US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and his Qatari counterpart Khalid al-Attiyah signed a letter of agreement Wednesday for a $12-billion sale of US-manufactured F-15 fighters, the Pentagon said.

The sale comes amid a simmering crisis in the Gulf after Qatar&#39;s neighbours accused it of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties.

US President Donald Trump has signalled his support for the Saudi-led move but other US officials have been more cautious and called for dialogue to end the crisis.

&quot;The $12-billion sale will give Qatar a state-of-the-art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar,&quot; the Pentagon said in a statement.&nbsp;

Mattis and al-Attiyah also discussed mutual security concerns, including the Islamic State group and &quot;the importance of de-escalating tensions so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals.&quot;

The Pentagon did not provide additional details on the sale but Bloomberg reported it could include as many as 36 warplanes.

The State Department last year had said it had authorised the sale of 72 F-15 Strike Eagle jets to Qatar.&nbsp;That deal was worth an estimated value of $21 billion.

In November, the United States had approved possible sale of up to 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for $21.1 billion. Boeing is the prime contractor on the fighter jet sale to the Middle East nation, Reuters reported.

The sale comes amid a simmering crisis in the Gulf after Qatar's neighbours accused it of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties.

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and his Qatari counterpart Khalid al-Attiyah signed a letter of agreement Wednesday for a $12-billion sale of US-manufactured F-15 fighters, the Pentagon said. The sale comes amid a simmering crisis in the Gulf after Qatar's neighbours accused it of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties. US President Donald Trump has signalled his support for the Saudi-led move but other US officials have been more cautious and called for dialogue to end the crisis. "The $12-billion sale will give Qatar a state-of-the-art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar," the Pentagon said in a statement. Mattis and al-Attiyah also discussed mutual security concerns, including the Islamic State group and "the importance of de-escalating tensions so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals." The Pentagon did not provide additional details on the sale but Bloomberg reported it could include as many as 36 warplanes. The State Department last year had said it had authorised the sale of 72 F-15 Strike Eagle jets to Qatar. That deal was worth an estimated value of $21 billion. In November, the United States had approved possible sale of up to 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for $21.1 billion. Boeing is the prime contractor on the fighter jet sale to the Middle East nation, Reuters reported.

US to sell F-15 fighters to Qatar in deal worth $12 billion

Saudi Arabia&#39;s oil giant Aramco wants to enter into exclusive talks with India to buy a stake in the planned 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) refinery on the South Asian nation&#39;s west coast, minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhans said.

The proposed talks come as Saudi Arabia seeks to secure customers for its oil amidst a global supply glut.

With the 1.2 million bpd refinery, the world&#39;s largest, India wants to have a greater say in the global fuel trade, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters in New Delhi.

The country&#39;s top refiner Indian Oil Corp will initially hold a 50 pe rcent stake in the project, while Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp will own 25 per cent each.

The proposed talks come as Saudi Arabia seeks to secure customers for its oil amidst a global supply glut

Saudi Arabia's oil giant Aramco wants to enter into exclusive talks with India to buy a stake in the planned 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) refinery on the South Asian nation's west coast, minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhans said. The proposed talks come as Saudi Arabia seeks to secure customers for its oil amidst a global supply glut. With the 1.2 million bpd refinery, the world's largest, India wants to have a greater say in the global fuel trade, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters in New Delhi. The country's top refiner Indian Oil Corp will initially hold a 50 pe rcent stake in the project, while Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp will own 25 per cent each.

Saudi Arabia's Aramco seeking stake in India's oil refinery: Petroleum ministry

Oil prices edged up on Tuesday, lifted by statements that Saudi Arabia was making significant supply cuts, although rising U S output meant that markets remain well supplied.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $48.52 per barrel at 0510 GMT, up 23 cents, or 0.5 percent, from their last close.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $46.27 per barrel, up 19 cents, or 0.4 percent.

Saudi Arabia, the world&#39;s top oil exporter, is leading an effort by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut production by almost 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) until the end of the first quarter of 2018 in order to prop up prices. Other countries, including top producer Russia, are also participating.

During the first half of the year, there were doubts over OPEC&#39;s compliance with its own pledges, as supplies remained high.

Saudi officials now say they are making real cuts, including 300,000 bpd to Asia for July, although several Asian refiners said they were still receiving their full allocations.

&quot;Oil attempted to rally... as Saudi Arabia announced cuts to shipments to the United States and Asia,&quot; said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at futures brokerage OANDA in Singapore.

OPEC&#39;s exports have been falling since the start of the cuts in January, although some members such as Libya and Nigeria are exempt from the cuts and there have been doubts over the compliance of others, including Iraq.

Trade data shows that OPEC shipments to customers averaged around 26 million bpd in the last six months of 2016, while they are set to average around 25.3 million bpd in the first half of this year.

Threatening to undermine OPEC&#39;s efforts is rising U.S. drilling activity RIG-OL-USA-BHI, which has driven up output C-OUT-T-EIA in the United States by more than 10 percent since mid-2016, to over 9.3 million bpd.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production will rise above 10 million next year, challenging top exporter Saudi Arabia. 
&nbsp; 
Overall, oil markets remain well supplied.

Reflecting the perception that global oil supplies are ample, the Brent forward curve &lt;0#LCO:&gt; remains in a shape known as contango, with crude for delivery in half a year&#39;s time about $1.50 per barrel more expensive than that for immediate delivery, making it attractive for traders to store oil for a later sale.

&quot;Where oil prices go will be determined by the flow of inventory data,&quot; said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at Australian futures brokerage AxiTrader.

While prices were up on Tuesday, crude has lost 10 percent of its value since late May when OPEC announced it would extend its production cuts.

(Reuters)

Oil attempted to rally... as Saudi Arabia announced cuts to shipments to the United States and Asia,"

Oil prices edged up on Tuesday, lifted by statements that Saudi Arabia was making significant supply cuts, although rising U S output meant that markets remain well supplied. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $48.52 per barrel at 0510 GMT, up 23 cents, or 0.5 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $46.27 per barrel, up 19 cents, or 0.4 percent. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, is leading an effort by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut production by almost 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) until the end of the first quarter of 2018 in order to prop up prices. Other countries, including top producer Russia, are also participating. During the first half of the year, there were doubts over OPEC's compliance with its own pledges, as supplies remained high. Saudi officials now say they are making real cuts, including 300,000 bpd to Asia for July, although several Asian refiners said they were still receiving their full allocations. "Oil attempted to rally... as Saudi Arabia announced cuts to shipments to the United States and Asia," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at futures brokerage OANDA in Singapore. OPEC's exports have been falling since the start of the cuts in January, although some members such as Libya and Nigeria are exempt from the cuts and there have been doubts over the compliance of others, including Iraq. Trade data shows that OPEC shipments to customers averaged around 26 million bpd in the last six months of 2016, while they are set to average around 25.3 million bpd in the first half of this year. Threatening to undermine OPEC's efforts is rising U.S. drilling activity RIG-OL-USA-BHI, which has driven up output C-OUT-T-EIA in the United States by more than 10 percent since mid-2016, to over 9.3 million bpd. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production will rise above 10 million next year, challenging top exporter Saudi Arabia. Overall, oil markets remain well supplied. Reflecting the perception that global oil supplies are ample, the Brent forward curve <0#LCO:> remains in a shape known as contango, with crude for delivery in half a year's time about $1.50 per barrel more expensive than that for immediate delivery, making it attractive for traders to store oil for a later sale. "Where oil prices go will be determined by the flow of inventory data," said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at Australian futures brokerage AxiTrader. While prices were up on Tuesday, crude has lost 10 percent of its value since late May when OPEC announced it would extend its production cuts. (Reuters)

Oil prices edged up, Saudi Arabia to cut supplies from Asia and United States

Qatar moved Sunday to avoid an escalation of its feud with Gulf neighbours by telling their citizens they are welcome to stay, while boasting of &quot;business as usual&quot; for vital gas exports.

Iran also announced it had sent tonnes of vegetables to Qatar, which has seen food imports threatened after its neighbours cut air, sea and land links with the country.&nbsp;

Nearly a week after Saudi Arabia and several of its allies severed ties with Qatar in an unprecedented Gulf diplomatic crisis, there were no signs of the bitter dispute being resolved.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others accused Qatar of supporting extremist groups, an assertion since backed by US President Donald Trump.

Qatar strongly rejects the allegations and says it is open to talks on ending the dispute, which also saw the three Gulf states order all Qataris out of their countries within 14 days.

Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, a special adviser to Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, told AFP the decision to sever ties would not prove successful.

&quot;I think this is not about counter-terrorism, it&#39;s not about terror financing,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think it is about an orchestrated campaign against my country to pressure my country to change its active, independent foreign policy.

&quot;This policy of domination and control is not going to work.&quot;

&quot;When it comes to terrorism, Qatar has never supported terrorism, Qatar does not support terrorism, Qatar will not support terrorism,&quot; Qahtani said.

The crisis has raised major concerns of instability in the region, and on Sunday Kuwait&#39;s foreign minister said his country would continue its mediation efforts.

State media reported late Saturday Doha would &quot;not take any measures against residents of Qatar who hold the nationalities of countries that severed diplomatic ties... on the back of hostile and tendentious campaigns against the country&quot;.

No gas interruption&nbsp;

This will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain living in Qatar.

Concerns have been raised for the impact of these measures on people in all the countries affected.&nbsp;

&quot;For potentially thousands of people across the Gulf, the effect of the steps imposed in the wake of this political dispute is suffering, heartbreak and fear,&quot; Amnesty International has said.

Saudi Arabia said Sunday it was ordering &quot;suitable measures&quot; to help families with mixed citizenships, but provided few details.

Despite the unprecedented sanctions, Qatar says that its crucial exports of liquified natural gas have not been interrupted.

&quot;Qatar Petroleum... is conducting business as usual&nbsp;throughout all its upstream, midstream and downstream businesses and&nbsp;operations, and in all activities across all of QP&#39;s world-class facilities,&quot; a statement read.

Gas has helped transform the tiny emirate into one of the world&#39;s richest countries, fuelling its rise into a major regional player and helping fund huge infrastructure projects such as the 2022 football World Cup, which Qatar will host.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Sunday said he was confident the crisis posed no threat to the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar&#39;s rivals have also accused Doha of being too close to the Sunni Arab Gulf states&#39; arch-rival Shiite-dominated Iran -- claims that Doha has also denied.

Iranian officials said Sunday that tonnes of vegetables had been sent from Iran to Qatar since the measures were taken against it.

Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said five aircraft carrying around 90 tonnes of vegetables each had been sent to Qatar in recent days.

&quot;We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand,&quot; Noushabadi added, without saying if these were commercial exports or aid.

Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also set to leave Iran for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency reported.

Mixed US signals

Moscow on Saturday joined other nations in calling for dialogue, after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their &quot;blockade&quot; of Qatar.

Washington has sent mixed signals on the crisis, despite Qatar&#39;s position as a key ally and host to the region&#39;s largest US airbase.

While Tillerson and others have called for an easing of tensions, Trump on Friday said Qatar had &quot;historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level&quot;.

Kuwait, which has not joined its neighbours against Qatar, has led mediation efforts and on Sunday Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled Al-Sabah said that would continue.

The African Union chairman, Guinean President Alpha Conde whose country has close ties with Saudi Arabia, has also offered himself as a mediator.

This will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain living in Qatar

Qatar moved Sunday to avoid an escalation of its feud with Gulf neighbours by telling their citizens they are welcome to stay, while boasting of "business as usual" for vital gas exports. Iran also announced it had sent tonnes of vegetables to Qatar, which has seen food imports threatened after its neighbours cut air, sea and land links with the country. Nearly a week after Saudi Arabia and several of its allies severed ties with Qatar in an unprecedented Gulf diplomatic crisis, there were no signs of the bitter dispute being resolved. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others accused Qatar of supporting extremist groups, an assertion since backed by US President Donald Trump. Qatar strongly rejects the allegations and says it is open to talks on ending the dispute, which also saw the three Gulf states order all Qataris out of their countries within 14 days. Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, a special adviser to Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, told AFP the decision to sever ties would not prove successful. "I think this is not about counter-terrorism, it's not about terror financing," he said. "I think it is about an orchestrated campaign against my country to pressure my country to change its active, independent foreign policy. "This policy of domination and control is not going to work." "When it comes to terrorism, Qatar has never supported terrorism, Qatar does not support terrorism, Qatar will not support terrorism," Qahtani said. The crisis has raised major concerns of instability in the region, and on Sunday Kuwait's foreign minister said his country would continue its mediation efforts. State media reported late Saturday Doha would "not take any measures against residents of Qatar who hold the nationalities of countries that severed diplomatic ties... on the back of hostile and tendentious campaigns against the country". No gas interruption This will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain living in Qatar. Concerns have been raised for the impact of these measures on people in all the countries affected. "For potentially thousands of people across the Gulf, the effect of the steps imposed in the wake of this political dispute is suffering, heartbreak and fear," Amnesty International has said. Saudi Arabia said Sunday it was ordering "suitable measures" to help families with mixed citizenships, but provided few details. Despite the unprecedented sanctions, Qatar says that its crucial exports of liquified natural gas have not been interrupted. "Qatar Petroleum... is conducting business as usual throughout all its upstream, midstream and downstream businesses and operations, and in all activities across all of QP's world-class facilities," a statement read. Gas has helped transform the tiny emirate into one of the world's richest countries, fuelling its rise into a major regional player and helping fund huge infrastructure projects such as the 2022 football World Cup, which Qatar will host. FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Sunday said he was confident the crisis posed no threat to the 2022 World Cup. Qatar's rivals have also accused Doha of being too close to the Sunni Arab Gulf states' arch-rival Shiite-dominated Iran -- claims that Doha has also denied. Iranian officials said Sunday that tonnes of vegetables had been sent from Iran to Qatar since the measures were taken against it. Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said five aircraft carrying around 90 tonnes of vegetables each had been sent to Qatar in recent days. "We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand," Noushabadi added, without saying if these were commercial exports or aid. Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also set to leave Iran for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency reported. Mixed US signals Moscow on Saturday joined other nations in calling for dialogue, after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their "blockade" of Qatar. Washington has sent mixed signals on the crisis, despite Qatar's position as a key ally and host to the region's largest US airbase. While Tillerson and others have called for an easing of tensions, Trump on Friday said Qatar had "historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level". Kuwait, which has not joined its neighbours against Qatar, has led mediation efforts and on Sunday Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled Al-Sabah said that would continue. The African Union chairman, Guinean President Alpha Conde whose country has close ties with Saudi Arabia, has also offered himself as a mediator.

Gulf citizens can stay despite crisis: Qatar

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed developments in Syria and in the row between Qatar and its fellow Arab states on a phone call late on Saturday, Turkish foreign ministry sources said.

