FRANCE RIOTS EASE AS MAYORS HOLD ANTI-VIOLENCE RALLY

Riots in France have shown signs of calming down after five days of violent protests sparked by the shooting of teenager Nahel M during a police traffic stop. While Sunday night witnessed a decrease in violence and arrests, President Emmanuel Macron has called for a "massive" police presence to remain on the streets. Mayors have also urged rallies outside town halls to protest the violence and looting. However, authorities are cautious about prematurely declaring a return to normalcy. Bus and tram services in the Paris region will be halted early on Monday night, and Macron has requested a strong police presence nationwide to ensure a "return to calm." The number of arrests on Sunday decreased to 150 from over 700 the previous night, while incidents of car fires decreased from 1,900 on Thursday to 297. Amid the unrest, Nahel's family called for an end to the violence, criticizing rioters for exploiting his death. They also expressed concern over a controversial fundraiser that raised over €1.1 million for the family of the police officer involved in the shooting. Regional authorities are beginning to announce financial support for looted businesses and hospitality venues.

ISRAEL UNLEASHES FIERCEST AIR ATTACK ON WEST BANK IN YEARS; PALESTINE SAYS 8 DEAD

Jerusalem : Israel conducted a major air attack on the occupied West Bank, specifically targeting the city of Jenin, in an attempt to root out armed Palestinian militants. The operation involved drone attacks followed by ground forces moving in. The focus was on militant targets in the densely populated Jenin refugee camp, which has been a site of attacks against Israelis and Israeli army arrest raids. Israeli military officials estimate that there are hundreds of armed Palestinians in the area. The operation resulted in the deaths of at least five Palestinians, according to Israeli sources, while the Palestinian health ministry reported at least eight deaths and numerous injuries. The situation remains volatile, with ongoing exchanges of fire and Israeli forces conducting searches for roadside bombs.

KYIV’S ASSASSINATION BID ON CRIMEA HEAD FOILED, CLAIMS RUSSIA

Russia’s FSB security service said on Monday it had thwarted a Ukrainian assassination attempt on Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-backed head of Crimea. The FSB said it had arrested a Russian national recruited as an assassin by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency who had undergone explosives, reconnaissance and sabotage training in Ukraine. His plan, it said, had been to blow up Aksyonov’s car, but he had been detained as he tried to retrieve an explosive device from a hiding place.

RUSSIA OFFICIAL: POLLS IN OCCUPIED UKRAINE COULD BE CANCELLED

Russia’s top election official said on Monday that if the situation worsened in four Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, local elections scheduled there for September would be cancelled. “If unforeseen circumstances arise – in some areas the situation may deteriorate dramatically, then we have the right to postpone these elections,” Ella Panfilova, who chairs Russia’s Central Election Commission, told Presidnt Putin at a meeting in the Kremlin. Putin replied : “Understood.”

IMF’S $3BN BAILOUT DEAL SENDS PAK STOCKS SOARING; INFLATION EASES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVEN MONTHS

Islamabad : Pakistan’s markets totted up the highest single-day gain on Monday following an IMF accord on a bailout for the cash-strapped nation, with the benchmark KSE (Karachi Stock Exchange) 100 index vaulting 2,400 points.

In another bright spot, Pakistan’s headline inflation eased for the first time in seven months in June, figures by the country’s bureau of statisticsshowed. Year-on-year inflation remained elevated at 29. 4% in June but eased sharply from a record high 38% in May.

The positive developments came after the countrysecured a $3 billion bailout from the IMF on Friday. The deal — subject to approval by the IMF board later this month — came after an eight-month delay and offered respite to Pakistan amid falling forex reserves.

PM Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation and business community on the rally, seeing in it signs of recovery because of the government’s “hardwork and sound policies”, and of investor confidence restored after the IMF deal.

In Karachi, the bellwether KSE resumed on a high note asthe markets opened after the Eid holidays, surging a record 2,231. 1 points to 43,683. 78 points. The over 5% leap forced an hour’s suspension of trading — a precautionary measure to contain volatility. It zoomed 2471. 03 points to the day’s high of 43,923. 7 points in prenoon trade before winding down to settle at 43,899 points, up 5. 9% over its previous finish.

JACK MA MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO PAK

Jack Ma, Chinese billionaire and co-founder of Alibaba Group, created a stir in Pakistan after he made an unexpected trip to the country Pakistan, Express Tribune reported. Accompanied by a delegation of seven businessmen, he arrived in Lahore on June 29 and stayed there for 23 hours. The visit sparked speculations that Ma and his team were exploring business opportunities in Pakistan.

PAK TO BECOME 4TH BIGGEST IMF DEBTOR

Pakistan will become the world’s fourth largest IMF borrower after receiving a fresh loan of $3bn in the next nine months under a standby deal. Earlier, as per the IMF data, Argentina ranked first with $46bn, Egypt second ($18bn), Ukraine third ($12.2bn), Ecuador was fourth ($8.2bn), and Pakistan was fifth ($7.4bn). With loans now totalling $10.4bn, Pakistan will overtake Ecuador.

