(Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has resigned, the first major cabinet change after Obama's Democrats were routed in mid-term elections three weeks ago. Obama was to announce Hagel's resignation at a White House event at 11:10 a.m. on Monday. Hagel, who had...

(Reuters) - An official under former hardline ruler Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali appears set for a close run-off in Tunisian presidential polls with a rival who says he represents the 2011 "Arab Spring" uprising that toppled him. Preliminary results in the country's first...

QOM, Iran (AP) — Shiite and Sunni clerics from about 80 countries gathered in Iran's holy city of Qom on Sunday to develop a strategy to combat extremists, including the Islamic State group that has captured large parts of Iraq and Syria. Shiite-majority Iran has been helping...

BEIRUT, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Syria's state spending is expected to rise 12 percent to 1.55 trillion Syrian pounds ($9.10 billion) next year, driven by higher social support costs, state news agency SANA reported citing a draft budget presented to lawmakers on Sunday....