The call, held at Tillerson&#39;s request, came after Tillerson on Friday urged Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to ease their blockade of Qatar, saying it was causing unintended humanitarian consequences and affecting the US-led fight against Islamic State.

No further details of the call were immediately available.

Referring to Tillerson&#39;s comments on the blockade, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner in Istanbul on Friday: &quot;I say it should be lifted completely&quot;.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and their adversary Iran - allegations Qatar says are baseless. Several countries followed suit.

Erdogan vowed to keep supporting Qatar after his rapid approval of legislation on deploying Turkish troops there. On Saturday, he told Bahrain&#39;s foreign minister that the dispute should be resolved by the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Erdogan on Thursday also approved an accord between Turkey and Qatar on military training cooperation. Both bills were drawn up before the dispute between Qatar and others erupted. Turkey has also pledged to provide food and water supplies to Qatar.

Turkey has maintained good relations with Qatar as well as several of its Gulf Arab neighbours. Turkey and Qatar have both provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and backed rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkey and fellow NATO member the United States have also been at loggerheads regarding US&nbsp;support the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in the fight against Islamic State in Syria. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade-long insurgency on its soil.

The United States said last week it had started supplying arms to the YPG for an assault on the Syrian town of Raqqa, deepening Turkey&#39;s anger. The YPG&#39;s role in the Raqqa campaign has strained ties between the United States and Turkey, which fears growing Kurdish ascendancy along its border.

(Reuters)

The call, held at Tillerson's request, came after he on Friday urged Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to ease their blockade of Qatar

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed developments in Syria and in the row between Qatar and its fellow Arab states on a phone call late on Saturday, Turkish foreign ministry sources said. The call, held at Tillerson's request, came after Tillerson on Friday urged Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to ease their blockade of Qatar, saying it was causing unintended humanitarian consequences and affecting the US-led fight against Islamic State. No further details of the call were immediately available. Referring to Tillerson's comments on the blockade, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner in Istanbul on Friday: "I say it should be lifted completely". Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and their adversary Iran - allegations Qatar says are baseless. Several countries followed suit. Erdogan vowed to keep supporting Qatar after his rapid approval of legislation on deploying Turkish troops there. On Saturday, he told Bahrain's foreign minister that the dispute should be resolved by the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Erdogan on Thursday also approved an accord between Turkey and Qatar on military training cooperation. Both bills were drawn up before the dispute between Qatar and others erupted. Turkey has also pledged to provide food and water supplies to Qatar. Turkey has maintained good relations with Qatar as well as several of its Gulf Arab neighbours. Turkey and Qatar have both provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and backed rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Turkey and fellow NATO member the United States have also been at loggerheads regarding US support the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in the fight against Islamic State in Syria. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade-long insurgency on its soil. The United States said last week it had started supplying arms to the YPG for an assault on the Syrian town of Raqqa, deepening Turkey's anger. The YPG's role in the Raqqa campaign has strained ties between the United States and Turkey, which fears growing Kurdish ascendancy along its border. (Reuters)

US, Turkey discuss Qatar row, Syria on phone call: Sources

President Donald Trump declared Friday that the time has come for Qatar to halt all funding of terrorism, as a diplomatic stand-off between the Gulf emirate and its neighbors escalated.

Trump&#39;s stern warning overshadowed an earlier declaration from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson -- who had also urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their land and sea &quot;blockade&quot; of Qatar.

But US officials insisted that both men were sending the same message that the countries of the region should not allow their differences to hinder the fight against extremism.

The gas-rich emirate is home to the largest US airbase in the Middle East and thus a key ally in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

But it has fallen out with its Arab neighbors, who accuse it of sponsoring extremist groups, some of them allegedly linked to arch Saudi foe Iran, fomenting trouble across the region.

The neighbors also resent Qatar&#39;s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood movement and its sponsorship of pan-Arab satellite television network Al-Jazeera, which has given opposition figures a platform.

Qatar has denounced the allegations of terror funding as baseless and has received the support of close ally Turkey, which has approved the deployment of troops to defend the emirate.

&#39;High-level terror funding&#39;&nbsp;

Having apparently been caught on the hop by the speed with which the dispute has spiralled -- despite meeting all of the leaders&#39; concerned in Riyadh last month -- Trump has asked Tillerson to mediate.

The US president&#39;s rhetoric on Friday, however, did not appear likely to calm spirits in Doha. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,&quot; Trump told reporters in the White House Rose Garden, as Tillerson looked on.

&quot;I decided, along with secretary of state Rex Tillerson, our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding,&quot; he declared.&nbsp;

&quot;They have to end that funding and its extremist ideology in terms of funding,&quot; he said, lumping Qatar in with other nations which he said must &quot;stop teaching people to kill other people.&quot;

Less than two hours earlier, Tillerson had approached the crisis from a different direction -- warning that the stand-off between the former Gulf allies was undermining the anti-terror fight.

He did urge Qatar to be &quot;responsive to the concerns of its neighbors&quot; and to immediately crack down on extremist funding.

&quot;The emir of Qatar has made progress in halting financial support and expelling terrorists from his country, but he must do more and he must do it more quickly,&quot; he said.

But he also warned the response -- Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties on Monday and are trying to blockade Qatar by air and sea -- could be counterproductive.

&quot;The blockade is hindering US military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS,&quot; Tillerson warned.

Previously, US officers had denied the blockade was a problem, but Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the &quot;evolving situation is hindering our ability to plan for longer-term military operations.&quot;

Families separated

But Tillerson also noted that other countries must do more -- and he urged Riyadh and its allies to soften their embargo.

&quot;There are humanitarian consequences to this blockade. We are seeing shortages of food. Families are being forcibly separated and children pulled out of school,&quot; he said.

&quot;We believe these are unintended consequences, especially during this holy month of Ramadan. But they can be addressed immediately.&quot;

Tillerson said he had spoken to many leaders in the Gulf region in recent days and supported&nbsp;efforts by the emir of Kuwait to resolve the stand-off.

The tough US line was a rebuff for Qatar&#39;s efforts to reach out for support from abroad.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani spoke to Tillerson and was due in Moscow on Saturday.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain released a joint statement listing 59 entities and individuals, including members of Qatar&#39;s royal family as involved in &quot;terrorist&quot; activities.&nbsp;

Also named were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities.&nbsp;

A statement said the list shows that Qatar &quot;announces fighting terrorism on one hand and finances and supports and hosts different terrorist organizations on the other hand.&quot;&nbsp;

The Qatari government said the list &quot;once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact&quot; and boasted: &quot;We lead the region in attacking the roots of terrorism.&quot;&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the crisis is drawing in more countries.

Turkey&#39;s parliament has approved deploying troops to a base in Qatar and Iran has offered to send food.&nbsp;

Bahrain&#39;s foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, is expected in Turkey on Saturday to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.&nbsp;

The moves taken against Doha include banning Qatar Airways from airspace and closing Qatar&#39;s only land border with Saudi Arabia. The Arab states have also ordered Qataris out within 14 days.

Analysts say the crisis is partly an extension of a 2014 dispute, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain temporarily recalled their ambassadors over Qatari support for Egypt&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood.&nbsp;

Doha has for years forged its own alliances in the region, often diverging from GCC policies and taking in leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestinian Hamas and members of the Afghan Taliban.

US President Donald Trump said that the time has come for Qatar to halt all funding of terrorism

President Donald Trump declared Friday that the time has come for Qatar to halt all funding of terrorism, as a diplomatic stand-off between the Gulf emirate and its neighbors escalated. Trump's stern warning overshadowed an earlier declaration from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson -- who had also urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their land and sea "blockade" of Qatar. But US officials insisted that both men were sending the same message that the countries of the region should not allow their differences to hinder the fight against extremism. The gas-rich emirate is home to the largest US airbase in the Middle East and thus a key ally in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. But it has fallen out with its Arab neighbors, who accuse it of sponsoring extremist groups, some of them allegedly linked to arch Saudi foe Iran, fomenting trouble across the region. The neighbors also resent Qatar's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood movement and its sponsorship of pan-Arab satellite television network Al-Jazeera, which has given opposition figures a platform. Qatar has denounced the allegations of terror funding as baseless and has received the support of close ally Turkey, which has approved the deployment of troops to defend the emirate. 'High-level terror funding' Having apparently been caught on the hop by the speed with which the dispute has spiralled -- despite meeting all of the leaders' concerned in Riyadh last month -- Trump has asked Tillerson to mediate. The US president's rhetoric on Friday, however, did not appear likely to calm spirits in Doha. "The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level," Trump told reporters in the White House Rose Garden, as Tillerson looked on. "I decided, along with secretary of state Rex Tillerson, our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding," he declared. "They have to end that funding and its extremist ideology in terms of funding," he said, lumping Qatar in with other nations which he said must "stop teaching people to kill other people." Less than two hours earlier, Tillerson had approached the crisis from a different direction -- warning that the stand-off between the former Gulf allies was undermining the anti-terror fight. He did urge Qatar to be "responsive to the concerns of its neighbors" and to immediately crack down on extremist funding. "The emir of Qatar has made progress in halting financial support and expelling terrorists from his country, but he must do more and he must do it more quickly," he said. But he also warned the response -- Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties on Monday and are trying to blockade Qatar by air and sea -- could be counterproductive. "The blockade is hindering US military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS," Tillerson warned. Previously, US officers had denied the blockade was a problem, but Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the "evolving situation is hindering our ability to plan for longer-term military operations." Families separated But Tillerson also noted that other countries must do more -- and he urged Riyadh and its allies to soften their embargo. "There are humanitarian consequences to this blockade. We are seeing shortages of food. Families are being forcibly separated and children pulled out of school," he said. "We believe these are unintended consequences, especially during this holy month of Ramadan. But they can be addressed immediately." Tillerson said he had spoken to many leaders in the Gulf region in recent days and supported efforts by the emir of Kuwait to resolve the stand-off. The tough US line was a rebuff for Qatar's efforts to reach out for support from abroad. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani spoke to Tillerson and was due in Moscow on Saturday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain released a joint statement listing 59 entities and individuals, including members of Qatar's royal family as involved in "terrorist" activities. Also named were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities. A statement said the list shows that Qatar "announces fighting terrorism on one hand and finances and supports and hosts different terrorist organizations on the other hand." The Qatari government said the list "once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact" and boasted: "We lead the region in attacking the roots of terrorism." Meanwhile, the crisis is drawing in more countries. Turkey's parliament has approved deploying troops to a base in Qatar and Iran has offered to send food. Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, is expected in Turkey on Saturday to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The moves taken against Doha include banning Qatar Airways from airspace and closing Qatar's only land border with Saudi Arabia. The Arab states have also ordered Qataris out within 14 days. Analysts say the crisis is partly an extension of a 2014 dispute, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain temporarily recalled their ambassadors over Qatari support for Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. Doha has for years forged its own alliances in the region, often diverging from GCC policies and taking in leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestinian Hamas and members of the Afghan Taliban.

Trump rebukes Qatar as Gulf stand-off escalates

The government of Qatar has hired John Ashcroft, the US&nbsp;attorney general during the September&nbsp;11 attacks, as it seeks to rebut accusations from US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and its Arab neighbors that it supports terrorism.

Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for a 90-day period as the country seeks to confirm its efforts to fight global terrorism and comply with financial regulations including US&nbsp;Treasury rules, according to a Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, filing on Friday with the Justice Department.

&quot;The firm&#39;s work will include crisis response and management, program and system analysis, media outreach, education and advocacy regarding the client&#39;s historical, current and future efforts to combat global terror and its compliance goals and accomplishments,&quot; according to a letter by Ashcroft firm partner Michael Sullivan included in the filing.

Qatar faces isolation by fellow Arab countries after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt severed ties with Doha on Monday, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and their adversary Iran. Qatar denies the allegations.

The crisis is a major diplomatic test for the United States, which is a close ally of countries on both sides but has given mixed signals on whether to isolate Qatar or bring it into talks with other Gulf countries.

Trump on Friday accused Qatar of being a &quot;high level&quot; sponsor of terrorism in remarks made shortly after his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, pushed Qatar&#39;s Arab neighbors to &quot;immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation.&quot;

The Ashcroft firm was hired to do a compliance and regulatory view of Qatar&#39;s anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing framework, Sullivan said in an email.

&quot;Qatar is confident that the review and analysis will confirm that Qatar has significant measures in place to prevent and detect efforts to launder funds and/or to use its financial systems to finance terrorist organizations,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ashcroft was US&nbsp;attorney general under President George W. Bush from February 2001 to February 2005, turbulent years in which US&nbsp;policies and laws were reshaped by the so-called war on terrorism that followed the 2001 al Qaeda attacks.

Ashcroft&#39;s firm includes an array of former senior government officials including Sullivan, a former US&nbsp;attorney in Massachusetts appointed by Bush to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

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Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for a 90-day period

The government of Qatar has hired John Ashcroft, the US attorney general during the September 11 attacks, as it seeks to rebut accusations from US President Donald Trump and its Arab neighbors that it supports terrorism. Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for a 90-day period as the country seeks to confirm its efforts to fight global terrorism and comply with financial regulations including US Treasury rules, according to a Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, filing on Friday with the Justice Department. "The firm's work will include crisis response and management, program and system analysis, media outreach, education and advocacy regarding the client's historical, current and future efforts to combat global terror and its compliance goals and accomplishments," according to a letter by Ashcroft firm partner Michael Sullivan included in the filing. Qatar faces isolation by fellow Arab countries after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt severed ties with Doha on Monday, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and their adversary Iran. Qatar denies the allegations. The crisis is a major diplomatic test for the United States, which is a close ally of countries on both sides but has given mixed signals on whether to isolate Qatar or bring it into talks with other Gulf countries. Trump on Friday accused Qatar of being a "high level" sponsor of terrorism in remarks made shortly after his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, pushed Qatar's Arab neighbors to "immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation." The Ashcroft firm was hired to do a compliance and regulatory view of Qatar's anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing framework, Sullivan said in an email. "Qatar is confident that the review and analysis will confirm that Qatar has significant measures in place to prevent and detect efforts to launder funds and/or to use its financial systems to finance terrorist organizations," he said. Ashcroft was US attorney general under President George W. Bush from February 2001 to February 2005, turbulent years in which US policies and laws were reshaped by the so-called war on terrorism that followed the 2001 al Qaeda attacks. Ashcroft's firm includes an array of former senior government officials including Sullivan, a former US attorney in Massachusetts appointed by Bush to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Qatar hires ex-US attorney general John Ashcroft to rebut accusations of sponsoring terror

Qatar on Friday dismissed a terrorism blacklist published by Saudi Arabia and its allies as &quot;baseless&quot;&nbsp;which linked individuals and organisations in Doha to support for Islamist militant groups.

The emirate was responding just hours after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain published a list of 59 people and entities linked to &quot;terrorism&quot;.

