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White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has quit, reportedly in protest at an organisational shake-up. Mr Spicer stepped down because he was unhappy with President Donald Trump's appointment of a new communications director, according to reports. Combative Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci has been picked for the role that Mr Spicer partially filled. Mr Spicer's press briefings were a cable news hit, but in recent weeks he withdrew from the camera's glare. He told US media that the White House "could benefit from a clean slate". Later, appearing on Fox News, Mr Spicer said that with Mr Scaramucci's appointment there was a risk of "too many cooks in the kitchen" in the White House media operation, which was why he was stepping down. The 45 year old said he had told Mr Trump he "would stay on for a few weeks to achieve a smooth transition", and was looking forward to spending more time with his family. He defended the president's agenda and hit out at what he termed "media bias", saying: "I was increasingly disappointed about the way the media here do their job, or don't do their job." The shake-up at the White House comes amid several investigations into alleged Russian meddling in last year's US presidential election and whether Mr Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow. The New York Times reported that Mr Spicer had "vehemently" disagreed with the appointment of Mr Scaramucci, which he believed to be a "major mistake". SPICER'S LOW POINTS # Inflating crowd size estimates at Trump inauguration at first briefing # His appearance, particularly his suits, reportedly criticised by Trump # Saying Hitler never used chemical weapons and referring to Holocaust "centres" # Butt of text message joke by adviser Steve Bannon about his weight # Defending Trump "covfefe" tweet by saying it had hidden meaning # Frozen out of meeting with the Pope in Rome, despite being devout Catholic # Not invited to Paris for Trump visit Announcing that he would step down next month, Mr Spicer tweeted that it had been "an honour & a privilege to serve" the president. The BBC's White House reporter Tara McKelvey says journalists besieged the 18-acre complex so they could film Mr Spicer leaving. In an assured debut, he attended Friday afternoon's news conference to announce that Sarah Huckabee Sanders, formerly Mr Spicer's deputy, would step into his shoes. "I love the president and it's an honour to be here," Mr Scaramucci said, adding: "He is genuinely a wonderful human being." He also said: "The president has really good karma." Mr Scaramucci, who has no previous experience in communications roles, paid tribute to Mr Spicer as "a true American patriot" and "incredibly gracious". "I hope he goes on to make a tremendous amount of money," he said. Mr Scaramucci also apologised and said he had been "unexperienced" as he explained his previous criticism of the president. In an August 2015 interview with Fox Business, he dismissed Mr Trump as a "hack" and "an inherited money dude" with "a big mouth". Mr Scaramucci is currently senior vice-president of the Export-Import Bank, a US government agency which guarantees loans for foreign buyers of American exports. A former member of the Trump transition team, he mistakenly suggested to the BBC in January that Elton John would play at the new president's inauguration. The singer promptly denied it. BIGGER TREMORS TO COME? ANALYSIS BY ANTHONY ZURCHER, BBC NEWS Life on a White House staff is intense and exhausting.  This administration is under particular pressure, given the ongoing Russia investigation, recent legislative setbacks and a president who can be, shall we say, occasionally off-message. Now cracks in the structure are beginning to show. Sean Spicer's departure, reportedly because he doesn't want to work for newly named communication director Anthony Scaramucci, represents the most significant shakeup within the administration's senior team to date. It could also be a sign of bigger tremors to come. Mr Spicer was closely allied with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who was his boss last year in the Republican National Committee. The Trump team has been rife with personal feuds, as various factions vie for a mercurial president's ear. Leaks abound. The prestige and power of advisers and aides wax and wane. Media reports abound of a White House under siege. And just a reminder - the Trump presidency is only six months old. Ms Huckabee Sanders read a statement from President Trump, saying: "I am grateful for Sean's work on behalf of my administration and the American people. "I wish him continued success as he moves on to pursue new opportunities. Just look as his great television ratings." On day one in January, Mr Spicer set the tone of his relationship with the press by bursting into the briefing room to berate journalists for their reporting of crowd numbers at President Trump's inauguration. His proclivity for gaffes and garbling of his words, as well as making debatable assertions, soon made Mr Spicer a household name. But he could also be charming and was liked by many among the press corps. Mr Spicer was lampooned on topical comedy show Saturday Night Live, where Melissa McCarthy played him as a loud-mouthed bully who brandished his lectern at reporters. Mr Trump noted approvingly in April that Mr Spicer "gets great ratings". A month later, the president said: "He's doing a good job but he gets beat up." Mr Spicer was roundly mocked after he reportedly hid by a hedgerow on the White House grounds to avoid reporters on the night Mr Trump fired the FBI director in May. His last on-camera briefing was on 20 June, and there have been few since then. Members of the media have accused the Trump administration of attempting to kill off the daily news conferences to avoid scrutiny.   ....

Published at: 2017-07-22 00:00:04

US stocks ticked lower on Friday as weak earnings from industrial giant General Electric weighed, while tech shares retreated from record highs and energy tracked the price of oil lower. GE shares fell 2.9 per cent to $25.91 and hit their lowest level since October 2015. The company reported a nearly 60 per cent slump in profit. Peers in the industrial sector, such as Caterpillar and 3M, also fell. But Honeywell touched a record high and ended up 1.0 per cent at $136.35 after it raised the low-end of its profit forecast. The S&P 500 energy sector fell more than 1.0 per cent as oil prices lost nearly 3.0 per cent, after a consultancy report forecast a rise in OPEC production for July despite the cartel's pledge to curb output. The S&P 500 technology sector slipped after posting two consecutive record closing highs.  The Nasdaq Composite was on track to cap a 10-day streak of gains, its best since February 2015, after closing at a record high on Thursday. Tech continues to be the best performing S&P sector this year despite concerns over stretched valuations. Microsoft shares fell 0.6 to $73.79 despite a strong earnings beat after the bell Thursday, propped in large part by its fast-growing cloud computing business. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 31.71 points, or 0.15 per cent, to 21,580.07, the S&P 500 lost 0.91 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 2,472.54. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.25 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 6,387.75. The S&P and the Nasdaq rose for a third straight week, according to Reuters.....

