UAE

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader said Monday that if a series of suspected poisonings at girls’ schools is proven to be deliberate the culprits should be sentenced to death for committing an “unforgivable crime.”

It was the first time Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, has spoken publicly about the suspected poisonings, which began late last year and have sickened hundreds of children.

DUBAI, March 6 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader said on Monday that poisoning schoolgirls is an "unforgivable" crime which should be punished by death if deliberate, state TV reported, amid public anger over a wave of suspected attacks in schools.

Over 1,000 girls have suffered poisoning since November, according to state media and officials, with some politicians blaming religious groups opposed to girls' education.

DUBAI, March 6 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with Turkey to deposit $5 billion in the country's central bank through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), the fund said on Monday.

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan announced his country's intention to make the deposit in December.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader said Monday that if a series of suspected poisonings at girls’ schools are proven to be deliberate the culprits should be sentenced to death for committing an “unforgivable crime.”

It was the first time Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, has spoken publicly about the suspected poisonings, which began late last year and have sickened hundreds of children.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A crisis over suspected poisonings targeting Iranian schoolgirls escalated Sunday as authorities acknowledged over 50 schools were struck in a wave of possible cases. The poisonings have spread further fear among parents as Tehran has faced months of unrest.

It remains unclear who or what is responsible since the alleged poisonings began in November in the Shiite holy city of Qom. Reports now suggest schools across 21 of Iran’s 30 provinces have seen suspected cases, with girls’ schools the site of nearly all the incidents.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog was meeting with officials in Iran on Saturday, days after it was revealed that the country had enriched particles of uranium to near weapons-grade, raising new alarm over its long-disputed nuclear program.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, declined to comment on his discussions during a press conference with the head of Iran’s nuclear program, saying the delegation’s work was still ongoing.

3 Mar 2023; MEMO: Bilateral trade and relations are set for an immense boost with a new free trade agreement between Turkiye and the UAE, according to the Gulf state's Foreign Trade Minister.

The UAE recognises that Turkiye's financial sector is the "right place" for investment and "the sky is the limit" for us in that respect, Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi told Anadolu in an exclusive interview in London as the countries gear up to ink a lucrative free trade deal.

2 Mar 2023; MEMO: The United Arab Emirates cancelled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned visit in January due to concerns his conduct during the visit could increase regional tensions with Iran, the Walla new site reports, citing three Israeli officials with knowledge of the matter, the Times of Israel reported.

According to the report, the Prime Minister's Office has said the visit was cancelled for logistical reasons.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British navy seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran likely to Yemen, authorities said Thursday, the latest such seizure in the Gulf of Oman.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran said Wednesday it has expelled two German diplomats over Berlin’s alleged interference in its internal affairs.

The move comes a week after Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats over a death sentence handed down to Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German dual citizen and opposition figure accused of masterminding deadly attacks.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it had also summoned the German ambassador over “excessive” demands, without elaborating.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry said Iran’s latest move was “completely unjustified.”