Tax reform & tax cuts should be permanent. Families & businesses need to have confidence that the rug won’t be pulled out from under WIN 3 CARS them. AND 300 @SpeakerRyan GOLD COINS! Tel: 17228888 bfc.com.bh Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Issue No. 7446 Today’s Weather 200 Fils Max Min www.newsofbahrain.com www.facebook.com/nobonline newsofbahrain 38444680 nob_bh 42 °C 31°C Qatar ‘undermining’ GCC allies:JO3307_BFC_BAH_BOB_Centenary_Bonanza_Campaign_ad_67x40mm.indd UAE25/05/2017 15:45 1 London cyber attack on Qatar in May cannot be both our friend and he added. Gargash said there GCC, Gargash said: “The GCC he United Arab Emirates which sparked a crisis. a friend of al-Qaeda.” was a broader problem with is in crisis and I don’t think it warned Qatar yesterday Speaking at the Chatham Saudi Arabia and its allies financing for extremists in the serves our purposes to say let’s itT could not belong to the House international affairs accuse Qatar of ties to Iran and Gulf but that countries like take Qatar out.” Gulf Cooperation Council think tank in London, Gargash of funding Islamist extremist Saudi Arabia were “dealing “What we really do want is if it undermined regional repeated claims that the groups. “We’ve sent a message with it”. we either reach an agreement security, calling for a “change country funds extremists. to Qatar. We’ve said we are not “The difference is that the and Qatar’s behaviour changes, of behaviour” but not “regime “This is our message: You there to escalate. We are not Saudi government realises it or Qatar makes its own bed and change”. cannot be part of a regional after regime change. We are does have an issue and the they can move on and we can Anwar Gargash, the UAE organisation dedicated to after a change of behaviour,” Saudi government is acting move with a new relationship. state minister for foreign affairs, strengthening mutual security Gargash said. “We need over the last years to deal with But we cannot have a member also denied a Washington Post and furthering mutual interest to do that and when we do this issue,” he said. who is undermining us and report saying that his country and at the same time undermine that, come back to the fold Regarding the possibility of supporting extremism,” had been behind an alleged that security,” he said. “You and we can work together,” Qatar being excluded from the Gargash said. -AFP x Russia demands US return diplomat compounds PM: Tighten Moscow remlin said US must unconditionally Krestore its access to diplomatic compounds in the US as high-level talks on bilateral problems were public set to get underway. Russia is angry that US is still barring its diplomats from using two compounds in the states of New York and Maryland. Barack Obama, in December ordered the ban in response to suspected Russian meddling in the spending US election. Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa DT News Network held at the Gudaibiya Palace State Budget approval by the positively on the citizens’ included in the state budget as Manama yesterday. Shura Council, HRH Prime daily life, improve the well as spurring the national is Royal Highness HRH Prime Minister also Minister said that the approval comprehensive health care economy. P Prime Minister Prince gave instructions to step up was the fruitful outcome services, as well as housing, HKhalifa bin Salman Al the supervisory and control of the strong Executive- educational and social Archivation Khalifa has issued directives procedures to create a better Legislature cooperation which services, give top priority HRH Premier has stressed 02 to all ministries and state work environment and contributed to achieving a to the social dimension and the importance of archivation Tensions mount at departments to tighten accelerate the implementation balance between expenditure maintain the comprehensive and documentation in control on public money, of the government projects rationalisation and the social care umbrella. ministries and government Al Aqsa rationalise and prioritise featured in the budget and necessary fiscal discipline, HRH Premier also urged departments to record the government expenditure complete them according to preserve the citizens’ rights ministries and government citizen-oriented government by eliminating bad schedule. and consolidate assistance departments to support achievements, urging to set spending habits, preventing The directives came in delivered to medium and the private sector, being an up a register to document the squandering of public funds the wake of the approval of low income citizens and the essential partner in the overall role of Bahrainis who worked P and ensuring optimum use of the draft-law on the General neediest social segments. development process, lauding, at those establishments and resources. State Budget for the two fiscal HRH Prime Minister in this context, the Gulf made their marks in the The directives