mahmoud ahmadinejad

Iran's president tried to repair his relations with the religious establishment on Thursday by paying a rare visit to the holy city of Qom and meeting senior members of the clergy. Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad held talks with about six senior clerics, who had previously been deeply reluctant even to meet him. "A massive lobby by the most influential authorities happened to convince the clergy to see the president," said one analyst in Qom. Mr Ahmadi-Nejad has probably had worse relations with Iran's religious i  

Ordinary Iranians are exp­an­ding an informal network of savings funds because the established banks are struggling under the impact of international sanctions and bad loans totalling $45bn (€33bn, £30bn). There is no estimate for how many of these funds exist, but the anecdotal evidence suggests their number is growing and middle-class people are becoming involved in this parallel financial system. Obtaining loans from banks is becoming more difficult, forcing people to make their own arrangements.  

The Islamic Republic of Iran, with a population of approximately 65.8 million, is a constitutional, theocratic republic in which Shia Muslim clergy dominate the key power structures. Government legitimacy is based on the twin pillars of popular sovereignty--albeit restricted--and the rule of the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution. The current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not directly elected but chosen by a directly elected body of religious leaders, the Assembly of Experts, in 1989.  

Iran Live News | 5 November 2009 | Burning picture of Ahmadi Nejad | Shiraz Iran In this footage protesters are burning picture of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad and chanting :"Death to dictator" in City of shiraz in central Iran. On Wednesday 4 November 2009, the 30th anniversary of the takeover of the US Embassy in Teheran, the streets of Iran were filled with ordinary citizens demonstrating not for the humiliation of the United States but for peaceful political change in their country. This citi  

The Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war has run about half its course. Judging by the dominant reaction of the British press, its sole function is to prove what we all know to be true: that the invasion was immoral and Tony Blair is to blame. The surfeit of moral certainty among the commentators is suspect; the zealous clarity of their moral waters needs muddying.