Published at: 2017-07-22 00:00:04

The emir of Qatar has called for negotiations to ease a boycott by four powerful Arab neighbours. In his first public address since the crisis erupted, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said any solution must respect Qatar's sovereignty. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June over its alleged support for terrorism and ties with Iran, and issued a series of demands. Qatar denies aiding terrorists. In his television address, the emir condemned a "malicious smearing campaign" against Qatar and praised the resilience of its people. "As you know, life in Qatar goes on normally," he said. But he said "the time has come for us to spare the people from the political differences between the governments". "We are open to dialogue to resolve the outstanding problems," so long as Qatar's "sovereignty is respected", the emir said. The restrictions put in place by the four Arab nations have forced the gas-rich emirate to import food by sea and air to meet the basic needs of its population of 2.7 million. Saudi Arabia and its allies have now backed down from a list of 13 specific demands they made last month. They included shutting down the Al Jazeera news network, closing a Turkish military base, cutting ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and downgrading relations with Iran. Instead they say they want Qatar to accept six broad principles before they lift the restrictions. These include commitments to combat terrorism and extremism, and to end acts of provocation and incitement. Qatar has not responded directly to the latest demands. It has previously refused to agree to any measures that threaten its sovereignty or violate international law, and denounced the "siege" imposed by its neighbours. In Friday's address, the emir thanked Kuwaiti mediators who have been trying to resolve the crisis. Earlier this week, UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation Reem al-Hashimi said: "At this stage, the ball is in Qatar's court." Qatar has acknowledged providing assistance to Islamist groups designated as terrorist organisations by some of its neighbours, notably the Muslim Brotherhood. But it has denied aiding jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda or Islamic State (IS).   ....

Published at: 2017-07-22 00:00:04

At least two people were killed and 11 others injured when a bus crashed into a tree at Rohabari in Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj district on Saturday. One of the deceased was identified as Mizan Chandra Roy, son of Lalmohan Chandra, hailing from Kurigram district, reports UNB. Zakir Hossain, an assistant sub-inspector of Kajipur Police Station, said the Kurigram-bound bus from Dhaka hit the roadside tree as its driver lost control over the steering, leaving two passengers dead on the spot and 11 injured.....

Published at: 2017-07-22 00:00:04

Saudi Arabia is making good on promises to curtail oil shipments to the United States with the likely intention to drain visible inventories and support prices. The United States imported an average of 524,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude from Saudi Arabia in the week ending July 14, the lowest volume for more than seven years. Imports from Saudi Arabia averaged just 810,000 bpd over the last four weeks, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the slowest rate since January 2015. Crude arrives on supertankers carrying an average of around 2 million barrels so the weekly import numbers exhibit a lot of volatility linked to the timing of tanker arrivals. Imports are only reported to the US Energy Information Administration when the crude has cleared US customs so weekly volumes are sensitive to the precise timing of customs clearance. But there is no mistaking the downtrend in imports of Saudi Arabian crude since the start of June which seems set to continue until at least the end of August. On July 20, there were 15 very large crude carriers and 3 Suezmax tankers identified en route from Saudi Arabia to the United States, according to Kpler, a global cargo-tracking firm based in Paris. The number included some partially loaded tankers already off the US coast waiting to complete discharging, according to an analysis by Kpler. There are also a couple of Saudi cargoes with unclear final destinations. But at the same point in 2016, there were 25 very large or ultra large crude carriers and 3 Suezmax tankers voyaging from Saudi Arabia to the United States. Saudi officials have openly discussed reducing shipments to the United States in recent weeks. Saudi crude exports to the United States will be below 800,000 bpd in August, a Saudi industry source familiar with production policy told Reuters ("Saudis to cut Aug oil exports to lowest level this year", Reuters, July 12). Crude and product stocks in the United States are the most transparent and high-profile element of global inventories thanks to the weekly records published by the EIA. Many traders and analysts use weekly stock data from the EIA as a proxy for changes in the global supply-demand balance, even though they may not be representative of the whole market. Saudi Arabia and its OPEC and non-OPEC allies are keen to demonstrate to a skeptical market that output cuts are finally drawing down bloated stocks. So it makes sense to curb shipments to the United States to try to accelerate the reduction in the highly visible stocks held in North America. Crude and fuels markets are global not regional, and oil will find a way of flowing to where it is most needed or convenient to store. Total crude imports to the United States have fallen in recent weeks which, coupled with heavy refinery runs, has helped cut domestic crude stocks faster than normal for the time of year. But there are indications reduced Saudi shipments to the United States are being partially replaced by increased shipments from Iraq as refiners seek the closest alternative medium-heavy sour grades. And Saudi shipments have increased to India and Japan, according to vessels and cargoes tracked by Kpler, which may be offsetting some of the reduction to the United States.   ....

Published at: 2017-07-22 00:00:04