were given years, 2017 and 2018, by the stressed on the need to Development Programme services provided by those while chairing the regular Legislative Branch. implement Budget with for its role in supporting and ministries and departments. weekly Cabinet meeting Welcoming the General efficiency so that it reflects completing the programmes (See also P 4) BBK H1 net profit05 rises to BD32.2m 2 Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Tensions mount at Al Aqsa Worshippers protest outside the holy site Jerusalem called on worshippers to do orshippers heeded calls the same. yesterday not to enter Crowds chanted “Allahu aW Jerusalem holy site and Akbar” (God is Greatest) as protested outside after Israeli they gathered near the Lions authorities installed metal Gate entrance to Jerusalem’s detectors at entrances to the Old City on Sunday. ultra-sensitive compound following an attack that killed Netanyahu order two policemen. Israeli Prime Minister The compound was largely Benjamin Netanyahu took empty on Monday apart from the decision to install the tourists and Jewish visitors, metal detectors and cameras with worshippers again following a meeting with praying and protesting outside security officials on Saturday. the site instead of entering He also spoke by phone through the metal detectors. with Jordan’s King Abdullah The Haram al-Sharif II on Saturday night before compound, known to Jews as leaving on a trip to France and the Temple Mount, includes Hungary. the Dome of the Rock and the Abdullah condemned Al-Aqsa mosque. the attack, but also called Several hundred people on Netanyahu to reopen could be seen praying outside the Al-Aqsa compound and two different entrances to the A picture taken on July 17, 2017, shows the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound stressed the need to “avoid any site on Monday. metal detectors after Friday’s compound for Friday prayers, Old City were also under They began reopening it escalation at the site”. There were protests after the attack near the holy site that triggering anger from Muslims lockdown. Israeli authorities on Sunday, but with metal Palestinian president prayer, with crowds shouting: saw three Arab Israelis open and Jordan, the holy site’s said the closure was necessary detectors in place, while Mahmud Abbas conveyed a “Aqsa mosque, we sacrifice fire on Israeli police. custodian. to carry out security checks, security cameras were also similar message to Netanyahu our souls and our They then fled to the The site remained closed on adding that the assailants had being installed in the area. when the two spoke by phone blood.” Police compound, where they were Saturday, and parts come from within the holy site Al-Aqsa officials have on Friday in the wake of the later sought to shot dead by security forces. of Jerusalem’s to commit the attack. refused to enter and have attack. (AFP) move them Israel took the back. highly unusual Palestinian Muslim worshippers pray outside the Lions Gate, Israel decision of installed closing the t h e Israeli border guards detain a Palestinian youth during a demonstration out- side the Lions Gate, a main entrance to Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Air strikes pummel Raqa as US forces advance Raqa to date. year with coalition air support On Monday, it announced (IS),” she added. SDF fighters on Monday eavy bombardment and Thick pillars of black smoke and the backing of a US it had captured Al-Yarmuk, a IS first seized Raqa in early heard a light buzzing noise fierce fighting shook the dotted the city skyline, lined Marines artillery battery. large neighbourhood on the 2014, and the city has since coming from outside and IslamicH State group’s Syrian with bombed-out concrete An AFP reporter in Jazra southwestern outskirts of the become synonymous with began looking to the sky. stronghold Raqa yesterday, homes and the damaged suburb on the western city. the group’s most gruesome “It’s a Daesh drone,” one as US-backed forces said they minaret of a mosque. outskirts of the city on Monday “The Al-Yarmuk district atrocities. militiaman warned. captured a new neighbourhood “Our American friends saw coalition forces at a joint was liberated yesterday,” the It carried out brutal public Progress inside Raqa has also from entrenched jihadists. are bombing with mortars,” position with SDF fighters SDF’s spokeswoman for the beheadings and is thought to been hampered by extensive Bursts of gunfire and a fighter from the Syrian firing artillery in the direction Raqa operation, Jihan Sheikh have used Raqa as a hub for mining of neighbourhoods, artillery as well as the thud of Democratic Forces (SDF) said of IS posts deeper inside Raqa. Ahmed, said in Ain Issa, 50 planning attacks overseas. with devastating consequences air strikes conducted by the after a string of blasts near the kilometres (30 miles) north of The jihadists are putting for civilians trying to flee.