SAUDI ARABIA ENDS A LOAN AND ASSOCIATED OIL SUPPLY TO PAKISTAN FOLLOWING

THREATS TO SPLIT OIC

Saudi Arabia has halted the provision of oil on loan for Pakistan after the

Imran Khan government threatened to split the Organization of Islamic

Countries (OIC) over Kashmir.

Hit by a severe economic crisis, Pakistan had borrowed a $6.2 billion loan

from Saudi Arabia in 2018.

The loan package included a provision under which Saudi Arabia granted

Pakistan $3.2 billion worth of oil, a year on deferred payments.

Pakistani media on Saturday said that the provision meant for Islamabad

expired two months ago and has not been renewed by Riyadh.

Instead, Islamabad has prematurely returned $1 billion Saudi loan, four

months ahead of repayment period, The Express Tribune said quoting sources

and Sajid Qazi, the spokesperson of the Petroleum Division.

Recently Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during a talk show

on a news channel had threatened that if the OIC headed by Saudi Arabia did

not convene a foreign ministers' meeting on Kashmir, Prime Minister Imran

Khan would hold it on his own with his allies among the Islamic countries.

"If you cannot convene it, then I'll be compelled to ask Prime Minister

Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to

stand with us on the issue of Kashmir...," he had threatened on Ary news

channel.

As Pakistan pulled out of the Kuala Lumpur summit after Saudi ArabiaÂ’s

“request”, it now expects Riyadh to “show leadership on this issue,” he

added.

BIDEN, HARRIS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN WITH PROMISE TO 'REBUILD' BROKEN AMERICA

Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden and his vice presidential pick

Kamala Harris -- the first black woman tapped by a major party for the post

-- rolled out their campaign Wednesday with a call to restore a broken

nation.

Biden, speaking alongside Harris in his Delaware hometown of Wilmington,

said it was time after one term of President Donald Trump to "rebuild this

country."

"Everything we care about," Harris said, "it's all on the line."

Harris -- a 55-year-old senator who would also be the first woman elected to

the White House if the Democratic duo wins -- pummeled the Republican

president, saying he "just isn't up for the job."

Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants to the United States,

also sought to tap into the nationwide upheaval over police violence and

racial disparities.

"We're experiencing a moral reckoning with racism and systemic injustice

that has brought a new coalition of conscience to the streets of our country

demanding change," she said.

And referring to her courtroom experience as a veteran prosecutor and

California attorney general, Harris said of the president and his vice

president: "The case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut."

Trump and Pence have left the country "in tatters," she said.

Biden, who leads in polls against Trump despite running his campaign almost

entirely from his Delaware home due to the coronavirus shutdown, said the

president had failed to lead through the crisis.

But the 77-year-old promised that he and Harris, who had sought the

Democratic presidential nomination herself before rallying to his side,

would fix "the mess that President Trump and Vice President Pence have

created at home and abroad."

And he said that Harris' story as the child of immigrants and a person of

color who fought her way to the top ranks of US legal and government circles

would inspire the country.

"Her story's America's story," he said. "She's worked hard, she's never

backed down from a challenge and she has earned each and every of the

accolades," he said.

"All across America, little girls woke up" with new hope, Biden said.

"Today, just maybe they're seeing themselves for the first time in a new way

as the stuff of presidents and vice presidents."

Biden sniped at Trump, who has called Harris "nasty" for her combative

questioning of Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh during Senate

hearings in 2018.

"Whining is what Donald Trump does best," Biden said, asking if anyone was

"surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman?"

DONALD TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MAKES EXCEPTION TO H1B VISA BAN, WITH CONDITIONS

The Trump administration has relaxed some rules for H-1B visas holders

allowing them to enter the United States if they are returning to the same

jobs they had prior to the proclamation of the visa ban.

The US Department of State advisory said dependents (spouses and children)

will also be allowed to travel along with primary visa holders.

“Travel by applicants seeking to resume ongoing employment in the United

States in the same position with the same employer and visa classification,”

the state department advisory said.

The administration also allowed travel by technical specialists,

senior-level managers, and other workers who hold H-1B visas and their

travel is necessary to facilitate the immediate and continued economic

recovery of the United States.

“Travel supported by a request from a US government agency or entity to meet

critical US foreign policy objectives or to satisfy treaty or contractual

obligations. This would include individuals, identified by the Department of

Defense or another US government agency, performing research, providing IT

support/services, or engaging other similar projects essential to a US

government agency,” the advisory stated.

IRANÂ’S PRESIDENT, FM LASH OUT AT NEW US PUSH ON ARMS EMBARGO

IranÂ’s president and foreign minister lashed out on Wednesday at a revised

proposal by the US that would extend a UN arms embargo on Iran indefinitely,

the latest in the Trump administrationÂ’s maximum pressure policy against

Iran.