&quot;The recent joint statement issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE regarding a &#39;terror finance watch list&#39; once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact,&quot; read a statement from Qatar&#39;s government.

The statement added that Qatar does not support terrorist groups.

&quot;Our position on countering terrorism is stronger than many of the signatories of the joint statement -- a fact that has been conveniently ignored by the authors,&quot; it added.

Included on the list were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities.

The list and its response adds to the diplomatic and political tensions in the Gulf which have heightened since Saudi Arabia and its allies severed ties with Qatar over its alleged support for extremism.

Qatar has vehemently denied the claims and on Thursday its foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said his country would not &quot;surrender&quot;.

(AFP)

Qatar dismissed a terrorism blacklist of 59 people and entities which linked individuals and organisations in Doha to support for Islamist militant groups published by Saudi Arabia and its allies as 'baseless'

Qatar on Friday dismissed a terrorism blacklist published by Saudi Arabia and its allies as "baseless" which linked individuals and organisations in Doha to support for Islamist militant groups. The emirate was responding just hours after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain published a list of 59 people and entities linked to "terrorism". "The recent joint statement issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE regarding a 'terror finance watch list' once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact," read a statement from Qatar's government. The statement added that Qatar does not support terrorist groups. "Our position on countering terrorism is stronger than many of the signatories of the joint statement -- a fact that has been conveniently ignored by the authors," it added. Included on the list were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities. The list and its response adds to the diplomatic and political tensions in the Gulf which have heightened since Saudi Arabia and its allies severed ties with Qatar over its alleged support for extremism. Qatar has vehemently denied the claims and on Thursday its foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said his country would not "surrender". (AFP)

Saudi, allies terrorism list 'baseless': Qatar

Conditions are so dire in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi&#39;s Egypt that anyone could beat him in next year&#39;s presidential election if the vote is held fairly, the highest-profile potential challenger told Reuters.

Khaled Ali, 45, has not formally announced if he will oppose the general-turned-president in 2018 but has indicated he intends to. He is waiting to find out if he will go to prison.

The human rights and labour lawyer went on trial last week on public indecency charges that carry up to two years in prison. If convicted, even with a fine, he will be barred from running.

&quot;If we had fair elections, anyone could defeat Sisi,&quot; Ali said in a Reuters interview.

Worsening economic conditions, deteriorating security and a crackdown on political freedoms all mean Sisi is losing popularity, he said.

Sisi came to power in 2014, a year after he led the military in ousting elected but unpopular Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. He is expected to run again in 2018.

Ali says he&#39;s prepared to address the country&#39;s issues but thinks it is unlikely security forces will allow his potential candidacy a fair shot.

&quot;Society needs to have an experience of resistance. If we keep not resisting, they will stay in control,&quot; he said.

Ali gained prominence in January when he won a case that nullified a government transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, a deal that had prompted mass protests.

He sees the case as having swayed the opinion of many once stalwart Sisi supporters, who oppose ceding sovereign territory.

&quot;Sisi came to power on the basis that he is the army strong-man who will protect the country and he is giving up land Egypt went to war with Israel for,&quot; he said.

The socialist ran for president in 2012 and came seventh. He was the youngest candidate, having turned 40, the minimum age required to run.

He now leads the leftwing Bread and Freedom Party, eight of whose members have been arrested since April on charges including &quot;misusing social media to incite against the state&quot; and insulting the president.

Ali believes the arrests and case against him - which alleges he made an obscene hand gesture on the steps of a Cairo courthouse after winning the islands case - are punishment for his work on that case and his intention to challenge Sisi.

&quot;The regime is trying to make even caring about politics scary. They are trying to make it come with a high price.&quot;

(Reuters)

Khaled Ali, 45, has not formally announced if he will oppose the general-turned-president in 2018 but has indicated he intends to

Conditions are so dire in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's Egypt that anyone could beat him in next year's presidential election if the vote is held fairly, the highest-profile potential challenger told Reuters. Khaled Ali, 45, has not formally announced if he will oppose the general-turned-president in 2018 but has indicated he intends to. He is waiting to find out if he will go to prison. The human rights and labour lawyer went on trial last week on public indecency charges that carry up to two years in prison. If convicted, even with a fine, he will be barred from running. "If we had fair elections, anyone could defeat Sisi," Ali said in a Reuters interview. Worsening economic conditions, deteriorating security and a crackdown on political freedoms all mean Sisi is losing popularity, he said. Sisi came to power in 2014, a year after he led the military in ousting elected but unpopular Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. He is expected to run again in 2018. Ali says he's prepared to address the country's issues but thinks it is unlikely security forces will allow his potential candidacy a fair shot. "Society needs to have an experience of resistance. If we keep not resisting, they will stay in control," he said. Ali gained prominence in January when he won a case that nullified a government transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, a deal that had prompted mass protests. He sees the case as having swayed the opinion of many once stalwart Sisi supporters, who oppose ceding sovereign territory. "Sisi came to power on the basis that he is the army strong-man who will protect the country and he is giving up land Egypt went to war with Israel for," he said. The socialist ran for president in 2012 and came seventh. He was the youngest candidate, having turned 40, the minimum age required to run. He now leads the leftwing Bread and Freedom Party, eight of whose members have been arrested since April on charges including "misusing social media to incite against the state" and insulting the president. Ali believes the arrests and case against him - which alleges he made an obscene hand gesture on the steps of a Cairo courthouse after winning the islands case - are punishment for his work on that case and his intention to challenge Sisi. "The regime is trying to make even caring about politics scary. They are trying to make it come with a high price." (Reuters)

Anyone could beat Sisi in next year's polls as conditions in Egypt dire: Khaled Ali

The crisis over Arab states severing ties with Qatar over its alleged support to terrorism took another turn as Turkey brought forward troop deployment to Qatar on Wednesday and pledged to provide crucial food and water supplies to the Gulf Arab country facing a worsening rift with its powerful Middle Eastern neighbours.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464">Also Read:&nbsp;&nbsp;Saudi Arabia shuts Qatar&#39;s Al Jazeera amid </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464">ban</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464"> crisis</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/etihad-qatar-airways-suspend-flight-ops-to-deepen-regional-ban-rift-16451">Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain </a>had severed relations with Qatar on Monday and closed their airspace to commercial flights, saying it was funding militant groups.

Qatar vehemently denies the accusations.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said isolating Qatar would not resolve any problems. Erdogan, who has long tried to play the role of a regional power broker, said Ankara would do everything in its power to help end the regional crisis.

Lawmakers from Erdogan&#39;s ruling AK Party and the nationalist opposition MHP were the main backers of the bill that allows troops to be deployed to Turkey&#39;s base in Qatar, but the main opposition CHP party said the timing sent the wrong message.

&quot;With these agreements, Turkey is making a choice and by standing by Qatar it is taking on the other countries. This is a wrong policy,&quot; CHP deputy head and lawmaker Ozturk Yilmaz said. &quot;How will you be a mediator if you are taking sides?&quot; he said.

Turkey has maintained good relations with Qatar as well as several of its Gulf Arab neighbours. Turkey and Qatar have both provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and backed rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The Turkish parliament has also endorsed an accord between the two countries on military training cooperation. Both bills were drawn up before the spat erupted. The fast-tracking of the legislation has weighed on the Turkish lira.

Turkey&#39;s main exporters&#39; body said it was ready to meet food and water supply demands from Qatar, after a Qatari official said Doha was in talks with Iran and Turkey to ensure trade disruptions did not create shortages.

Grain traders said Qatar appears to have a comfortable immediate supply of wheat.

&quot;Qatar recently purchased about 20,000 tonnes of Russian milling wheat which according to my calculations has just arrived in past days or will arrive in coming days,&quot; one European grain trader said.

The president of Qatar&#39;s Chamber of Commerce was quoted on Wednesday by local media as saying Qatar had enough food stored in strategic reserves to last for a year.

&quot;There will be no shortage of food and other products as more than 95 per cent of imports from Qatar arrive by air and sea,&quot; Qatari Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani said.

Turkey set up a military base in Qatar, its first such installation in the Middle East, as part of an agreement signed in 2014. In 2016, Ahmet Davutoglu, then Turkish prime minister, visited the base where 150 personnel are already stationed, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reported.

In an interview with Reuters in late 2015, Ahmet Demirok, Turkey&#39;s ambassador to Qatar at the time, said 3,000 ground troops would eventually be deployed at the base, which was primarily to serve as a venue for joint training exercises.

The text of the draft bill, which includes the agreement between Qatar and Turkey on the base, shows the cooperation will be primarily about the modernisation of Qatar&#39;s military, as well as widening cooperation in training and war exercises.

The bill did not specify how many troops would go nor when.

&quot;With these agreements, Turkey is making a choice and by standing by Qatar it is taking on the other countries. This is a wrong policy,&quot; CHP deputy head and lawmaker Ozturk Yilmaz said.

&quot;How will you be a mediator if you are taking sides?&quot; he said.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Turkish President Erdogan said isolating Qatar would not resolve any problems

The crisis over Arab states severing ties with Qatar over its alleged support to terrorism took another turn as Turkey brought forward troop deployment to Qatar on Wednesday and pledged to provide crucial food and water supplies to the Gulf Arab country facing a worsening rift with its powerful Middle Eastern neighbours. Also Read: Saudi Arabia shuts Qatar's Al Jazeera amid ban crisis Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain had severed relations with Qatar on Monday and closed their airspace to commercial flights, saying it was funding militant groups. Qatar vehemently denies the accusations. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said isolating Qatar would not resolve any problems. Erdogan, who has long tried to play the role of a regional power broker, said Ankara would do everything in its power to help end the regional crisis. Lawmakers from Erdogan's ruling AK Party and the nationalist opposition MHP were the main backers of the bill that allows troops to be deployed to Turkey's base in Qatar, but the main opposition CHP party said the timing sent the wrong message. "With these agreements, Turkey is making a choice and by standing by Qatar it is taking on the other countries. This is a wrong policy," CHP deputy head and lawmaker Ozturk Yilmaz said. "How will you be a mediator if you are taking sides?" he said. Turkey has maintained good relations with Qatar as well as several of its Gulf Arab neighbours. Turkey and Qatar have both provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and backed rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Turkish parliament has also endorsed an accord between the two countries on military training cooperation. Both bills were drawn up before the spat erupted. The fast-tracking of the legislation has weighed on the Turkish lira. Turkey's main exporters' body said it was ready to meet food and water supply demands from Qatar, after a Qatari official said Doha was in talks with Iran and Turkey to ensure trade disruptions did not create shortages. Grain traders said Qatar appears to have a comfortable immediate supply of wheat. "Qatar recently purchased about 20,000 tonnes of Russian milling wheat which according to my calculations has just arrived in past days or will arrive in coming days," one European grain trader said. The president of Qatar's Chamber of Commerce was quoted on Wednesday by local media as saying Qatar had enough food stored in strategic reserves to last for a year. "There will be no shortage of food and other products as more than 95 per cent of imports from Qatar arrive by air and sea," Qatari Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani said. Turkey set up a military base in Qatar, its first such installation in the Middle East, as part of an agreement signed in 2014. In 2016, Ahmet Davutoglu, then Turkish prime minister, visited the base where 150 personnel are already stationed, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reported. In an interview with Reuters in late 2015, Ahmet Demirok, Turkey's ambassador to Qatar at the time, said 3,000 ground troops would eventually be deployed at the base, which was primarily to serve as a venue for joint training exercises. The text of the draft bill, which includes the agreement between Qatar and Turkey on the base, shows the cooperation will be primarily about the modernisation of Qatar's military, as well as widening cooperation in training and war exercises. The bill did not specify how many troops would go nor when. "With these agreements, Turkey is making a choice and by standing by Qatar it is taking on the other countries. This is a wrong policy," CHP deputy head and lawmaker Ozturk Yilmaz said. "How will you be a mediator if you are taking sides?" he said. (Reuters)

Turkey President Erdogan set to deploy troops to Qatar as Gulf crisis escalates

The Maldives said on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-bahrain-egypt-uae-cut-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-16432">Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who accused the Gulf state of supporting terrorism.</a>

&quot;The Maldives took the decision because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism,&quot; the government of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation said in a statement.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464">Also Read:&nbsp;Saudi Arabia shuts Qatar&#39;s Al Jazeera amid </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464">ban</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464"> crisis</a>

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Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today (Others)
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With the crisis escalating, Qatar Airways cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today&nbsp;until further notice, the airline said on its website, a day after it had suspended flights to Saudi Arabia.

The airline said passengers holding a confirmed Qatar Airways ticket to any of the four countries between June 5 and July 6 are permitted to rebook their flights up to 30 days after their current departure date.

Qatar Airways said its offices will continue to operate as normal in affected countries until further notice.

On Monday, Egypt Air, Fly Dubai and Bahrain&#39;s Gulf Air joined Etihad and Emirates in saying they would suspend all flights to and from Doha.

Gulf Arab states and Egypt have long resented Qatar&#39;s support for Islamists, especially the Muslim Brotherhood which they regard as a dangerous political enemy.

Saudi Arabia&#39;s King Salman had been due to visit the island chain of 400,000 people on a month-long tour of Asia this year, but postponed the trip due to an outbreak of flu there.

The Maldives government said in March a planned multi-billion dollar, Saudi-funded investment project on one of its atolls would focus on high-end tourism, and rejected opposition claims that the islands would be sold to the government of Saudi Arabia.

(Reuters)

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Saudi Arabia has broken diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, saying the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism (WION)
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Maldives said it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain

The Maldives said on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who accused the Gulf state of supporting terrorism. "The Maldives took the decision because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism," the government of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation said in a statement. Also Read: Saudi Arabia shuts Qatar's Al Jazeera amid ban crisis Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today (Others) × With the crisis escalating, Qatar Airways cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today until further notice, the airline said on its website, a day after it had suspended flights to Saudi Arabia. The airline said passengers holding a confirmed Qatar Airways ticket to any of the four countries between June 5 and July 6 are permitted to rebook their flights up to 30 days after their current departure date. Qatar Airways said its offices will continue to operate as normal in affected countries until further notice. On Monday, Egypt Air, Fly Dubai and Bahrain's Gulf Air joined Etihad and Emirates in saying they would suspend all flights to and from Doha. Gulf Arab states and Egypt have long resented Qatar's support for Islamists, especially the Muslim Brotherhood which they regard as a dangerous political enemy. Saudi Arabia's King Salman had been due to visit the island chain of 400,000 people on a month-long tour of Asia this year, but postponed the trip due to an outbreak of flu there. The Maldives government said in March a planned multi-billion dollar, Saudi-funded investment project on one of its atolls would focus on high-end tourism, and rejected opposition claims that the islands would be sold to the government of Saudi Arabia. (Reuters) Saudi Arabia has broken diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, saying the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism (WION) ×

Maldives backs Saudi Arabia, cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar

Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out on Sunday against US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia&#39;s leaders for their new regional alliance against Tehran, saying it would bear no fruit.

Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups during his visit to Saudi Arabia in late May, two days after the Iranian election in which pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani won a second term.

During Trump&#39;s visit to Riyadh, the US&nbsp;sealed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Iran&#39;s regional arch-rival.

Khamenei called the visit a display of brazenness.

&quot;The US&nbsp;president stands alongside the leaders of a tribal and backward system and does the sword dance, but criticises an Iranian election with 40 million votes,&quot; the supreme leader said in a speech broadcast live on state TV.

&quot;Even with a multi-billion dollar bribe to America, the Saudis cannot achieve their goals in the region,&quot; he said.

Khamenei accused Washington of double standards, saying it turned a blind eye to the &quot;killing of Yemeni people in mosques, streets and their homes,&quot; while claiming to promote human rights around the world.

Saudi Arabia is leading a Sunni-Arab coalition fighting the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen, part of the same regional power struggle that is fuelling the war in Syria.

The Iranian president championed a nuclear deal with the United States and five other major powers in 2015 that led to the lifting of most sanctions against Iran, in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

The landmark deal, however, has not led to normalisation of ties between the two countries that Tehran hoped for.

Trump has frequently called the agreement &quot;one of the worst deals ever signed&quot; and said Washington would review it.

European countries, Russia and China have expressed concern that the Trump administration might withdraw from the deal.

&quot;European leaders are now saying the Americans are not trustworthy. Imam Khomeini said the same thing more than 30 years ago,&quot; Khamenei said at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, marking the 1989 death of the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Relations with Washington were broken after Iran&#39;s 1979 Islamic revolution and enmity to the United States has long been a rallying point for hardline supporters of Khamenei in Iran.

Khamenei hailed the high turnout in the election, saying that it showed the majority of Iranians still supported the&nbsp;Islamic revolution and its uncompromising values. 
 
(Reuters)

Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups during his visit to Saudi Arabia in May

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out on Sunday against US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's leaders for their new regional alliance against Tehran, saying it would bear no fruit. Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups during his visit to Saudi Arabia in late May, two days after the Iranian election in which pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani won a second term. During Trump's visit to Riyadh, the US sealed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional arch-rival. Khamenei called the visit a display of brazenness. "The US president stands alongside the leaders of a tribal and backward system and does the sword dance, but criticises an Iranian election with 40 million votes," the supreme leader said in a speech broadcast live on state TV. "Even with a multi-billion dollar bribe to America, the Saudis cannot achieve their goals in the region," he said. Khamenei accused Washington of double standards, saying it turned a blind eye to the "killing of Yemeni people in mosques, streets and their homes," while claiming to promote human rights around the world. Saudi Arabia is leading a Sunni-Arab coalition fighting the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen, part of the same regional power struggle that is fuelling the war in Syria. The Iranian president championed a nuclear deal with the United States and five other major powers in 2015 that led to the lifting of most sanctions against Iran, in return for curbs on its nuclear programme. The landmark deal, however, has not led to normalisation of ties between the two countries that Tehran hoped for. Trump has frequently called the agreement "one of the worst deals ever signed" and said Washington would review it. European countries, Russia and China have expressed concern that the Trump administration might withdraw from the deal. "European leaders are now saying the Americans are not trustworthy. Imam Khomeini said the same thing more than 30 years ago," Khamenei said at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, marking the 1989 death of the founder of the Islamic Republic. Relations with Washington were broken after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution and enmity to the United States has long been a rallying point for hardline supporters of Khamenei in Iran. Khamenei hailed the high turnout in the election, saying that it showed the majority of Iranians still supported the Islamic revolution and its uncompromising values. (Reuters)

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei lashes out at Trump, Saudi Arabia for anti-Tehran alliance

Abu Dhabi&#39;s Etihad Airways said on Monday it would suspend flights to Qatar after the United Arab Emirates was among major Gulf states to sever ties with Doha in an unprecedented regional crisis.

Etihad said flights would stop on Tuesday, after the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain said they would cut all air, land and sea links with Qatar within 24 hours.

Etihad, which operates four return flights to Doha daily, said the measure will be in place &quot;until further notice&quot;.

Qatar Airways also announced&nbsp;that it has suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia with immediate affect.

&quot;Qatar Airways has suspended all flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia&quot; until 1159 GMT the same day, a statement from the Doha-based carrier said.

A spokeswoman added that it was unclear if the suspension would be extended.

Other carriers from the three Gulf countries, including Dubai&#39;s Emirates, are likely to announce similar measures.

The unprecedented measures against Doha include ordering Qatari citizens to leave within 14 days and banning citizens of the three Gulf states from travelling to Qatar.

Doha airport, along with airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have become major hubs after Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways seized a significant chunk of transcontinental travel on routes linking Western countries with Asia and Australasia.&nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said it would suspend flights to Qatar, while Qatar Airways has temporarily stopped its flights heading to Saudi Arabia

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said on Monday it would suspend flights to Qatar after the United Arab Emirates was among major Gulf states to sever ties with Doha in an unprecedented regional crisis. Etihad said flights would stop on Tuesday, after the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain said they would cut all air, land and sea links with Qatar within 24 hours. Etihad, which operates four return flights to Doha daily, said the measure will be in place "until further notice". Qatar Airways also announced that it has suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia with immediate affect. "Qatar Airways has suspended all flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" until 1159 GMT the same day, a statement from the Doha-based carrier said. A spokeswoman added that it was unclear if the suspension would be extended. Other carriers from the three Gulf countries, including Dubai's Emirates, are likely to announce similar measures. The unprecedented measures against Doha include ordering Qatari citizens to leave within 14 days and banning citizens of the three Gulf states from travelling to Qatar. Doha airport, along with airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have become major hubs after Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways seized a significant chunk of transcontinental travel on routes linking Western countries with Asia and Australasia. (AFP)

Etihad, Qatar Airways suspend flight ops to deepen regional ban rift

In addition to English and Bengali, my three-and-a-half-year-old son is learning Arabic in school. Even he has Islam as a&nbsp;subject&nbsp;in his playgroup class.&nbsp;

Once, I happened to be in the school&#39;s sports room where children play with toys and listen to rhymes.&nbsp;The first rhyme they listened to was &ldquo;Bismillah Bismillah in the name of Allah&rdquo;. 
&nbsp; 
Some days later, one evening, I found my son flipping through his school book and reading to himself some Arabic alphabets. My wife was impressed. Who wouldn&rsquo;t be? In a country like Bangladesh, Arabic is not just a mere language but a symbol of Islam. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
I remember my school days when third grade onwards, we had mandatory religious studies. Muslim students would have to follow a curriculum in consonance with their religion while Hindus did likewise. The textbooks were akin to those studied in moral science lessons. The world is more advanced now. Probably, that is why children are being taught about religion at an earlier stage. 
&nbsp; 
It&rsquo;s not the same everywhere. Public schools follow a combined curriculum set by the government where religion is a compulsory subject from the third grade. But private schools, especially pre-schools, are at liberty to introduce it at earlier levels. Education, like many other things, has become a mushrooming business in Bangladesh. Inclusion of religion in the curriculum, no matter how young the children are, can make all the difference. This is done mainly to attract students, to persuade parents to send their wards to such schools. Ensuring proper education takes a backseat. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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<h5>Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore famously said, &lsquo;&lsquo;First, know your own mother tongue, then English.&rsquo;&rsquo; He had travelled extensively and had observed&nbsp;that no country could prosper sans its mother language</h5>
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Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore famously said, &lsquo;&lsquo;First, know your own mother tongue, then English.&rsquo;&rsquo; He had travelled extensively and had observed&nbsp;that no country could prosper sans its mother language. Since the creation of Bangladesh, the quality of education has been on a downward spiral. Constant leaks of examination question papers are a big problem. As pass&nbsp;rates of students have been going&nbsp;up, the standard of education has been going&nbsp;down. 
&nbsp; 
The other day, a cousin of mine requested me to fill her bank account opening form which was in English. My cousin, who has a BA degree, cannot read the language. This brings us to an important question.&nbsp;What type&nbsp;of graduates is Bangladesh producing?&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
As a result of the disastrous Bengali medium education system, a number of parents are sending their kids to English medium schools while the poor children have the madrasa education system only. The situation has come to such a head that Dhaka has given the Dawra&nbsp;degree of Qawami madrasa the same recognition that is accorded to a university master&#39;s degree. Bangladesh is one country, there is one language but&nbsp;there are four types of education systems. &nbsp;

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<h5>Our language and culture are in grave danger in these dark&nbsp;moments</h5>
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Few weeks ago, the ruling Awami League Party allegedly approved a project to build mosques and Islamic cultural centres in every district and sub-district across the country, with over $1 billion in funding from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government has subsequently denied any such funding but it is known that the&nbsp;Kingdom, for long, has been known to fan Sunni extremism through these kind of donations around the globe. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Also, earlier this year, school textbooks in Bangladesh were changed to appease the Islamist groups, particularly Hefazat-e-Islam. This is an excerpt published in New York Times on February 3, 2017 on the matter:&nbsp;&lsquo;&lsquo;The Bengali letter &ldquo;o&rdquo;?used to stand for &ldquo;ol,&rdquo; a yam; now it stands for &ldquo;orna,&rdquo; a scarf worn by women for modesty. Texts by non-Muslim writers&mdash;including some revered as part of Bengali heritage, like the classical poet Gyandas or the contemporary novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay&mdash;have been removed. Also gone are a small excerpt from the Ramayana, a Hindu classic that Islamists reject as foreign to the Muslim canon, and songs of the Sufi icon Lalon Shah, whose syncretic faith is anathema to Muslim conservatives.&rsquo;&rsquo; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
This is not all. Removal of the statue of Lady Justice from the Supreme Court building also sent shockwaves through the secular sections of Bangladesh&#39;s people. Taking cue from this, now the Islamist groups want all statues in the country destroyed.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Our language and culture are in grave danger in these dark&nbsp;moments. The celebration of the Bengali New Year did not go smoothly this year. Some fundamentalist groups protested against the celebrations, terming the festivities un-Islamic and a rub-off of Hindu culture. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The consequences of this rampant Arabisation are everywhere &mdash; in thinking, and even in clothing. Over the last 20 years, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of women wearing hijab and burqa. On Dhaka&rsquo;s streets, it is quite normal to spot a five or a six-year-old girl, walking on the streets, covered head to toe. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

 
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School textbooks in Bangladesh were changed to appease Islamist groups

In addition to English and Bengali, my three-and-a-half-year-old son is learning Arabic in school. Even he has Islam as a subject in his playgroup class. Once, I happened to be in the school's sports room where children play with toys and listen to rhymes. The first rhyme they listened to was “Bismillah Bismillah in the name of Allah”. Some days later, one evening, I found my son flipping through his school book and reading to himself some Arabic alphabets. My wife was impressed. Who wouldn’t be? In a country like Bangladesh, Arabic is not just a mere language but a symbol of Islam. I remember my school days when third grade onwards, we had mandatory religious studies. Muslim students would have to follow a curriculum in consonance with their religion while Hindus did likewise. The textbooks were akin to those studied in moral science lessons. The world is more advanced now. Probably, that is why children are being taught about religion at an earlier stage. It’s not the same everywhere. Public schools follow a combined curriculum set by the government where religion is a compulsory subject from the third grade. But private schools, especially pre-schools, are at liberty to introduce it at earlier levels. Education, like many other things, has become a mushrooming business in Bangladesh. Inclusion of religion in the curriculum, no matter how young the children are, can make all the difference. This is done mainly to attract students, to persuade parents to send their wards to such schools. Ensuring proper education takes a backseat. Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore famously said, ‘‘First, know your own mother tongue, then English.’’ He had travelled extensively and had observed that no country could prosper sans its mother language × Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore famously said, ‘‘First, know your own mother tongue, then English.’’ He had travelled extensively and had observed that no country could prosper sans its mother language. Since the creation of Bangladesh, the quality of education has been on a downward spiral. Constant leaks of examination question papers are a big problem. As pass rates of students have been going up, the standard of education has been going down. The other day, a cousin of mine requested me to fill her bank account opening form which was in English. My cousin, who has a BA degree, cannot read the language. This brings us to an important question. What type of graduates is Bangladesh producing? As a result of the disastrous Bengali medium education system, a number of parents are sending their kids to English medium schools while the poor children have the madrasa education system only. The situation has come to such a head that Dhaka has given the Dawra degree of Qawami madrasa the same recognition that is accorded to a university master's degree. Bangladesh is one country, there is one language but there are four types of education systems. Our language and culture are in grave danger in these dark moments × Few weeks ago, the ruling Awami League Party allegedly approved a project to build mosques and Islamic cultural centres in every district and sub-district across the country, with over $1 billion in funding from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government has subsequently denied any such funding but it is known that the Kingdom, for long, has been known to fan Sunni extremism through these kind of donations around the globe. Also, earlier this year, school textbooks in Bangladesh were changed to appease the Islamist groups, particularly Hefazat-e-Islam. This is an excerpt published in New York Times on February 3, 2017 on the matter: ‘‘The Bengali letter “o”?used to stand for “ol,” a yam; now it stands for “orna,” a scarf worn by women for modesty. Texts by non-Muslim writers—including some revered as part of Bengali heritage, like the classical poet Gyandas or the contemporary novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay—have been removed. Also gone are a small excerpt from the Ramayana, a Hindu classic that Islamists reject as foreign to the Muslim canon, and songs of the Sufi icon Lalon Shah, whose syncretic faith is anathema to Muslim conservatives.’’ This is not all. Removal of the statue of Lady Justice from the Supreme Court building also sent shockwaves through the secular sections of Bangladesh's people. Taking cue from this, now the Islamist groups want all statues in the country destroyed. Our language and culture are in grave danger in these dark moments. The celebration of the Bengali New Year did not go smoothly this year. Some fundamentalist groups protested against the celebrations, terming the festivities un-Islamic and a rub-off of Hindu culture. The consequences of this rampant Arabisation are everywhere — in thinking, and even in clothing. Over the last 20 years, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of women wearing hijab and burqa. On Dhaka’s streets, it is quite normal to spot a five or a six-year-old girl, walking on the streets, covered head to toe.

The rise of Islamism in Bangladesh threatens to destroy the country's Bengali way of life

The confrontation between the Shi&#39;ite citizens and the Sunni monarchy continues in the kingdom of Bahrain. The country&#39;s police forces searched the house of the main Shia spiritual leader, Ayatollah Isa Qassim, in the town of Diraz.&nbsp;

Locals took to the streets to protest the move. According to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, security forces opened fire against them killing at least one man who showed signs of pellet gun&nbsp;injuries. Further media reports speak about five people killed, but WION could not independently verify the figure.

