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British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Monday said Britain would continue to respond with sanctions against Iran when its actions are unacceptable in an effort to steer the Islamic Republic in a better direction.

"Our priority is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but in parallel to that we will continue to act, to respond when Iran's actions are unacceptable," Cleverly said in answer to a question following a speech in London, giving the example of the supply of drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.

"We've sanctioned those involved with that, we've sanctioned those involved with the brutal suppression of protesters in Iran and we will continue to try and steer Iran into a better direction." (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Sunday that Iran's Gulf Arab neighbours would act to shore up their security if Tehran were to obtain nuclear weapons.

Indirect U.S.-Iranian talks to salvage a 2015 nuclear pact between global powers and Iran, which Washington exited in 2018, stalled in September. The U.N. nuclear chief has voiced concern over a recent announcement by Tehran that it was boosting enrichment capacity.

"If Iran gets an operational nuclear weapon, all bets are off," Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said in an on-stage interview at the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi when asked about such a scenario.

"We are in a very dangerous space in the region...you can expect that regional states will certainly look towards how they can ensure their own security."

The nuclear talks have stalled with Western powers accusing Iran of raising unreasonable demands, and focus shifting to the Russia-Ukraine war as well as domestic unrest in Iran over the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Though Riyadh remained "sceptical" about the Iran nuclear deal, Prince Faisal said it supported efforts to revive the pact "on condition that it be a starting point, not an end point" for a stronger deal with Tehran.

Sunni-ruled Gulf Arab states have pressed for a stronger agreement that addresses their concerns about Shi'ite Iran's missiles and drones programme and network of regional proxies.

"The signs right now are not very positive unfortunately," Prince Faisal said.

"We hear from the Iranians that they have no interest in a nuclear weapons programme, it would be very comforting to be able to believe that. We need more assurance on that level."

Iran says its nuclear technology is solely for civil purposes.

A senior Emirati official said on Saturday that there was an opportunity to revisit "the whole concept" of the nuclear pact given the current spotlight on Tehran's weapons with Western states accusing Russia of using Iranian drones to attack targets in Ukraine. Iran and Russia deny the charges. (Reuters)

The European Union's credibility is at stake, EU foreign ministers warned on Monday, following allegations Qatar lavished cash and gifts on European Parliament officials to influence decision-making.

Greece on Monday froze the assets of a key suspect in the case, Eva Kaili, a vice president in the European Parliament and one of four people arrested and charged in Belgium at the weekend, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Kaili's office did not respond to a request for a comment. Qatar has denied any wrongdoing.

Belgian prosecutors searched 16 houses and seized 600,000 euros ($631,800) in Brussels on Friday as part of the probe.

The four unnamed suspects have been charged with "participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption," prosecutors said in a statement on Sunday.

The European Parliament said at the weekend it had suspended Kaili from her duties, while the Greek socialist PASOK party announced it was expelling her from its ranks.

According to sources familiar with the case, the three other accused are all Italian citizens -- former EU lawmaker Pier Antonio Panzeri, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation Luca Visentini, and Kaili's partner Francesco Giorgi, who is a parliamentary assistant.

There were no replies to calls and emails made by Reuters to their respective offices or homes in Belgium.

"This is an unbelievable incident which has to be cleared up completely with the full force of law," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said as she arrived for a regular meeting with her EU counterparts in Brussels.

"This is about the credibility of Europe."

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney echoed her concern. "It is damaging. We need to get to the bottom of it."

Belgian prosecutors said they had suspected for months that a Gulf state was trying to buy influence in Brussels.

A source with knowledge of the case said the state was Qatar. A Qatari official denied at the weekend accusations of possible misconduct.

"Any association of the Qatari government with the reported claims is baseless and gravely misinformed," the official said.

BACKING QATAR

The investigation comes as World Cup host Qatar is in the global spotlight, amid criticism of its human rights record, including its treatment of migrant workers.

In a speech in the European Parliament on Nov. 21, at the start of the month-long soccer tournament, Kaili lashed out at Qatar's detractors and hailed the energy-rich Gulf State as "a frontrunner in labour rights".

"They committed to a vision by choice and they opened to the world. Still some here are calling to discriminate them. They bully them and they accuse everyone that talks to them or engages (with them) of corruption," Kaili said.

The scandal is particularly awkward for the parliament, which has seen itself as a moral compass in Brussels, seeking tighter rules on the environment or on corporations, issuing resolutions critical of human rights abuses across the globe and taking EU governments to task.

As they arrived at Monday's EU meeting, ministers were quick to condemn the alleged corruption.

"It is absolutely unacceptable, any kind of corruption," said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.

"Qatar is an important partner for the energy of the EU," he noted, while adding: "Of course the relation between the EU and Qatar needs to be built on a set of policies including human rights and labor rights."

Some European diplomats told Reuters last month that pressure to maintain good ties with Qatar was increasing as the continent headed towards a winter of energy shortages because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The European Parliament was due to vote this week on a proposal to extend visa-free travel to the EU for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Ecuador. Some lawmakers have suggested the vote should be postponed. Others have called for a debate on the corruption scandal.

The parliament was scheduled to start it plenary session in Strasbourg at 5 p.m. (1600 GMT), with many members making the trip from Brussels in the morning. (Reuters)

Fiji, a Pacific island nation pivotal to the region's response to strategic competition between China and the United States, will hold a national election on Wednesday, the third since its leader came to power in a coup in 2006.

Under Fijian election laws, a media blackout on campaign coverage was imposed on Monday until polling booths close at 6pm on Wednesday. The blackout requires political parties to remove banners, posters and flags from public display.

A Pacific trade and transport hub with a population of 900,000, including a sizeable Indian ethnic group, Fiji had a history of military coups until the constitution was changed in 2013 to remove a race-based electoral system.

Its military chief, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, told officers in a public speech this month to "honour the democratic process by respecting the outcome of the voting", easing fears the closely contested national election could lead to another coup.

A multinational observer group led by Australia, India and Indonesia will see about 90 election observers monitor polling booths and the national vote counting centre.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who came to power in a 2006 coup, won democratic elections in 2014 and 2018.

Bainimarama has a high international profile for climate change advocacy and has been chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum, the regional diplomatic bloc, as it sought this year to manage rising security tensions between the United States and China.

Fiji hosted a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the region in February, where Washington committed more diplomatic and security resources as a counter to China's drive for greater influence.

Fiji strengthened its security ties with Australia, its biggest aid donor during the pandemic, after Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China in April.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, China had been a significant donor of equipment to Fiji's military.

Dr Stewart Firth, a research fellow at the Australian National University who has written books on Fiji's coups and Pacific politics, said this election would be a "tight race".

Bainimarama had won support from the Indian community since 2013 because he abolished the race-based electoral system, he said.

This election, the main challenge to Bainimarama is expected to come from another former coup leader and prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, whose People's Alliance Party has formed a coalition with Fiji's oldest political party, National Federation Party. NFP attracts a strong multi-racial vote, Firth said.

A report by international observers on the conduct of the 2018 election said it was "transparent and credible", while noting concern over self censorship by media.

The Multinational Observer Group's 2018 report recommended laws be reviewed so media could "confidently play their vital role" to scrutinise the performance of government and opposition. (Reuters)