Iran

close Video Iran admits to killing protesters, calls them armed rioters Amnesty International says evidence shows security forces shooting at unarmed protestors; State Department correspondent Rich Edson reports. President Trump’s “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran is working, despite warnings of a backlash against the U.S. for the economic sanctions he has imposed on the Islamic Republic. As protests continue in Iran, security forces may have killed over 1,000 people who are calling for an end to the country’s dictatorship, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Brian Hook told reporters recently. The continuing protests show that the Iranian people are directing their anger at Tehran’s corrupt and oppressive regime, even though American sanctions helped push Iran into a deep recession. IRANIAN FORCES MAY HAVE KILLED MORE THAN 1,000 IN RECENT PROTESTS, OFFICIAL SAYS The Trump administration’s withdrawal in May 2018 from President … [Read more...] about Saeed Ghasseminejad: Trump’s Iran strategy is working, as Islamic dictatorship guns down protesters

WASHINGTON - The House on Wednesday passed its annual defense policy measure, which combined a $738 billion Pentagon price tag with legislation to provide federal employees with 12 weeks of paid parental leave. The sweeping 377-48 vote followed weeks of arduous House-Senate negotiations that finally yielded a traditionally bipartisan measure, stripped of many add-ons sought by Democrats controlling the House. The result came over outnumbered protests by some of the chamber's most liberal members, who said Democratic negotiators should have fought harder for House-passed liberal policies. They are also unhappy about the spiraling defense budget. The compromise between the Democratic-controlled House and the GOP-held Senate broke free after Republicans agreed to accept a Democratic demand — endorsed by Trump in end-stage negotiations — for the landmark parental leave provision. Negotiators also endorsed Trump's call for a new "space force'' — a provision previously … [Read more...] about US House OKs Defense Bill, Parental Leave for Federal Workers

Shares in Saudi Aramco gained on the second day of trading Thursday, propelling the oil and gas company to a more than $2 trillion valuation, where it holds the title of the world’s most valuable listed company. Shares jumped in trading to reach up to 38.60 Saudi riyals, or $10.29 before noon, three hours before trading closes. Aramco has sold a 1.5% share to mostly Saudi investors and local Saudi and Gulf-based funds. With gains made from just two days of trading, Aramco sits comfortably ahead of the world’s largest companies, including Apple, the second largest company in the world valued at $1.19 trillion. Advertisement Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the architect of the effort to list Aramco, touting it as a way to raise capital for the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, which would then develop new cities and lucrative projects across the country that create jobs for young Saudis. He had sought a $2 trillion valuation for Aramco when he first announced in … [Read more...] about Saudi Aramco reaches $2 trillion value in second day of trading

Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have been careful to stay out of Thursday’s U.K. elections, but some are nonetheless concerned about liberal counterpart Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party and growing support in Britain for elements that embrace anti-Semitism.While Corbyn is expected to finish behind incumbent Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party in the parliamentary elections, the Labour leader’s popularity and an agenda criticized as incompatible with Western democracies is viewed by many as a dangerous shift.The 70-year-old Corbyn’s rise to the head of the country’s second-most popular party was first viewed as a shocking ascent for a “backbench” politician whose views are considered far left of the conventional liberal agenda and a threat to global alliances.ADVERTISEMENT“I'm loath to comment about people's elections in other parts of the world,” Sen. Robert MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezForeign Relations Democrat … [Read more...] about Democrats worried by Jeremy Corbyn’s UK rise amid anti-Semitism