The police arrested fifty people during the raid, but Qassim was not among them. &nbsp;

The eighty-year-old Ayatollah Isa Qassim is currently facing threats of expulsion from his own country after authorities revoked his citizenship on charges of having links to Iran. He is accused of having diverted towards Tehran funds coming from the Shi&#39;ite community donations. &nbsp;

Qassim&#39;s case is not isolated. The UN high commissioner for human rights Prince Zeid bin Ra&#39;ad Al-Hussain said in a statement that at least &quot;250 people in Bahrain have reportedly been stripped of their citizenship by the government because of their alleged disloyalty to the interests of the Kingdom&quot;. &nbsp;

Ebtasam Alsaegh, from the village of Bani Jamra, close to Diraz, told Reuters that mosques were telling people to take to the streets to protect Qassim.&nbsp;

&quot;The situation is terrifying. ... It&#39;s making people really angry and the young men are taking to the streets. The mosque speakers are calling out &#39;God is Great&#39;, urging people to come out and protect Sheikh Qassim,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

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Attack on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Duraz?src=hash">#Duraz</a> area is still ongoing. Reports of several injuries and one death until this moment<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bahrain?src=hash">#bahrain</a> <a href="https://t.co/HTBEjIez1c">pic.twitter.com/HTBEjIez1c</a>
&mdash; Bahrain Human Rights (@BahrainRights) <a href="https://twitter.com/BahrainRights/status/866961278287454209">May 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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After the forceful dissolution of the main Shia political party Al Wefaq in 2016, the crackdown against Qassim reinforces the Shiite fears of a Sunni-led direct attack against their entire community.&nbsp;

Bahrain, a majority Shia country, is ruled by a Sunni monarchy led by King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa. The nation has witnessed constant disorder&nbsp;and protests since 2011&nbsp;when the Arab spring reached its borders.&nbsp;

People took to the street to demand reforms and, as in many other countries, were heavily repressed. Bahrain&#39;s Shia community had a prominent role in the protests, demanding for more political representation. The police arrested hundreds of people. &nbsp;

This led to the common pattern which characterises the Arab spring: dissent, repression and radicalisation/sectarianism. &nbsp;

Sectarianism in West Asia means Sunni versus Shia, but it often has little to do with religion: it is more of a hegemony struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Both countries use the people&#39;s sincere religious sentiments to expand their political, economic and military influence.&nbsp;

King Hamad accused Iran of being behind the uprising, saying that Tehran was aiming at overthrowing him by force. &nbsp;

Since then, the necessity of stemming an eventual Iranian influence has been the justification for any act of repression, which the monarchy repeatedly denies.&nbsp;

Little moves in the Arabic peninsula without Saudi&#39;s knowledge or intervention and during the 2011 protests, the Gulf Cooperation Council responded to King al-Khalifa&#39;s call and sent more than a thousand soldiers, the majority of which were from Saudi&#39;s ranks.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency quoted an official Saudi foreign affair spokesperson affirming his country&#39;s support for the measures taken by the kingdom of Bahrain in order to maintain security, including the latest measures taken in Diraz. &nbsp;

Iran, as usual, has never openly rejected Bahrain&#39;s accusations and keeps acting in an ambiguous manner. &nbsp;

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman condemned the raid in Diraz and said that the Bahraini government &quot;will be&nbsp;responsible for all consequences&quot;. He did not make clear how. &nbsp;

Their statements imply that they are keeping an eye on Bahrain, but then Tehran denies officially any direct involvement. This resembles the strategy Iran is applying in the war in Yemen.&nbsp;

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<h5>Despite its small dimension, Bahrain enjoys a strategic location in the Persian Gulf and it is a solid US ally since 1971. The US Fifth Fleet, which overlooks operations in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, has its headquarters in the country.&nbsp;</h5>
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US President Donald Trump met with King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa during his visit in Saudi Arabia, reassuring him about his intentions. &nbsp;

&quot;Our countries have a wonderful relationship together, but there has been a little strain, but there won&#39;t be strain with this administration,&quot; said Trump. &quot;We&#39;re going to have a very, very long-term relationship. I look forward to it very much - many of the same things in common.&quot;&nbsp;

In a departure from Obama&#39;s policies, the US secretary of state Rex Tillerson lifted all human-rights based restrictions against Bahrain thus giving a green light to $5 billion sale of 19 Lockheed Martin F-16 aircrafts.&nbsp;

This is, once again, a clear sign of the US intention to keep sitting on Saudi Arabia&#39;s side in an anti-Iran oriented West Asia policy which risks to further destabilise the region.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Bahraini police forces raid Shi'ite leader's house reigniting political rivalries in the West Asian region driven by sectarianism

The confrontation between the Shi'ite citizens and the Sunni monarchy continues in the kingdom of Bahrain. The country's police forces searched the house of the main Shia spiritual leader, Ayatollah Isa Qassim, in the town of Diraz. Locals took to the streets to protest the move. According to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, security forces opened fire against them killing at least one man who showed signs of pellet gun injuries. Further media reports speak about five people killed, but WION could not independently verify the figure. The police arrested fifty people during the raid, but Qassim was not among them. The eighty-year-old Ayatollah Isa Qassim is currently facing threats of expulsion from his own country after authorities revoked his citizenship on charges of having links to Iran. He is accused of having diverted towards Tehran funds coming from the Shi'ite community donations. Qassim's case is not isolated. The UN high commissioner for human rights Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad Al-Hussain said in a statement that at least "250 people in Bahrain have reportedly been stripped of their citizenship by the government because of their alleged disloyalty to the interests of the Kingdom". Ebtasam Alsaegh, from the village of Bani Jamra, close to Diraz, told Reuters that mosques were telling people to take to the streets to protect Qassim. "The situation is terrifying. ... It's making people really angry and the young men are taking to the streets. The mosque speakers are calling out 'God is Great', urging people to come out and protect Sheikh Qassim," she said. Attack on #Duraz area is still ongoing. Reports of several injuries and one death until this moment#bahrain pic.twitter.com/HTBEjIez1c — Bahrain Human Rights (@BahrainRights) May 23, 2017 × After the forceful dissolution of the main Shia political party Al Wefaq in 2016, the crackdown against Qassim reinforces the Shiite fears of a Sunni-led direct attack against their entire community. Bahrain, a majority Shia country, is ruled by a Sunni monarchy led by King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa. The nation has witnessed constant disorder and protests since 2011 when the Arab spring reached its borders. People took to the street to demand reforms and, as in many other countries, were heavily repressed. Bahrain's Shia community had a prominent role in the protests, demanding for more political representation. The police arrested hundreds of people. This led to the common pattern which characterises the Arab spring: dissent, repression and radicalisation/sectarianism. Sectarianism in West Asia means Sunni versus Shia, but it often has little to do with religion: it is more of a hegemony struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Both countries use the people's sincere religious sentiments to expand their political, economic and military influence. King Hamad accused Iran of being behind the uprising, saying that Tehran was aiming at overthrowing him by force. Since then, the necessity of stemming an eventual Iranian influence has been the justification for any act of repression, which the monarchy repeatedly denies. Little moves in the Arabic peninsula without Saudi's knowledge or intervention and during the 2011 protests, the Gulf Cooperation Council responded to King al-Khalifa's call and sent more than a thousand soldiers, the majority of which were from Saudi's ranks. On Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency quoted an official Saudi foreign affair spokesperson affirming his country's support for the measures taken by the kingdom of Bahrain in order to maintain security, including the latest measures taken in Diraz. Iran, as usual, has never openly rejected Bahrain's accusations and keeps acting in an ambiguous manner. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman condemned the raid in Diraz and said that the Bahraini government "will be responsible for all consequences". He did not make clear how. Their statements imply that they are keeping an eye on Bahrain, but then Tehran denies officially any direct involvement. This resembles the strategy Iran is applying in the war in Yemen. Despite its small dimension, Bahrain enjoys a strategic location in the Persian Gulf and it is a solid US ally since 1971. The US Fifth Fleet, which overlooks operations in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, has its headquarters in the country. × US President Donald Trump met with King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa during his visit in Saudi Arabia, reassuring him about his intentions. "Our countries have a wonderful relationship together, but there has been a little strain, but there won't be strain with this administration," said Trump. "We're going to have a very, very long-term relationship. I look forward to it very much - many of the same things in common." In a departure from Obama's policies, the US secretary of state Rex Tillerson lifted all human-rights based restrictions against Bahrain thus giving a green light to $5 billion sale of 19 Lockheed Martin F-16 aircrafts. This is, once again, a clear sign of the US intention to keep sitting on Saudi Arabia's side in an anti-Iran oriented West Asia policy which risks to further destabilise the region. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Bahrain: Security forces fire pellet, kill at least one

Iran welcomes cooperation at all levels to bring stability to the Middle East, President Hassan Rouhani told his French counterpart on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump lambasted Tehran again as he tours the region.

In a telephone call, Rouhani told France&#39;s new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump&#39;s stance against the Islamic Republic.

Visiting Iran&#39;s arch-foe Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups in the Middle East, sending a tough message to Tehran the day after Rouhani won a second presidential term.

He said on Monday in Jerusalem that shared concern about Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer, calling Tehran a real threat in the region.

&quot;The Islamic Republic is ready for cooperation in all levels with other countries, including France, to fight against terrorism and to resolve the Syrian crisis,&quot; Rouhani was quoted saying to Macron by Iran&#39;s state news agency IRNA.&nbsp;

The French leader had called to congratulate him on being re-elected in Friday&rsquo;s presidential vote.

&quot;We should bring peace and stability back to the region. We hope Europe does not fall into the trap of countries that promote their wrong interpretations of the region,&quot; Rouhani was also quoted as saying.

Paris, which is at odds with Iran over the crisis in Syria, took one of the hardest lines against Tehran during negotiations between Iran and major powers in 2015, but has been quick to restore trade ties.

French carmakers PSA and Renault are taking advantage of their lack of US operations by piling into a resurgent Iranian market that is still off-limits to rivals fearful that Trump&#39;s administration will impose sanctions.

France has said it backs Trump&#39;s call to strengthen the monitoring of the deal, but that it is committed to implementing it, including the lifting of sanctions.&nbsp;

Asked earlier on Monday whether Paris agreed with Trump&#39;s call to isolate Iran, the French foreign ministry said it would &quot;work towards developing political dialogue that should be part of a constructive approach with regard solving regional crises&quot;.&nbsp;

Rouhani said at a news conference on Monday that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran`s help.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

In a telephone call, Rouhani told France's new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump's stance against the Islamic Republic

Iran welcomes cooperation at all levels to bring stability to the Middle East, President Hassan Rouhani told his French counterpart on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump lambasted Tehran again as he tours the region. In a telephone call, Rouhani told France's new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump's stance against the Islamic Republic. Visiting Iran's arch-foe Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups in the Middle East, sending a tough message to Tehran the day after Rouhani won a second presidential term. He said on Monday in Jerusalem that shared concern about Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer, calling Tehran a real threat in the region. "The Islamic Republic is ready for cooperation in all levels with other countries, including France, to fight against terrorism and to resolve the Syrian crisis," Rouhani was quoted saying to Macron by Iran's state news agency IRNA. The French leader had called to congratulate him on being re-elected in Friday’s presidential vote. "We should bring peace and stability back to the region. We hope Europe does not fall into the trap of countries that promote their wrong interpretations of the region," Rouhani was also quoted as saying. Paris, which is at odds with Iran over the crisis in Syria, took one of the hardest lines against Tehran during negotiations between Iran and major powers in 2015, but has been quick to restore trade ties. French carmakers PSA and Renault are taking advantage of their lack of US operations by piling into a resurgent Iranian market that is still off-limits to rivals fearful that Trump's administration will impose sanctions. France has said it backs Trump's call to strengthen the monitoring of the deal, but that it is committed to implementing it, including the lifting of sanctions. Asked earlier on Monday whether Paris agreed with Trump's call to isolate Iran, the French foreign ministry said it would "work towards developing political dialogue that should be part of a constructive approach with regard solving regional crises". Rouhani said at a news conference on Monday that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran`s help. (Reuters)

Iran: President Rouhani hopeful Europe will not copy Trump's stance against Islamic Republic

The Saudi Arabian government has <a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/region/saudi-arabia/saudi-to-remove-all-expats-from-govt-departments-ministries">announced plans</a> to remove all expatriates from the public sector over the next three years. This is part of the Saudization 2020 plan to ensure more jobs for locals in the kingdom.

According to estimates from the International Labor Organization, 5.5% of the labour force in Saudi Arabia was unemployed in 2016. Here&#39;s a chart showing unemployment rates for the rest of the countries in the Persian Gulf:

&nbsp;

<div id="highcharts-eregoce"><script src='//cloud.highcharts.com/inject/eregoce/1' defer='defer'></script></div>

If we look at what those percentages mean in actual&nbsp;numbers, it comes to around 695,000 Saudis being unemployed.

&nbsp;

<div id="highcharts-icakoki"><script src='//cloud.highcharts.com/inject/icakoki/7' defer='defer'></script></div>

This move to Saudise the public sector by 2020 could particularly affect South Asia, which has over 6.5 million migrants in South Asia.

&nbsp;

<div id="highcharts-uqomahy"><script src='//cloud.highcharts.com/inject/uqomahy/2' defer='defer'></script></div>

Saudi Arabia wants to 'Saudise' its public sector by 2020 to ensure more jobs for locals. So how many of them don't have jobs?

The Saudi Arabian government has announced plans to remove all expatriates from the public sector over the next three years. This is part of the Saudization 2020 plan to ensure more jobs for locals in the kingdom. According to estimates from the International Labor Organization, 5.5% of the labour force in Saudi Arabia was unemployed in 2016. Here's a chart showing unemployment rates for the rest of the countries in the Persian Gulf: If we look at what those percentages mean in actual numbers, it comes to around 695,000 Saudis being unemployed. This move to Saudise the public sector by 2020 could particularly affect South Asia, which has over 6.5 million migrants in South Asia.

Infographic: Unemployment hits Saudi Arabia, govt aims at 'Saudization'

Clashes and air strikes in southwest Yemen have killed more than 40 soldiers, rebels and civilians over the past 24 hours, officials and medics said today.

Warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition have pounded Huthi rebel positions east of the Red Sea port of Mokha and other areas of Taez province since yesterday, a military official said.

Clashes raged after the air raids in the Jabal al-Nar area east of Mokha and north of the city on the road to Hodeida, Yemen&#39;s main Red Sea port, the official said.

At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said.

The coalition-backed government says Hodeida is its next target in a months-long offensive aimed at pushing the Iran-backed insurgents away from the country&#39;s lengthy Red Sea coastline.

Another 11 rebels were killed in air strikes on Kamran island and a base in Hodeida itself, the medical sources said.

Ten soldiers were also killed and 15 were wounded in the confrontations, said medical sources in Aden, the temporary base of the government as Sanaa remains under rebel control.

