Israel's defense minister said Monday that negotiations with Palestinians on the situation in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank were pointless and that the country should act unilaterally. Avigdor Lieberman's remarks came as Egypt and the United Nations were working to forge a...

The Iranian rial hit a record low against the U.S. dollar on the unofficial market Monday, amid a deterioration in the economic situation and the reimposition of sanctions by the United States. The dollar was being offered for as much as 128,000 rials, according to foreign exchange website...

Iraq's newly-elected parliament is meeting for the first time as rival factions compete over the right to name a new government. The parliament Monday opened its first session since national elections in May with an orchestral performance of the national anthem and a prayer....

Turkey raised natural gas prices over the weekend by as much as 14 percent, two sources said, while the energy regulator announced a similar increase in electricity costs as a deepening currency crisis stokes inflation. The lira has fallen 42 percent against the dollar this year, hit by...