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Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, March 11

Xinhua,March 12, 2018 Adjust font size:

RIYADH -- Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered on Sunday the creation of specialized anti-corruption units in the public prosecution, Al Arabiya local news reported.

The units specialized in investigating and prosecuting corruption-related cases, which will be directly linked to the Attorney-General. (Saudi-Anti-corruption Units)

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TEHRAN -- An Iranian atomic official on Sunday discouraged France from following the pace of the United States over Iran's 2015 international nuclear deal and missile program.

"France has tried to side with the United States in recent years" but, it will have a hard time if it chooses to side with U.S. interests and stand against Iran, said spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi. (Iran-France-Nuke Deal)

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TEHRAN -- A Turkish jet with 11 people on board crashed in the suburban area of Iran's western city of Shehr-e Kord on Sunday, state IRINN TV reported.

The plane was seen catching fire in the air, before it crashed into the heights of Helen Mountain near Dorak Anari village. (Iran-Turkey-Plane crash)

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DUBAI -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed two agreements with Italy on Sunday, under which the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) offered shares of several oil fields to Eni, Italy's energy giant.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed and Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni attended the signing ceremony, UAE's state news agency WAM reported. (UAE-Italy-Oil Fields)

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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition partners blamed him for waging a "fake crisis" over a political dispute to push for snap elections that would help him survive corruption investigations.

The dispute emerged over a bill to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from military conscription. Netanyahu's Jewish ultra-Orthodox partners, who make 13 out of the government's 66 seats in the 120-seat parliament, demanded the government to approve the bill. (Israel-Snap election-Netanyahu) Enditem

 

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