Iran on Tuesday said it would execute a man for giving the US and Israel information that helped to kill a top Iranian general, after his conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court.
Mahmoud Majd was convicted of spying on Iran's armed forces, especially the Quds Force, and on the movement of its commander, Qassem Suleimani, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said.
Mr Esmaili said Mr Majd was paid large sums by Israel's Mossad and the CIA for the information, which led to the assassination of Suleimani in a US drone attack in January.
"Majd's death sentence has been upheld by the Supreme Court and will be carried out soon," he said.
Suleimani led the Quds Force, which was the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, until his death in Baghdad.
In February, Iran handed down a death sentence to Amir Rahimpour, another man convicted of spying for the US and conspiring to sell information on Iran's nuclear programme.
Tehran announced in December that it had arrested eight people "linked to the CIA" and involved in nationwide street protests that broke out in the previous month over a sudden rise in petrol prices.
In July 2019 it said that it had dismantled a CIA spy ring, arresting 17 suspects between March 2018 and March 2019 and sentencing some of them to death.
US President Donald Trump at the time dismissed the claim as "totally false".
Iran-US tension has soared in recent years as Mr Trump imposed a campaign of "maximum pressure" against America's sworn enemy.
Since withdrawing the US from a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in May 2018, he has hit it with sweeping sanctions.
The two sides appeared to come from the brink of direct conflict several times in the past two years.
Yet despite the tensions and having no formal diplomatic relations since 1980, Tehran and Washington have held several prisoner swaps.
The latest was on Monday when Iranian scientist Majid Taheri returned home as Iran released US Navy veteran Michael White, who had been detained since his arrest in July 2018.
Mr Taheri, an Iranian-American who had been working at a clinic in Tampa, Florida, was held in the US for 16 months over breaching US sanctions by sending a technical item to Iran.
Tehran had also exchanged The Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian in January 2016 for seven Iranians held in the US, on the day the nuclear deal came into force.
In December, Iran freed Xiyue Wang, a US academic, in exchange for scientist Massoud Soleimani.
Americans and dual nationals known to be held by Iran include Siamak Namazi, his father Baquer, and Morad Tahbaz.
Two others, Gholam Reza Shahini and Karan Vafadari, have reportedly been released on bail.
Most of the Iranians held in the US are dual nationals charged with evading sanctions by exporting goods to Iran or using the US financial system.
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
