Iran’s rial hit a record low against the U.S. dollar on Monday in a sign of concern about the country’s ability to attract foreign money after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump takes office. The rial was quoted in the free market at 41,500 to the dollar, weakening from around 41,250 on Sunday and 35,570 in mid-September. Before this month, the record ...

BAGHDAD — With every year, Christmas in Baghdad is marked with more festivities than the year before. Is this merely a celebration of joy or a deep expression of solidarity with the threatened Christian minorit Commercial streets such Karada, al-Mansour, Palestine and Zaytouna are adorned with Christmas trees and Santa Claus. Zawraa park in the center of the capital is hosting ...

TEHRAN: Iran has scored a string of victories across the Middle East, and decades of isolation mean it is well-placed to weather the uncertainties of a Trump presidency. But fears that it could dominate the region are overblown, experts say. Having rarely commented on its role in the Syrian conflict, Tehran has been suddenly full of self-congratulation at the imminent ...

REPORTED BY KALAHAN DENG At least 60 bodies have been recovered from a church that collapsed in the south-eastern Nigerian city of Uyo. Some reports put the number much higher. The roof of the church caved in on worshippers who had gathered for the ordination of a bishop. Those inside the Reigners Bible Church included Akwa Ibom state governor Udom ...

Royal Dutch Shell has signed a provisional agreement to develop oil and gas fields in Iran, a move that could signal energy companies will not be deterred from doing business with the Islamic Republic despite uncertainty whether a Trump administration will scrap a nuclear deal agreed to by world powers. A spokesman for Shell said a memorandum of agreement was ...

The official said it was a conservative estimate, but it’s a bit more than what others have stated before. U.S. leaders have expressed reluctance to disclose specific numbers, and note that ISIS has been able to replace fighters rapidly, particularly early on. In August, Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland said about 45,000 combatants have been taken off the battlefields. The official ...

The CODEPINK Tribunal taking place Dec. 1 and 2, and live streamed by the Real News, is a historic collection of testimonies about the lies and costs of the Iraq war. It takes on new meaning with the incoming Trump administration, and the hawks who are flocking to join that administration with their sights set on starting yet another war in the Middle East, this ...

The “cold peace,” a term coined during the Mubarak years to describe the relations between the two neighboring countries, shows no sign of thawing in spite of a few gestures of goodwill lately. There is once more an Egyptian ambassador in Israel after four years and the embassy of Israel has reopened in Cairo – albeit on the grounds of ...

REPORTED BY KALAHAN DENG Austria’s far-right presidential candidate Norbert Hofer has conceded defeat in an election re-run after exit polls showed a clear win for his rival. Hofer’s announcement puts left-leaning Alexander Van der Bellen in the clear to assume the presidency. Official results are not expected until late Sunday or early Monday, but exit polls announced by state broadcaster ...

CAIRO, Dec 3 – Egypt has referred two maritime inspection officials to trial for their role in the capsizing of a migrant ship that led to the death of over 200 earlier this year, state news agency MENA reported on Saturday. A boat carrying about 450 people capsized off Egypt’s northern coast in September. Some 202 bodies were subsequently recovered ...