politicians are scared of springing major reforms on us without seeking our approval first. But that’s how it has been done in the past, and contrary to popular belief, voters can get over it, writes Peter Brent. Yesterday in Parliament, Christopher Pyne confirmed what Malcolm Turnbull had indicated last weekend: that the Federal Government will not take a GST increase ...

The US-Russian agreement to seek a ceasefire is a welcome development, but an understanding between these major powers alone is likely to be self-defeating, writes Amin Saikal. Finally, there is a tiny slice of good news about Syria. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have agreed to seek a nationwide “cessation of hostilities” within ...

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is calling MPs that will make up his new frontbench. The ABC understands Victorian Nationals MP Darren Chester has been offered the Infrastructure and Transport portfolio. The portfolio was previously held by Warren Truss, who announced his resignation earlier this week. There are strong indications Steve Ciobo will take on the role of Trade Minister and ...