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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Saudi Arabia introduces law banning sexual harassment The measure has been passed by the Cabinet and an advisory council, and will become law with a royal decree. The country is making some piecemeal reforms, including ending its notorious driving ban on women. Saudi Arabia passed a draft law Wednesday that criminalizes sexual harassment less than a month before the stridently conservative country lifts a decadesold ban against women driving. The measure, which was passed by the Shura Council, carries a maximum 5-year prison term and fine of up to 300,000 riyals ($80,000, or €70,000). "The law is aimed at combating and preventing the crime of harassment, enforcing penalty on perpetrators, protecting victims and safeguarding the individualʼs privacy, dignity and freedom ensured by the Islamic sharia law," the council said in a statement.

Syria recognizes Georgiaʼs breakaway regions in nod to Russia The Georgian government has hit back at Syria by severing diplomatic ties with the Arab republic. Syria is now one of five countries that have recognized the Moscowbacked regions. The Syrian government has recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Georgian breakaway regions backed by Russia, as independent countries. "A deal has been reached between the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia to exchange recognition and set up diplomatic ties at the embassy level," said a Syrian Foreign Ministry official in comments circulated by the staterun SANA news agency on Tuesday. The move prompted the Georgian government to announce its decision to sever official ties with Syria, blaming Russia for orchestrating the diplomatic stunt.

128/2018 • 08 JUNE, 2018

US tariffs on allies amount to sanctions, tells EU leaders ʼtold you soʼ

Israel launches retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza after Hamas rocket attacks

Vladimir Putin:

The fighting is the worst episode of violence since Israel and Hamas fought a brief war in 2014. The United States, European Union and United Nations have condemned the rocket and mortar attacks against Israel. Israel has launched airstrikes against targets throughout the Gaza Strip after the armed wing of the ruling group in the Palestinian territory launched dozens of rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel. The confrontation, which continued into Wednesday morning, is the worst episode of violence between Israel and Hamas since they fought a sevenweek-long war in 2014. The Israeli military said around 70 rockets and bombs had been fired into Israel by 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday (1700 GMT). One mortar shell landed near a kindergarten.

Russiaʼs Vladimir Putin has described the latest US steel tariffs against its long-term allies as unjust "sanctions." Putin has held his annual live television phone-in in Moscow.

Saudi Arabia issues first driverʼs licenses to women

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his televised call-in show on Thursday to speak out againstcommodity tariffsimposed by the United States on its western allies. Taking questions during the annual marathon phone-in, Putin also talked up Russiaʼs long-term economic growth, ruled out withdrawingRussian troops from Syriain the near future, and warned Ukraine of "serious consequences" were it to launch military action against pro-Russian rebels during the soccer World Cup. Putin said he warned European leaders back in 2007 about the risk of US tariffs, only for his warnings to go ignored. The president told Russian viewers: "It appears our partners thought that this would never affect them, these counterproductive politics of restrictions and sanctions. But now we are seeing that this is happening.""Nobody wanted to listen, and nobody did anything to stop this from developing. Well, there you go, youʼve been hit. Dinner is served ... please sit down and eat." Putin said the steel tariffs imposed by the US on its Western allies effectively amounted to "sanc-

tions," adding: "(The West) would see what sanctions feel like on their own skin," referring to the sanctions they imposed on Moscow following the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Putin also appeared to broach the idea of a newEuropean security set-up, saying US President Donald Trump was seeking to upset the current order. "US withdrawal from treaties on antiballistic missiles is an attempt to put an end to strategic parity, but we will respond to this," he said, adding that this should prompt other countries to work together."We need to work out united and consistently understandable and concrete rules on how to behave in the realm of security and in the realm of economic interaction."We believe that the unilateral introduction of all kinds of sanctions does not resolve problems, it only worsens them." However, Putin dispelled the threat of a Third World War, saying: "The understanding that a third world war could be the end of civilization should restrain us from taking extreme steps on the international arena that are highly dangerous for modern civilization."

Ahead of the lift of a decades-old ban on women driving, a group of women have received their driverʼs licenses. The ban is due to be lifted on June 24. Saudi Arabia on Monday issued driverʼs licenses to 10 women on Monday. The announcement comes three weeks before a ban on women driving is set to be lifted followingKing Salamʼs decision last year to allow women to drive . Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed drive but this will change on June 24.

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