The US on Tuesday circulated the revised draft at the UN, seeking to gain

more support in the 15-member Security Council where veto-wielding Russia

and China have voiced strong opposition.

The revised draft, which eliminated some provisions from the earlier version

that diplomats said went beyond the extension of the arms embargo, may be

put to a vote as early as Friday.

Still, with Russia and China sharply critical of the US effort to

indefinitely extend the arms embargo, the two will likely use their veto

powers even if the draft got the minimum nine “yes” votes in the council,

which appears unlikely.

Rouhani lambasted the revised draft, saying its “initiators will be

responsible for the consequences” if the Security Council adopts the new

resolution. He did not elaborate on what steps Iran could take.

Zarif said the US draft was a “very illegal resolution, and in fact it uses

the Security Council mechanisms to destroy the Security Council. “ “I’m

confident that this resolution will be rejected too,” Zarif said.

SRI LANKA'S NEW CABINET SWORN IN

Sri Lanka's new cabinet, including four members of the powerful Rajapaksa

family, took oath on Wednesday with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa retaining

the key defence ministry while the finance portfolio went to newly-elected

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The cabinet members took oaths in the presence of President Gotabaya

Rajapaksa and his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in the

central town of Kandy.

President Gotabaya retained the ministry of defence while his elder brother

Mahinda Rajapaksa has been assigned three separate ministries including the

key finance portfolio.

Mahinda's elder son, Namal Rajapaksa has been named the minister of youth

affairs and sports - a first time cabinet position since he entered

parliament in 2010.

The eldest brother of the president, Chamal Rajapaksa holds a cabinet

ministry in addition to being the state minister of internal security. His

son, Shasheendra Rajapaksa has also been given a state ministry, Sri Lankan

media reported.

One of the main features in the cabinet is that while the veteran politician

Dinesh Gunawardena has been re-named the foreign minister, a new state

ministry of regional cooperation affiliated to the foreign ministry has been

created.

The parliament is to meet on August 20 for its first session. Sri Lanka was

one of the very few Asian countries apart from Singapore to hold general

elections in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

IRAQ MILITARY SAYS TURKISH DRONE KILLS 2 SENIOR COMMANDERS

A Turkish drone strike killed two senior Iraqi security officials, IraqÂ’s

military said Tuesday, marking the first time that TurkeyÂ’s operation to

root out Kurdish rebels in IraqÂ’s north produced fatalities among

high-ranking Iraqi personnel.

The drone targeted a vehicle belonging to the Border Guards in the Bradost

area, north of Irbil, the military statement said, causing the deaths of two

commanders and the vehicleÂ’s driver.

Gen. Mohammed Rushdi, commander of the Border GuardsÂ’ 2nd Brigade and Brig.

Zubair Hali, commander of the 3rd Regiment, were killed in the attack Ihsan

Chelebi, the mayor of Bradost, told . He said they had been establishing new

posts in the area.

Baghdad condemned the attack as a violation of IraqÂ’s sovereignty and said

continued attacks would provoke a “review” of bilateral relations, a Foreign

Ministry statement said. Iraq also cancelled a scheduled visit by TurkeyÂ’s

defense minister Thursday.

ISRAEL SAYS IT FOILED HACKERS TARGETING DEFENCE INDUSTRY

Israel said Wednesday it foiled a cyberattack targeting its defence industry

by a shadowy group that the US has linked to North Korea.

The Israeli Defence Ministry said hackers with the Lazarus Group built fake

profiles on the LinkedIn social network and posed as the CEOs and senior

officials of international companies.

They then offered job opportunities to employees at major Israeli defense

firms in an attempt to gain access to their computers and networks to steal

sensitive information.

The ministry says the attacks were detected “in real time” and thwarted. It

said there was no “harm or disruption” to the targeted networks.

The ministry said the Lazarus Group is “backed by a foreign country,”

without elaborating. It did not immediately respond to a request for further

comment.

US HOLDS OFF ON THREATENED TARIFF HIKE IN EU AIRBUS FIGHT

The US has said it will hold off an a threatened hike in tariffs on $7.5bn

(£5.75bn) worth of European and UK goods that it imposed as punishment for

subsidies for plane-maker Airbus.

The move comes as the two sides wrestle to put to an end their 16-year trade

battle over state aid for Airbus and American rival Boeing.

The US last year raised border taxes on more than 100 items, including

jumpers, single-malt whiskies and cheese.

It has said the EU has not done enough.

"The EU and member states have not taken the actions necessary to come into

compliance with WTO decisions," America's top trade official, Robert

Lighthizer, said on Wednesday. "The United States, however, is committed to

obtaining a long-term resolution to this dispute.

The European Union cautiously welcomed the US decision not to increase the

amount of goods subject to tariffs.

"The Commission acknowledges the decision of the US not to exacerbate the

ongoing aircraft dispute by increasing tariffs on European products," an EU

spokesperson said.