CHINA SEEKS TO EXPAND COOPERATION WITH RUSSIAN NAVY

China’s Defence Minister said he hoped to expand naval cooperation with Russia, in the highest-level public talks between military officials from the two countries since a failed mutiny in Russia last month. Li Shangfu spoke in Beijing with Nikolai Yevmenov, head of the Russian Navy, and said he hoped both countries could “strengthen communication at all levels”.

He also said the two should “regularly organise joint exercises, joint cruises and joint military skills competition”, as well as “expand practical cooperation in professional fields”.

Moscow and Beijing should “make positive contributions to maintaining regional and world peace and stability”, he said.

FIRM SUES TWITTER FOR NOT PAYING BILLS FOR WORK DONE IN FOUR COUNTRIES

Sydney : An Australian project management firm has filed a lawsuit against Twitter in a US court seeking cumulative payments of about A$1 million ($665,000) over alleged non-payment of bills for work done in four countries. Sydney-based private company Facilitate Corp on June 29 filed the suit in a US district court in California claiming breach of contract over Twitter’s failure to pay its invoices.

The Australian firm’s lawsuit is the latest alleging nonpayment of bills and rent against Twitter since Elon Musk bought the social media platform for $44 billion last year.

Facilitate said from 2022 through early 2023, it installed sensors in Twitter’s offices in London and Dublin, completed an office fit-out in Singapore, and cleared an office in Sydney. For those works, Twitter owed the firm about £203,000, S$546,600 and A$61,300, respectively, Facilitate said. Facilitate said it was seeking compensatory damages, legal costs and interest at the maximum legal rate.

In May, a former public relations firm filed a suit in a New York court saying Twitter had not paid its bills, while early this year US advisory firm Innisfree M&A Inc sued it, seeking about $1. 9 million for what it said were unpaid bills after it advised Twitter on its acquisition by Musk. Britain’s Crown Estate, an independent commercial business, in January began court proceedings over alleged unpaid rent on Twitter’s London headquarters.

US TRAVEL ADVISORY AGAINST CHINA OVER ‘ARBITRARY LAW ENFORCEMENT, EXIT BANS’

Beijing : The United States has issued a travel advisory cautioning Americans against traveling to China due to concerns over arbitrary law enforcement, exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions. While specific cases were not mentioned, the advisory follows the recent sentencing of a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison on spying charges and the passing of a comprehensive Foreign Relations Law in China that allows for countermeasures against those perceived as harming China's interests. China has also enacted a counterespionage law and a law to sanction foreign critics, which have raised concerns among the foreign business community. The advisory highlights that the Chinese government enforces local laws arbitrarily, including issuing exit bans on US citizens without a fair and transparent process.

FEELING NEGLECTED, ORKNEY COULD EXIT UK, JOIN NORWAY

London : Britain’s Orkney Islands, an archipelago about 10 miles off the north coast of Scotland, is considering “alternative forms of governance” which could include becoming part of Norway, its council leader said on Monday.

Orkney, made up of about 70 islands and with a population of 22,000 people, was considering its future after being financially neglected by the Scottish and British governments for years, council leader James Stockan said.

Orkney’s historic Nordic connections give it options, Stockan believes. The islands were part of Norway for about 500 years until 1472 and he says Orcadians regularly ask him for a return to that country given the shared culturalaffinity. “At the moment we’re not getting that support coming through from other governments and we would just like to see what other alternatives is there for us,” Stockan said.

Arow over funding for new ferries between the islands and Scotland has brought Orkney’s situation to a head. Stockan has proposed a motion for the council to “explore options for alternative models of governance that give greater fiscal security and economic opportunity”. Councillors will decide whether to back it or not on Tuesday.

TURKEY ACCUSES GREECE OF TURNING AWAY BOATS CARRYING 95 MIGRANTS

ISTANBUL: Turkey has rescued 95 migrants from three overloaded boats in the Aegean Sea, the Interior Ministry said on Monday, accusing Greece of "pushing back" the dinghies from its shores. The Ministry described all 95 people as "irregular migrants" but provided no details of their countries of origin.

HONG KONG POLICE OFFER BOUNTIES FOR 8 PROMINENT OVERSEAS ACTIVISTS

HONG KONG: The Hong Kong police offered HK$1 million bounties for information leading to the capture of eight prominent democracy activists based abroad and wanted for national security crimes. All eight fled Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the financial hub in mid-2020 to quell dissent.

IRAN EXECUTES 354 PEOPLE IN FIRST HALF OF 2023, SAYS RIGHTS GROUP

PARIS: Iran has hanged at least 354 people in the first six months of 2023, a rights group said, adding that the pace of executions was much higher than in 2022. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights said 20% of all executions were of members of the Sunni Baluch minority and added that non-Persian ethnic groups were the worst affected.