Meanwhile, three civilians were killed and two others were wounded Monday in a bombing that targeted the convoy of General Ali Muqbel Saleh, commander of the 33rd Armoured Brigade, in Daleh city, a security official said.

A medical source in Daleh confirmed the toll.

The war between the government and the rebels escalated in March 2015 when the Arab coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The UN estimates that more than 7,700 people have been killed over the past two years and more than 40,000 wounded in impoverished Yemen which faces a serious risk of famine this year.

(AFP)

At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said

Clashes and air strikes in southwest Yemen have killed more than 40 soldiers, rebels and civilians over the past 24 hours, officials and medics said today. Warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition have pounded Huthi rebel positions east of the Red Sea port of Mokha and other areas of Taez province since yesterday, a military official said. Clashes raged after the air raids in the Jabal al-Nar area east of Mokha and north of the city on the road to Hodeida, Yemen's main Red Sea port, the official said. At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said. The coalition-backed government says Hodeida is its next target in a months-long offensive aimed at pushing the Iran-backed insurgents away from the country's lengthy Red Sea coastline. Another 11 rebels were killed in air strikes on Kamran island and a base in Hodeida itself, the medical sources said. Ten soldiers were also killed and 15 were wounded in the confrontations, said medical sources in Aden, the temporary base of the government as Sanaa remains under rebel control. Meanwhile, three civilians were killed and two others were wounded Monday in a bombing that targeted the convoy of General Ali Muqbel Saleh, commander of the 33rd Armoured Brigade, in Daleh city, a security official said. A medical source in Daleh confirmed the toll. The war between the government and the rebels escalated in March 2015 when the Arab coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The UN estimates that more than 7,700 people have been killed over the past two years and more than 40,000 wounded in impoverished Yemen which faces a serious risk of famine this year. (AFP)

More than 40 killed in clashes in Yemen in last 24 hours

Saudi Arabia plans to tighten restrictions on foreign workers to pressure companies into hiring more Saudi citizens and reduce unemployment among Saudis, government sources said on Monday.

The new policy could help the conservative kingdom achieve one goal of economic reforms launched last year to ease joblessness among Saudis from the current 12.1 per cent to 9 per cent by 2020.

But by making it harder for firms to employ low-paid foreign workers, thereby raising costs, the policy may complicate other aspects of the reform drive such as developing private sector businesses and diversifying the economy beyond oil.

The new rules could potentially affect large numbers of people since about 12 million foreigners work in Saudi Arabia, doing many of the strenuous, dangerous and lower-paid jobs shunned by 20 million Saudi citizens. About two-thirds of Saudi workers are employed by the public sector.

Under a programme launched in 2011 and known as Nitaqat, the Labour Ministry grades firms according to the ratios of Saudis in their workforces. Companies with higher ratios get preferential treatment when obtaining visas for foreign workers or licences; those in lower categories face penalties.

Under the new policy, construction firms with between 500 and 2,999 workers would have to employ 100 per cent Saudis to be in the top &quot;platinum&quot; category; if they employ 10 percent, they are rated &quot;lower green&quot;. This compares to current levels of 16 percent for platinum and 6 percent for lower green.

In the retail sector, a large company`s current percentages are 35 percent for platinum and 24 per cent for lower green. This would rise to 100 per cent for platinum and 35 per cent for lower green, according to an official document seen by Reuters.

Policy will also be tightened in many other sectors, according to the document, which lists more than 60 industries in which restrictions will be applied.

Some change is already occurring in Saudi employment practice, with many citizens now working as cashiers and sales people in retail shops - the sort of jobs previously seen as undesirable. But there is still a scarcity of Saudis willing and qualified to work in the construction sector.

The tighter policy has been approved by Labour Minister Ali bin Nasser al-Ghafis, the sources said. It is scheduled to take effect on September 3, one source said, declining to be named because an official announcement has not yet been made.

(Reuters)

The new policy could help the conservative kingdom achieve one goal of economic reforms launched last year to ease joblessness among Saudis

Saudi Arabia plans to tighten restrictions on foreign workers to pressure companies into hiring more Saudi citizens and reduce unemployment among Saudis, government sources said on Monday. The new policy could help the conservative kingdom achieve one goal of economic reforms launched last year to ease joblessness among Saudis from the current 12.1 per cent to 9 per cent by 2020. But by making it harder for firms to employ low-paid foreign workers, thereby raising costs, the policy may complicate other aspects of the reform drive such as developing private sector businesses and diversifying the economy beyond oil. The new rules could potentially affect large numbers of people since about 12 million foreigners work in Saudi Arabia, doing many of the strenuous, dangerous and lower-paid jobs shunned by 20 million Saudi citizens. About two-thirds of Saudi workers are employed by the public sector. Under a programme launched in 2011 and known as Nitaqat, the Labour Ministry grades firms according to the ratios of Saudis in their workforces. Companies with higher ratios get preferential treatment when obtaining visas for foreign workers or licences; those in lower categories face penalties. Under the new policy, construction firms with between 500 and 2,999 workers would have to employ 100 per cent Saudis to be in the top "platinum" category; if they employ 10 percent, they are rated "lower green". This compares to current levels of 16 percent for platinum and 6 percent for lower green. In the retail sector, a large company`s current percentages are 35 percent for platinum and 24 per cent for lower green. This would rise to 100 per cent for platinum and 35 per cent for lower green, according to an official document seen by Reuters. Policy will also be tightened in many other sectors, according to the document, which lists more than 60 industries in which restrictions will be applied. Some change is already occurring in Saudi employment practice, with many citizens now working as cashiers and sales people in retail shops - the sort of jobs previously seen as undesirable. But there is still a scarcity of Saudis willing and qualified to work in the construction sector. The tighter policy has been approved by Labour Minister Ali bin Nasser al-Ghafis, the sources said. It is scheduled to take effect on September 3, one source said, declining to be named because an official announcement has not yet been made. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia plans curbs on foreign worker hiring to boost local employment

Saudi Arabia denied on Tuesday claims by Pakistani activists that two transgender women from Pakistan were beaten to death in police custody after being arrested in Saudi Arabia along with more than 30 other members of the community.

Reports of the deaths had been carried in Pakistani media and decried in an activists&#39; media conference on Monday. However, a statement from the Saudi interior ministry early on Tuesday said the reports were &quot;totally wrong and nobody was tortured&quot;.

The ministry acknowledged that one Pakistani had died in custody after the arrests.

&quot;One 61-year-old person suffered a heart attack and died in the hospital after being treated,&quot; the interior ministry statement said. &quot;The Pakistani embassy looked into this case and another one. Procedures have started to send the body back to his country,&quot; it said.

Saudi media reported last week that police had arrested around 35 people after they raided a party where men were dressed as women and were wearing make-up. The Saudi outlets did not use the word transgender, nor say anyone had been killed.

In Pakistan, transgender activist Farzana Riaz told a news conference on Monday that sources in the transgender community in Saudi Arabia had told her the two Pakistanis were beaten to death with sticks.

&quot;We are deeply saddened by the deaths of these two innocent trans persons in Saudi Arabia,&quot; Riaz, a leader of the group Trans Action Pakistan, said in Peshawar.

Riaz showed journalists several photos of those still in custody that she said had been sent to her by contacts in Saudi Arabia, along with messages sent via cellphone.

Qamar Naseem, a rights activist from the Blue Veins group, told the same news conference he had shared available information about the incident with members of Pakistan&#39;s parliament.

The Pakistani Interior Ministry was not available for comment on Monday.

Saudi Arabia has no law against transgender people, but the kingdom has carried out arrests for cross-dressing and ordered the imprisonment and flogging of men accused of behaving like women, according to US-based Human Rights Watch.

In Pakistan, transgender people are often shunned by their families and forced into begging or prostitution to support themselves.

Recently, however, a nascent transgender activist movement has gained attention and legal rights.

In January, a Pakistani court ruled that transgender people would be counted in the national census for the first time. In 2012, the Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens. They were guaranteed the right to vote a year earlier.

(Reuters)

Sources in Saudi Arabia's transgender community told a Pakistani activist that police beat the two women to death with sticks

Saudi Arabia denied on Tuesday claims by Pakistani activists that two transgender women from Pakistan were beaten to death in police custody after being arrested in Saudi Arabia along with more than 30 other members of the community. Reports of the deaths had been carried in Pakistani media and decried in an activists' media conference on Monday. However, a statement from the Saudi interior ministry early on Tuesday said the reports were "totally wrong and nobody was tortured". The ministry acknowledged that one Pakistani had died in custody after the arrests. "One 61-year-old person suffered a heart attack and died in the hospital after being treated," the interior ministry statement said. "The Pakistani embassy looked into this case and another one. Procedures have started to send the body back to his country," it said. Saudi media reported last week that police had arrested around 35 people after they raided a party where men were dressed as women and were wearing make-up. The Saudi outlets did not use the word transgender, nor say anyone had been killed. In Pakistan, transgender activist Farzana Riaz told a news conference on Monday that sources in the transgender community in Saudi Arabia had told her the two Pakistanis were beaten to death with sticks. "We are deeply saddened by the deaths of these two innocent trans persons in Saudi Arabia," Riaz, a leader of the group Trans Action Pakistan, said in Peshawar. Riaz showed journalists several photos of those still in custody that she said had been sent to her by contacts in Saudi Arabia, along with messages sent via cellphone. Qamar Naseem, a rights activist from the Blue Veins group, told the same news conference he had shared available information about the incident with members of Pakistan's parliament. The Pakistani Interior Ministry was not available for comment on Monday. Saudi Arabia has no law against transgender people, but the kingdom has carried out arrests for cross-dressing and ordered the imprisonment and flogging of men accused of behaving like women, according to US-based Human Rights Watch. In Pakistan, transgender people are often shunned by their families and forced into begging or prostitution to support themselves. Recently, however, a nascent transgender activist movement has gained attention and legal rights. In January, a Pakistani court ruled that transgender people would be counted in the national census for the first time. In 2012, the Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens. They were guaranteed the right to vote a year earlier. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia denies Pakistani reports police killed transgender women

It is a&nbsp;country&nbsp;often depicted for being&nbsp;regressive and offering limited sources of entertainment, but for the first time ever&nbsp;Saudi Arabia hosted the&nbsp;Comic Con expo. The Red Sea city of Jeddah in the kingdom&nbsp;saw a display of robots, video games and giant anime figures over the weekend.

The event, which started&nbsp;on Friday, brought&nbsp;some 20,000 young enthusiasts&nbsp;dressed in their favourite comic book character, commonly&nbsp;with painted faces. Comic Con started in the year 1970 and has now turned into a global phenomena with sci-fi lovers using the expo as a celebration of&nbsp;comic culture.&nbsp;

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Participants were also seen enjoying&nbsp;the pop art booths, while gamers took part in various video game competitions.&nbsp;

As reported to Al Jazeera, Obada Awad, Riyadh-based Time Entertainment, who organised the event, said, &quot;It was better than expected. We prepared so many scenarios for every possible thing that could happen, but this was the best possible turnout.&quot;

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The first-ever global comics expo was held under the Saudi General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, which, has been hosting a series of festivals, comedy shows and concerts throughout the year.&nbsp;As part of an economic and social reform drive, Saudi Arabia aims at creating jobs and weaning the country off its dependence on oil and related products.&nbsp;

In recent times, the kingdom has seen a spurt in comic book lovers. While the US comic book industry has started integrating prominent Muslim and Arab heroes in their plots,&nbsp;West Asia&nbsp;is&nbsp;constructing their own comic superheroes. Deena Mohamed&rsquo;s Qahera, Joumana Medlej&rsquo;s Malaak are some superheroes bred out of this need.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Unsurprisingly given the rise in comic book culture in West Asia, the sci-fi event attracted thousands

It is a country often depicted for being regressive and offering limited sources of entertainment, but for the first time ever Saudi Arabia hosted the Comic Con expo. The Red Sea city of Jeddah in the kingdom saw a display of robots, video games and giant anime figures over the weekend. The event, which started on Friday, brought some 20,000 young enthusiasts dressed in their favourite comic book character, commonly with painted faces. Comic Con started in the year 1970 and has now turned into a global phenomena with sci-fi lovers using the expo as a celebration of comic culture. Spectators attend Comic Con expo in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) × People take part in Comic Con expo in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) × Participants were also seen enjoying the pop art booths, while gamers took part in various video game competitions. As reported to Al Jazeera, Obada Awad, Riyadh-based Time Entertainment, who organised the event, said, "It was better than expected. We prepared so many scenarios for every possible thing that could happen, but this was the best possible turnout." Boys play games during Comic Con expo in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia February (Reuters) × A fan with painted face takes part in Comic Con expo in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) × The first-ever global comics expo was held under the Saudi General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, which, has been hosting a series of festivals, comedy shows and concerts throughout the year. As part of an economic and social reform drive, Saudi Arabia aims at creating jobs and weaning the country off its dependence on oil and related products. In recent times, the kingdom has seen a spurt in comic book lovers. While the US comic book industry has started integrating prominent Muslim and Arab heroes in their plots, West Asia is constructing their own comic superheroes. Deena Mohamed’s Qahera, Joumana Medlej’s Malaak are some superheroes bred out of this need. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Saudi Arabia gets its first-ever Comic-Con expo

Two men accused of links to bombings and other attacks against Saudi Arabia were shot dead in a security operation in the capital Riyadh on Saturday, interior ministry officials said.

The officials told a news conference a security officer was wounded in the operation in the al-Yasmin neighbourhood in northern Riyadh, after the two suspects engaged in a shootout with security forces to resist arrest.

Mansour al-Turki, a Ministry of Interior spokesman, identified the two as Taye&#39; al-Say&#39;ari and Talal bin Samran al-Sa&#39;aeidi.

Say&#39;ari was being sought as one of the most dangerous men in the kingdom, as he was considered an expert in making explosive belts used by militants in suicide attacks, the officials said.

He had been listed in Al-Riyadh newspaper, which is close to the government, as a suspect in the August 2015 suicide bombing of a mosque used by members of the security forces in Asir that killed 15 people.

Since then, the officials said, he manufactured two explosive belts used in bombings in Medina and Jeddah.

Officials had stopped the other man twice before because of his suspected involvement in killings in conflict areas, Colonel Bassam Atieh told reporters.

Security forces found two explosive belts, a grenade and chemicals thought to be used for explosives-making in the home where the two suspects were staying.

The ministry&#39;s official Twitter account said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who also serves as interior minister, called the injured officer at the hospital.

