Iran

Women can't be president in Iran, senior cleric says

2013-05-17 10:03:00

TEHRAN — Iran’s next president will not be a woman. No surprise there, but a senior religious figure, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, made it official in comments Wednesday to a group of clerics and theology students, according to the conservative...

Asghar Farhadi goes for maximum emotional impact in his films

2013-05-17 17:45:00

CANNES, France — "Stories come to me," says Asghar Farhadi, his sharp eyes focused, intense. "This one came to me, and I decided to follow it." It sounds straightforward, simple even, but nothing about the filmmaker's latest work, "The Past," fits...

Syrian soldiers warned daily of sectarian dangers, defectors say

2013-05-17 17:56:00

MARAAT NUMAN, Syria — Each morning, after saluting the Syrian flag and before the warplanes take off, soldiers at army bases across Syria are given political orientation. During the lectures, conscripts and career officers alike are repeatedly...

U.S. announces new sanctions against Syria

2013-05-16 14:03:00

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against the Syrian government Thursday, blacklisting four senior officials, a private television station that it said had colluded with Syrian authorities and an airline it accused of...

Obama says U.S. won't act alone on Syria

2013-05-16 16:50:00

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday ruled out unilateral U.S. military action in Syria even if proof emerges that Syrian forces have used lethal chemical weapons. "This is … an international problem," Obama said at a White House news...

Iran delays presidential election lineup

2013-05-16 18:21:00

TEHRAN — Iranians must wait until next week to find out who will be on the ballot in next month's presidential election, a key electoral panel said Thursday, as it continued to mull the fate of two prospective candidates who have shaken up the race....

Obama administration to tighten pressure on Iran, aide says

2013-05-15 16:22:00

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration said Wednesday that it would add more sanctions on Iran in an effort to dissuade Tehran from continuing its nuclear program, but stopped short of backing tough new penalties that lawmakers are considering....

The Week Ahead: Imelda's back, Iran at impasse, Syria in turmoil

2013-05-13 04:00:00

Marcos dynasty enhancing its political comeback in the Philippines Monday, May 13 -- Unrepentant over her role as treasure-squandering first lady, the widow of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos is poised for victory in Monday’s...

Two last-minute candidates stir up Iran presidential race

2013-05-11 19:34:00

TEHRAN — The run-up to Iran's June presidential election took a dramatic turn Saturday with last-minute candidacy announcements by two controversial political figures: former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, top...

U.S., Afghan diplomats work toward long-term agreement

2013-05-11 18:05:00

KABUL, Afghanistan — Diplomats from the United States and Afghanistan met formally Saturday for just the second time since the two countries signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement a year ago as they sought to hammer out a pact defining Washington'...

Chinese take to streets to push environmental concerns

2013-05-11 22:15:00

SHANGHAI -- Reflecting growing social tensions over China's high pollution, hundreds of demonstrators marched here Saturday to protest the building of a lithium-ion battery plant, while officials of another major Chinese city where people took to the...

Top presidential aide and former president seek Iran's presidency

2013-05-11 10:24:00

TEHRAN -- The run-up to Iran’s June presidential elections took a dramatic turn Saturday when two controversial figures -- former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, top aide to outgoing incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad --...

Kyle Dake of the USA takes down Hassan Tahmasebi of Iran during the Rumble on the Rails Wrestling at Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

2013-05-15 00:00:00

Iran's former president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, center, registers his candidacy for upcoming elections.

2013-05-11 00:00:00

epa03691785 Female Iranian officials of interior ministry take part during the second day of registration for Iran's upcoming presidential election in June 14, in Tehran, Iran, 08 May 2013. Registration for candidates started on 07 May at the Ministry of Interior and will continue for five days.

2013-05-08 21:27:00