Iran says Saudi must end destabilizing policies

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says Saudi Arabia must end its destabilizing policies in the region. Ali Shamkhani also called for an international campaign against countries supporting the Daesh terrorist group. He made the remarks during a meeting with former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Tehran.
   
• Tehran’s Public Prosecutor says a thorough investigation is underway to identify and arrest the perpetrators of the recent attack on the Saudi Embassy. Dozens of people have already been arrested in this connection. The incident has raised tensions between Tehran and Riyadh, with Saudi Arabia severing diplomatic relations with Iran.
   
• The Saudi Interior Ministry confirms an attempted arson attack on an intelligence service compound in the city of Qatif. Footage posted online shows masked men throwing firebombs at the building. The incident apparently came in reprisal for the execution of Sheikh Nimr. One of the assailants has reportedly been captured.
   
• The first batch of international aid has arrived in the militant-held town of Madaya near the Syrian capital Damascus. Residents have been trapped inside the city for six months. Officials have warned about the dire situation there, saying more aid deliveries are due this week.
   
• The Iraqi army has recaptured some areas in the city of Haditha from Daesh Takfiri terrorists. At least 70 terrorists were killed in fierce clashes between the two sides in Anbar province. The advancement comes in line with the recent army victories across the country.
   
• The European Union says it isn't satisfied with the results of Turkish efforts to curb the flow of refugees. According to European officials, over two-thousand people cross the Aegean Sea every day. The EU has pledged three-point-three billion dollars to Turkey in return for help in curbing refugees.
   
• President Vladimir Putin says the West’s anti-Russia sanctions are harming the country. He said the sanctions have deprived Russia of international financial markets and caused huge revenue losses in the oil and gas sector. In 2014, the US and Europe imposed economic sanctions on Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine.
   
• Spain’s Princess Cristina and her husband appear in court over corruption charges. Cristina is charged with tax evasion while her husband is facing charges ranging from embezzlement and money laundering to tax fraud. The former Duchess of Palma could face a jail term of up to eight years if convicted.

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