(Reuters)

Taye' al-Say'ari and Talal bin Samran al-Sa'aeidi accused of links to bombings were killed during exchange of fire while resisting arrest

Two men accused of links to bombings and other attacks against Saudi Arabia were shot dead in a security operation in the capital Riyadh on Saturday, interior ministry officials said. The officials told a news conference a security officer was wounded in the operation in the al-Yasmin neighbourhood in northern Riyadh, after the two suspects engaged in a shootout with security forces to resist arrest. Mansour al-Turki, a Ministry of Interior spokesman, identified the two as Taye' al-Say'ari and Talal bin Samran al-Sa'aeidi. Say'ari was being sought as one of the most dangerous men in the kingdom, as he was considered an expert in making explosive belts used by militants in suicide attacks, the officials said. He had been listed in Al-Riyadh newspaper, which is close to the government, as a suspect in the August 2015 suicide bombing of a mosque used by members of the security forces in Asir that killed 15 people. Since then, the officials said, he manufactured two explosive belts used in bombings in Medina and Jeddah. Officials had stopped the other man twice before because of his suspected involvement in killings in conflict areas, Colonel Bassam Atieh told reporters. Security forces found two explosive belts, a grenade and chemicals thought to be used for explosives-making in the home where the two suspects were staying. The ministry's official Twitter account said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who also serves as interior minister, called the injured officer at the hospital. (Reuters)

Two suspected militants killed in Saudi security operation

Oil prices rose slightly after reports Saudi Arabia had started talks with customers about a reduction of up to 7 per cent in crude sales in February to support an attempt by OPEC to reduce global supply.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) promised in November to cut output to help prop up prices.&nbsp;Under the deal, Saudi Arabia agreed to cut output by 486,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 4.61 per cent of its October output of 10.544 million bpd.

&quot;Aramco (Saudi Arabia&#39;s state oil company)&nbsp;is approaching all its customers for possible cuts from February and discussing likely (supply) scenarios,&quot; a source said. &quot;Nothing is confirmed yet,&quot; the source said, adding the scenarios were for cuts of 3-7 per cent.

Investors have been suspicious that OPEC may not cut as much as promised, but several sources have expressed&nbsp;that they believe&nbsp;the world&#39;s biggest oil exporter would comply with the OPEC cuts.

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Benchmark Brent crude oil was up 20 cents a barrel at $56.66 in mid-day trade.&nbsp;US light crude oil was up 20 cents a barrel at $53.46.&nbsp;

&quot;There remains a question mark over whether OPEC, with a long history of non-compliance, will actually follow through with the cuts. Very few respondents expect full compliance,&quot; Singapore Exchange (SGX) said, citing results from a survey. &quot;Three-quarters of those surveyed went for crude&nbsp;prices averaging within the current $50-$60 a barrel range for 2017,&quot; SGX added.

Analysts at US bank Goldman Sachs&nbsp;said even if OPEC reduced production as promised, there was &quot;only moderate oil spot price upside given the expected supply response to higher oil prices and new production&quot;.

The US bank said it expected Brent prices to peak at $59 a barrel by mid-2017.

In another sign of compliance with the cuts, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company&nbsp;has scheduled maintenance at oilfields for March and April, although it was not immediately clear how much exports might fall.

(Reuters)

Saudi Arabia is mulling over a 7% cut in oil prices, but some analysts fear they will not follow through

Oil prices rose slightly after reports Saudi Arabia had started talks with customers about a reduction of up to 7 per cent in crude sales in February to support an attempt by OPEC to reduce global supply. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) promised in November to cut output to help prop up prices. Under the deal, Saudi Arabia agreed to cut output by 486,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 4.61 per cent of its October output of 10.544 million bpd. "Aramco (Saudi Arabia's state oil company) is approaching all its customers for possible cuts from February and discussing likely (supply) scenarios," a source said. "Nothing is confirmed yet," the source said, adding the scenarios were for cuts of 3-7 per cent. Investors have been suspicious that OPEC may not cut as much as promised, but several sources have expressed that they believe the world's biggest oil exporter would comply with the OPEC cuts. "There remains a question mark over whether OPEC, with a long history of non-compliance, will actually follow through with the cuts. Very few respondents expect full compliance," Singapore Exchange (SGX) said, citing results from a survey. × Benchmark Brent crude oil was up 20 cents a barrel at $56.66 in mid-day trade. US light crude oil was up 20 cents a barrel at $53.46. "There remains a question mark over whether OPEC, with a long history of non-compliance, will actually follow through with the cuts. Very few respondents expect full compliance," Singapore Exchange (SGX) said, citing results from a survey. "Three-quarters of those surveyed went for crude prices averaging within the current $50-$60 a barrel range for 2017," SGX added. Analysts at US bank Goldman Sachs said even if OPEC reduced production as promised, there was "only moderate oil spot price upside given the expected supply response to higher oil prices and new production". The US bank said it expected Brent prices to peak at $59 a barrel by mid-2017. In another sign of compliance with the cuts, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has scheduled maintenance at oilfields for March and April, although it was not immediately clear how much exports might fall. (Reuters)

Oil prices rise as Saudi Arabia eyes supply cut

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it had succeeded in cutting a huge state budget deficit caused by low oil prices and would increase government spending in 2017 to support flagging economic growth.

The announcement appeared likely to reassure global investors worried about the kingdom&#39;s ability to cope with shrunken oil revenues. The riyal came under speculative pressure this year but currency jitters have eased in recent months.

&quot;The public finances haven&rsquo;t improved on this scale since the early 1990s, following the end of the Gulf War,&quot; said Jason Tuvey, Middle East economist at London-based Capital Economics.

Nevertheless, analysts said Saudi Arabia&#39;s outlook remained uncertain. Some parts of the 2017 budget plan - including a big jump in oil income projected next year - were not fully explained, and the economy is likely to face more pain in coming years as Riyadh struggles to eliminate the deficit entirely.

The deficit shrank to 297 billion riyals ($79 billion) in 2016 from last year&#39;s record gap of 367 billion, which was a mammoth 15 per cent of gross domestic product. The original 2016 budget plan had projected a deficit of 326 billion riyals.

Riyadh slashed spending on infrastructure and perks for civil servants to get its finances under control. For the first time in years, it kept its spending below its original budget projection in 2016; actual spending was 825 billion riyals compared with a projection of 840 billion.

Revenues were slightly higher than expected at 528 billion riyals instead of 514 billion as the government raised cash with steps such as higher municipal and visa fees.

These austerity measures sapped consumers&#39; income and deterred private companies from investing - even though their investment is vital to diversify the Saudi economy beyond oil in the long term.

Economic growth slowed to 1.4 per cent in 2016, far below the average of 4 per cent in the past decade, the government said.

(Reuters)

Riyadh slashed spending on infrastructure and perks for civil servants to get its finances under control

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it had succeeded in cutting a huge state budget deficit caused by low oil prices and would increase government spending in 2017 to support flagging economic growth. The announcement appeared likely to reassure global investors worried about the kingdom's ability to cope with shrunken oil revenues. The riyal came under speculative pressure this year but currency jitters have eased in recent months. "The public finances haven’t improved on this scale since the early 1990s, following the end of the Gulf War," said Jason Tuvey, Middle East economist at London-based Capital Economics. Nevertheless, analysts said Saudi Arabia's outlook remained uncertain. Some parts of the 2017 budget plan - including a big jump in oil income projected next year - were not fully explained, and the economy is likely to face more pain in coming years as Riyadh struggles to eliminate the deficit entirely. The deficit shrank to 297 billion riyals ($79 billion) in 2016 from last year's record gap of 367 billion, which was a mammoth 15 per cent of gross domestic product. The original 2016 budget plan had projected a deficit of 326 billion riyals. Riyadh slashed spending on infrastructure and perks for civil servants to get its finances under control. For the first time in years, it kept its spending below its original budget projection in 2016; actual spending was 825 billion riyals compared with a projection of 840 billion. Revenues were slightly higher than expected at 528 billion riyals instead of 514 billion as the government raised cash with steps such as higher municipal and visa fees. These austerity measures sapped consumers' income and deterred private companies from investing - even though their investment is vital to diversify the Saudi economy beyond oil in the long term. Economic growth slowed to 1.4 per cent in 2016, far below the average of 4 per cent in the past decade, the government said. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia cuts huge budget deficit despite low oil prices

Saudi Arabia has deported a ring leader of a fake Indian currency note racket, Abdul Salam, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) upon his landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here today.

Abdul Salam alias Podi Salam, a resident of Malappuram in southern Indian state of Kerala, was wanted in a case of smuggling of fake Indian currency notes (FICNs) with a face value of Rs 9.75 lakh which were seized from Abid Chullikulavan Hassan by Customs wing (Rummage &amp; Intelligence Unit), Kochi at Nedumbasserry International Airport.

The NIA had taken over investigation on July 13, 2014 from Kerala police and filed a charge sheet against five accused including Abdul Salam on July 23, 2015.

The agency alleged that Salam was part of the criminal conspiracy to smuggle high quality counterfeit notes to India from the UAE and had facilitated its smuggling through Abid Chullikulavan Hassan.

(PTI)

Abdul Salam alias Podi Salam was wanted for smuggling of fake Indian currency notes with a face value of Rs 9.75 lakh

Saudi Arabia has deported a ring leader of a fake Indian currency note racket, Abdul Salam, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) upon his landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here today. Abdul Salam alias Podi Salam, a resident of Malappuram in southern Indian state of Kerala, was wanted in a case of smuggling of fake Indian currency notes (FICNs) with a face value of Rs 9.75 lakh which were seized from Abid Chullikulavan Hassan by Customs wing (Rummage & Intelligence Unit), Kochi at Nedumbasserry International Airport. The NIA had taken over investigation on July 13, 2014 from Kerala police and filed a charge sheet against five accused including Abdul Salam on July 23, 2015. The agency alleged that Salam was part of the criminal conspiracy to smuggle high quality counterfeit notes to India from the UAE and had facilitated its smuggling through Abid Chullikulavan Hassan. (PTI)

India: National Intelligence Agency arrests fake currency racket mastermind

The OPEC oil cartel defied expectations Wednesday and nailed down its first joint output cut since 2008 after tough talks in Vienna, sending oil prices soaring.

At 1622 GMT Brent North Sea crude for January delivery was up $3.77 at $50.15, the first time it has risen above $50 in a month. West Texas Intermediate was up $3.98 at $49.21.

The accord announced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is aimed at reducing a global supply glut that has kept prices painfully low. It represents a dramatic reversal from OPEC&#39;s Saudi-led strategy, introduced in 2014, of flooding the market to pressure rivals, in particular US shale oil producers.

The cartel will lower its monthly output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) to 32.5 million bpd from January 1, Qatar&#39;s energy minister and president of the OPEC conference said. &quot;This is a major step forward and we think this is a historic agreement, which will definitely help rebalance the market and reduce the stock overhang,&quot; Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada told a news conference in Vienna.

He also said that the deal will help lift global inflation accelerate to a &quot;more healthy rate,&quot; including in the United States. It finalises a preliminary deal struck in September in Algeria when OPEC agreed to cut production but left the details to clear up later.

Negotiations got bogged down in a game of poker between OPEC&#39;s three biggest producers, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, on who would do the heavy lifting.

Iraq had said it did not want to pump less crude because it was short of money to fight Islamic State group extremists. It also disputed how much it actually produced.

Iran has only been able to freely to export oil since last year&#39;s nuclear deal came into force in January, and wants to return to pre-sanctions output levels. The dispute was complicated by the fierce rivalry between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, backing different sides in the wars in Yemen and Syria.

Fawad Razaqzada, a market analyst at Forex.com, said before OPEC&#39;s announcement that Iran was &quot;playing a clever game&quot; against its arch rival. But Saudi Arabia also played hard-ball, saying it was prepared to leave the Austrian capital without a deal.

Energy Minister Khaled al-Falih had said recovering demand will boost prices next year -- cut or no cut. &nbsp;Even though expectations were therefore low, failure to get a deal would have sent oil prices tumbling, perhaps as low as $30 per barrel, analysts had said.

Also it would have reignited debate about the very purpose of OPEC, 56 years after its creation.

Budget pain

Focus will now turn to OPEC&#39;s efforts to get non-members, in particular Russia, to reduce their output by a hoped-for 600,000 bpd. &nbsp;Russia has said it is ready only to freeze production but Sada said Wednesday that Russia has committed to reducing its output by 300,000 bpd.&nbsp;

While consumers might not welcome the more expensive fuel that a deal would bring, OPEC members&#39; public finances have been shot to bits by two years of rock-bottom prices. It has exacerbated an already desperate situation in Venezuela, where Human Rights Watch says shortages of basics are so bad that there is a &quot;profound humanitarian crisis&quot;.

Even fabulously wealthy Saudi Arabia has slashed salaries and spending and is on course for a budget deficit of $87 billion in 2016, and owes foreign firms billions in unpaid bills. The low crude price has also hit investment in oil facilities, raising the prospect of oil shortages further down the line.

However, further downwards pressure on oil prices could come from the United States and president-elect Donald Trump, whose policies could see a renewed rise in US oil production.

Trump has promised to eliminate regulations restricting fracking, support oil and gas pipeline construction and open restricted federal lands and offshore areas for exploration, including Alaska.

(AFP)

The reduction by OPEC will be 1.2 million barrels per day, president of the OPEC conference, Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, said

The OPEC oil cartel defied expectations Wednesday and nailed down its first joint output cut since 2008 after tough talks in Vienna, sending oil prices soaring. At 1622 GMT Brent North Sea crude for January delivery was up $3.77 at $50.15, the first time it has risen above $50 in a month. West Texas Intermediate was up $3.98 at $49.21. The accord announced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is aimed at reducing a global supply glut that has kept prices painfully low. It represents a dramatic reversal from OPEC's Saudi-led strategy, introduced in 2014, of flooding the market to pressure rivals, in particular US shale oil producers. The cartel will lower its monthly output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) to 32.5 million bpd from January 1, Qatar's energy minister and president of the OPEC conference said. "This is a major step forward and we think this is a historic agreement, which will definitely help rebalance the market and reduce the stock overhang," Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada told a news conference in Vienna. He also said that the deal will help lift global inflation accelerate to a "more healthy rate," including in the United States. It finalises a preliminary deal struck in September in Algeria when OPEC agreed to cut production but left the details to clear up later. Negotiations got bogged down in a game of poker between OPEC's three biggest producers, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, on who would do the heavy lifting. Iraq had said it did not want to pump less crude because it was short of money to fight Islamic State group extremists. It also disputed how much it actually produced. Iran has only been able to freely to export oil since last year's nuclear deal came into force in January, and wants to return to pre-sanctions output levels. The dispute was complicated by the fierce rivalry between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, backing different sides in the wars in Yemen and Syria. Fawad Razaqzada, a market analyst at Forex.com, said before OPEC's announcement that Iran was "playing a clever game" against its arch rival. But Saudi Arabia also played hard-ball, saying it was prepared to leave the Austrian capital without a deal. Energy Minister Khaled al-Falih had said recovering demand will boost prices next year -- cut or no cut. Even though expectations were therefore low, failure to get a deal would have sent oil prices tumbling, perhaps as low as $30 per barrel, analysts had said. Also it would have reignited debate about the very purpose of OPEC, 56 years after its creation. Budget pain Focus will now turn to OPEC's efforts to get non-members, in particular Russia, to reduce their output by a hoped-for 600,000 bpd. Russia has said it is ready only to freeze production but Sada said Wednesday that Russia has committed to reducing its output by 300,000 bpd. While consumers might not welcome the more expensive fuel that a deal would bring, OPEC members' public finances have been shot to bits by two years of rock-bottom prices. It has exacerbated an already desperate situation in Venezuela, where Human Rights Watch says shortages of basics are so bad that there is a "profound humanitarian crisis". Even fabulously wealthy Saudi Arabia has slashed salaries and spending and is on course for a budget deficit of $87 billion in 2016, and owes foreign firms billions in unpaid bills. The low crude price has also hit investment in oil facilities, raising the prospect of oil shortages further down the line. However, further downwards pressure on oil prices could come from the United States and president-elect Donald Trump, whose policies could see a renewed rise in US oil production. Trump has promised to eliminate regulations restricting fracking, support oil and gas pipeline construction and open restricted federal lands and offshore areas for exploration, including Alaska. (AFP)

OPEC reaches deal to cut oil production

An outspoken billionaire Saudi prince, Alwaleed bin Talal has called for an &quot;urgent&quot; end to his country&#39;s ban on women driving.

