British charity worker returns to Iran prison after short release

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was able to spend time with her 4-year-old daughter during her short release from prison. (AFP PHOTO / FREE NAZANIN CAMPAIGN)
Updated 27 August 2018
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British charity worker returns to Iran prison after short release

  • Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was not granted an extension to her temporary release from Evin prison
  • She was jailed for five years in 2016 after being convicted of spying

LONDON: A British-Iranian charity worker has been ordered to return to prison after being allowed out for three days.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was not granted an extension to her temporary release from Evin prison, her husband, Richard Ratcliffe said.

She was jailed for five years in 2016 after being convicted of spying, which she denies. The conviction has been widely condemned by human rights groups.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released on Thursday and reunited with her family, including her four-year-old daughter.

Her lawyer applied for a temporary extension on Saturday, according to her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, but she returned to jail earlier.


Kuwait’s prime minister says progress being made on Kuwait-Saudi rail link

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Kuwait’s prime minister says progress being made on Kuwait-Saudi rail link

  • The rail project, which will extend 650 km, is slated to start construction this year

DUBAI: Plans for a rail link between Kuwait City and Riyadh as part of the country’s ambitious reform agenda are progressing, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Al-Sabah said Kuwait aimed to become a regional logistical hub through projects such as the new Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, upgrades to the airport and new rail links.

“We have also signed contracts for feasibility studies and design for the railway project and made progress on the rail link between Kuwait and Riyadh,” he said.

“This integration of sea, air, and land transport forms a strategic logistics system that supports connectivity diversification and economic growth.”

The rail project, which will extend 650 km, is slated to start construction this year and is likely to form part of a larger Gulf Cooperation Council network.

In a wide-ranging speech, Al-Sabah said his country was rapidly reforming its fiscal policy to help modernize the country’s economy.

This includes the introduction of a Financing and Liquidity Law, which is intended to provide a structured legislative framework for managing financial obligations and public debt.

“These reforms have been directly reflected in increased confidence from international institutions,” said the prime minister.

“In November 2025, S&P Global Ratings upgraded Kuwait’s sovereign credit rating from A+ to AA-, with a stable outlook.”