A long time advocate of women&#39;s rights in the kingdom, the Prince posted on his twitter account, &quot;Stop the debate: Time for women to drive.&quot;&nbsp;

Alwaleed, a member of the Saudi royal family, holds no political posts. In conjunction with his short tweet, Alwaleed&#39;s office issued a statement on Tuesday outlining his reasons for supporting an end to the ban.

&quot;Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity,&quot; Alwaleed said in the statement.

The kingdom has some of the world&#39;s tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive.&nbsp;

&quot;They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion.&quot;

He also detailed the &quot;economic costs&quot; caused by women having to rely on &quot;foreign&quot; private drivers or taxis. Even if their husbands can take time out to transport them, that requires temporarily leaving the office and &quot;undermines the productivity of the workforce,&quot; he said.

In April, the kingdom announced its Vision 2030 plan to diversify its oil-dependent economy and employ more Saudis, including women.

But on the issue of women driving, the deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said social change cannot be forces adding, &quot;it is up to the Sausi society, so far they have not persuaded.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Alwaleed said preventing a woman from driving is an unjust act by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed

An outspoken billionaire Saudi prince, Alwaleed bin Talal has called for an "urgent" end to his country's ban on women driving. A long time advocate of women's rights in the kingdom, the Prince posted on his twitter account, "Stop the debate: Time for women to drive." Alwaleed, a member of the Saudi royal family, holds no political posts. In conjunction with his short tweet, Alwaleed's office issued a statement on Tuesday outlining his reasons for supporting an end to the ban. "Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity," Alwaleed said in the statement. The kingdom has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive. "They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion." He also detailed the "economic costs" caused by women having to rely on "foreign" private drivers or taxis. Even if their husbands can take time out to transport them, that requires temporarily leaving the office and "undermines the productivity of the workforce," he said. In April, the kingdom announced its Vision 2030 plan to diversify its oil-dependent economy and employ more Saudis, including women. But on the issue of women driving, the deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said social change cannot be forces adding, "it is up to the Sausi society, so far they have not persuaded." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Let women drive, urges Saudi prince

A 23-year-old youth, Jayanta Biswas from India&#39;s eastern state of Bengal&nbsp;was sold as a&nbsp;slave in Saudi by his agents&nbsp;who lured him with a job.&nbsp;

Biswas, an automobile engineer by profession, was promised a job in Saudi&#39;s automobile industry by his agent. However, when he landed in Riyadh on May 15,&nbsp;he was sold to a Saudi &#39;master&#39;, Naief Bookme.&nbsp;

Since then, he has been made to take care of Bookme&#39;s&nbsp;house, even cut grass and feed ostriches, living on just one meal a day.&nbsp;

A distressed Biswas tried to reach out to his family members in&nbsp;Bengal and even told them that he had been sexually abused on several occasions by his master.&nbsp;

A month down the line, on July 16, he made an escape bid, only to be foiled by his &#39;master&#39;.&nbsp;

Later, he managed to escape from his &#39;master&#39; and contacted the Indian mission in Saudi. The officials at Saudi opened a file in his name and sent him to an NGO till his return to India.&nbsp;

As soon as Bookme learnt of his escape, he filed a complaint with the police that Biswas stole 10,000 Riyals from his house. He was immediately arrested from the NGO on August 9. The family members paid&nbsp;35,000 Indian RUpees to his agent for his release. He was released from jail on October 27. However, he is still stuck in Riyadh with no travel documents to return to India.&nbsp;

Biswas&#39;s sister, Ria, told the media, &quot;My brother was lured by a job offer in the automobile industry in Saudi. He had paid a Delhi-based agent, Muneer Ahmed of Al-Hamd Consultant Services, 100,000 Indian Rupees. He was later sent to Riyadh on a tourist visa, however, he was promised of a work visa after he completed three months at his new job. Instead, he was sold as a slave and all his documents were taken away from him.&quot;

The family members have approached&nbsp;India&rsquo;s foreign minister&nbsp;Sushma Swaraj&nbsp;and her department to provide temporary travel documents.&nbsp;However, they are yet to hear from the ministry.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Jayanta Biswas, 23 years old, was promised a job in Saudi's automobile industry by his agent. He was sold to Naief Bookme, a Saudi national

A 23-year-old youth, Jayanta Biswas from India's eastern state of Bengal was sold as a slave in Saudi by his agents who lured him with a job. Biswas, an automobile engineer by profession, was promised a job in Saudi's automobile industry by his agent. However, when he landed in Riyadh on May 15, he was sold to a Saudi 'master', Naief Bookme. Since then, he has been made to take care of Bookme's house, even cut grass and feed ostriches, living on just one meal a day. A distressed Biswas tried to reach out to his family members in Bengal and even told them that he had been sexually abused on several occasions by his master. A month down the line, on July 16, he made an escape bid, only to be foiled by his 'master'. Later, he managed to escape from his 'master' and contacted the Indian mission in Saudi. The officials at Saudi opened a file in his name and sent him to an NGO till his return to India. As soon as Bookme learnt of his escape, he filed a complaint with the police that Biswas stole 10,000 Riyals from his house. He was immediately arrested from the NGO on August 9. The family members paid 35,000 Indian RUpees to his agent for his release. He was released from jail on October 27. However, he is still stuck in Riyadh with no travel documents to return to India. Biswas's sister, Ria, told the media, "My brother was lured by a job offer in the automobile industry in Saudi. He had paid a Delhi-based agent, Muneer Ahmed of Al-Hamd Consultant Services, 100,000 Indian Rupees. He was later sent to Riyadh on a tourist visa, however, he was promised of a work visa after he completed three months at his new job. Instead, he was sold as a slave and all his documents were taken away from him." The family members have approached India’s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and her department to provide temporary travel documents. However, they are yet to hear from the ministry.

Automobile engineer from India sold as slave in Saudi Arabia

A prince of the royal family was given lashes in a prison in Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s capital city of Jeddah as a court-ordered punishment, Reuters reported.

The incident comes just weeks after Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir was executed in Riyadh.

Okaz Daily, a Saudi Arabian daily, in its report, said the unidentified prince of the ruling Al Saud family was also ordered to serve a prison sentence.

The report, however, did not disclose the offence for which he was being punished.

The flogging was carried out by a policeman on Monday after medical checks to ensure the prince was healthy, the paper added.

On October 19, Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir was executed for shooting dead a fellow Saudi, identified as Adel al-Mohaimeed.

His execution was the first execution of a prince since the 1970s.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Okaz daily did not disclose the offence for which he was being punished but said the prince was also ordered to serve a prison sentence

A prince of the royal family was given lashes in a prison in Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Jeddah as a court-ordered punishment, Reuters reported. The incident comes just weeks after Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir was executed in Riyadh. Okaz Daily, a Saudi Arabian daily, in its report, said the unidentified prince of the ruling Al Saud family was also ordered to serve a prison sentence. The report, however, did not disclose the offence for which he was being punished. The flogging was carried out by a policeman on Monday after medical checks to ensure the prince was healthy, the paper added. On October 19, Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir was executed for shooting dead a fellow Saudi, identified as Adel al-Mohaimeed. His execution was the first execution of a prince since the 1970s. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Saudi prince flogged in court-ordered punishment

Saudi Arabia has arrested at least eight suspected militants plotting killings and a car bombing, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.&nbsp;Authorities were pursuing other accomplices.

According to the ministry statement,&nbsp;those arrested included Islamic State suspects, who had planned to killi&nbsp;security officials in the Shaqra district north of the capital Riyadh.

Other militants had planned to attack civilians in the eastern city of Qatif and stage a car bomb attack on a visiting United Arab Emirates (UAE) football team at a stadium in the western port city of Jeddah, the statement said.

The statement said the eight arrested suspects were from a variety of countries, including:&nbsp;two Pakistanis, a Syrian and a Sudanese. The statement also said that eight Saudis and a Bahraini were among the suspects still at large.

Saudi security forces have grappled with sporadic attacks by adherents to the ultra-hardline Islamic State militant group, which is based in Iraq and Syria, and say they have arrested hundreds of its members.

Local Saudi affiliates of Islamic State have carried out several deadly shootings and bombings in the conservative kingdom, the world&#39;s largest&nbsp;oil exporter. Many of the attacks have targeted security personnel and Shi&#39;ite Muslim mosques.

The Sunni Islamic State is bitterly hostile to the Gulf Arab monarchies, and is seen to be trying to stoke Sunni-Shi&#39;ite sectarian confrontation in Arabian peninsula countries to destabilise and ultimately overthrow them.

(Reuters)

Those arrested included Islamic State suspects who had planned killings of security officials in Riyadh. Suspects are still at large

Saudi Arabia has arrested at least eight suspected militants plotting killings and a car bombing, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. Authorities were pursuing other accomplices. According to the ministry statement, those arrested included Islamic State suspects, who had planned to killi security officials in the Shaqra district north of the capital Riyadh. Other militants had planned to attack civilians in the eastern city of Qatif and stage a car bomb attack on a visiting United Arab Emirates (UAE) football team at a stadium in the western port city of Jeddah, the statement said. The statement said the eight arrested suspects were from a variety of countries, including: two Pakistanis, a Syrian and a Sudanese. The statement also said that eight Saudis and a Bahraini were among the suspects still at large. Saudi security forces have grappled with sporadic attacks by adherents to the ultra-hardline Islamic State militant group, which is based in Iraq and Syria, and say they have arrested hundreds of its members. Local Saudi affiliates of Islamic State have carried out several deadly shootings and bombings in the conservative kingdom, the world's largest oil exporter. Many of the attacks have targeted security personnel and Shi'ite Muslim mosques. The Sunni Islamic State is bitterly hostile to the Gulf Arab monarchies, and is seen to be trying to stoke Sunni-Shi'ite sectarian confrontation in Arabian peninsula countries to destabilise and ultimately overthrow them. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia says arrests Islamic State suspects plotting attacks

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen appealed to renew the 72-hour ceasefire in the country, while battle rages on between the Houthi rebels and the government forces.&nbsp;

The 72-hour ceasefire had been imposed on Wednesday night and ended on Saturday. The temporary truce was called in to allow aid to be sent to the war-torn country.&nbsp;

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy wrote on his facebook page, saying &quot;With the 72-hour Cessation of Hostilities in Yemen coming to an end, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urges all parties to agree to its extension for at least another renewable 72 hours&quot;.

&quot;We noted over the last days that food and humanitarian supplies were provided to several affected neighborhoods and that UN personnel were able to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. We would like to build on this and we aim for a wider outreach in the next few days,&quot; he added.

He also tweeted, urging regional and the international community to cease all hostilities.&nbsp;

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???? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????
&mdash; UN Envoy to Yemen (@OSESGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/OSESGY/status/788143282593423360">October 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(Translation:&nbsp;I call upon all the parties and the regional and international community to promote the full respect of the cessation of hostilities even lead to a permanent end to the conflict in Yemen.)

The ceasefire held on despite repeated violations from both sides. According to military officials, the fighting between the two groups has been going on for the past two days.&nbsp;

The UN envoy on Friday said he was trying to collaborate with both groups &quot;to create a conducive environment for a long-lasting peace&quot; in Yemen.

Late on Friday, he met with Yemen&#39;s vice president Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in Riyadh, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Ahmar accused the rebels of committing 449 violations within 24-hours of the ceasefire taking place and asserted that the government forces were &quot;exercising restraint&quot; and they were asked to &quot;abide by the truce and respect UN efforts&quot;.

However, the Houthi rebel-controlled media slammed the Saudi-led coalition forces for shelling across the country.&nbsp;

This is the sixth ceasefire attempt since March 2015, when the Saudi-led forces began fighting Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi&#39;s rebels. The conflict has left nearly 6,900 dead and about three million displaced and in need of aid.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he will cooperate with both groups 'to create a conducive environment for a long-lasting peace' in Yemen

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen appealed to renew the 72-hour ceasefire in the country, while battle rages on between the Houthi rebels and the government forces. The 72-hour ceasefire had been imposed on Wednesday night and ended on Saturday. The temporary truce was called in to allow aid to be sent to the war-torn country. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy wrote on his facebook page, saying "With the 72-hour Cessation of Hostilities in Yemen coming to an end, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urges all parties to agree to its extension for at least another renewable 72 hours". "We noted over the last days that food and humanitarian supplies were provided to several affected neighborhoods and that UN personnel were able to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. We would like to build on this and we aim for a wider outreach in the next few days," he added. He also tweeted, urging regional and the international community to cease all hostilities. ???? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? — UN Envoy to Yemen (@OSESGY) October 17, 2016 × (Translation: I call upon all the parties and the regional and international community to promote the full respect of the cessation of hostilities even lead to a permanent end to the conflict in Yemen.) The ceasefire held on despite repeated violations from both sides. According to military officials, the fighting between the two groups has been going on for the past two days. The UN envoy on Friday said he was trying to collaborate with both groups "to create a conducive environment for a long-lasting peace" in Yemen. Late on Friday, he met with Yemen's vice president Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in Riyadh, AFP reported. Ahmar accused the rebels of committing 449 violations within 24-hours of the ceasefire taking place and asserted that the government forces were "exercising restraint" and they were asked to "abide by the truce and respect UN efforts". However, the Houthi rebel-controlled media slammed the Saudi-led coalition forces for shelling across the country. This is the sixth ceasefire attempt since March 2015, when the Saudi-led forces began fighting Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi's rebels. The conflict has left nearly 6,900 dead and about three million displaced and in need of aid. (WION with inputs from AFP)

UN envoy for Yemen appeals for ceasefire renewal

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