Daily briefing: Arab states issue demands to Qatar, healthcare bill under threat, Brexit one year on

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Qatar has been given a series of demands that it must comply with to end a crippling blockade by other Arab states. The 13-point list handed over by Kuwait, which is mediating in the dispute, includes the closure of the Al Jazeera satellite television channel, limiting relations with Iran, the immediate closure of a Turkish military base and an end to military co-operation with Ankara. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut all ties to Doha on June 5, accusing the gas-rich state of supporting terrorism. They have given Qatar 10 days to comply.

Few observers think the demands will be met, raising the prospect of extended diplomatic deadlock and causing the Qatari riyal to weaken to its lowest level since 1988. Doha has not commented on the list but Qatar’s foreign minister has previously said any demand to close Al Jazeera would be rejected, and the country’s ambassador to the US told the FT earlier this week that its opponents “want to undermine our sovereignty”. (FT, Reuters)

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In the news

Chinese companies reassure investors
Shares in companies related to Chinese entertainment giant Dalian Wanda, consumer group Fosun International and conglomerate HNA rebounded on Friday after China’s big banks and private companies reassured investors over an order by the country’s banking regulator to limit their exposure to the conglomerates. (NAR, FT)

Healthcare bill under threat
The Republican party’s latest attempt to overhaul US healthcare failed to get enough support to pass a Senate vote after at least four Republican senators said they would not vote for it. Whether Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell can bring them on board without losing other party members is unclear. (FT, NYT)

Pyongyang says Warmbier death a mystery
The North Korean authorities have denied torturing Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American student who died after being detained by the North Koreans for a year. One official said his death was a “mystery”. (Bloomberg, Reuters)

Jail term for friend of former South Korean president
Choi Soon-sil, the confidante of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye, has been jailed for three years for soliciting favours for her daughter. It is the first court ruling in the corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of Ms Park. Ms Choi, who denies any wrongdoing, still faces other charges, including extortion and abuse of power. (FT)

Canadian sniper makes record kill shot
A sniper with Canada’s elite special forces has shot and killed an Isis fighter in Iraq from a distance of 2.1 miles, shattering the world record for the longest confirmed kill shot previously held by a British sniper. The shot took 10 seconds to reach its target and the sniper would have had to consider distance, wind and the curvature of the earth when taking aim. (Globe and Mail)

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The day ahead

European Union summit
European leaders will hold a second day of talks in Brussels a year after the UK voted to leave the EU. Ahead of the day’s discussions, Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, described an offer by British prime minister Theresa May to guarantee the rights of 3m EU citizens living in the UK after Brexit as “a first step” but “not sufficient”. Away from the vexed question of Britain’s departure from the union was excitement over the EU debut of France’s new president, Emmanuel Macron. (FT, Politico)

What we’re reading

The new world disorder
Ed Luce on how America’s friends and enemies have adjusted to the age of Trump — with US allies scrambling to figure out what to do next and China hoping to gain advantage from a world in flux. (FT)

Developing the perfect leader
The leadership meltdown at Uber, whose founder-chief executive Travis Kalanick resigned this week, has focused attention on what can happen to organisations that fail to develop their leaders. (FT)

Brexit, one year on
It has been a year since the UK narrowly voted to leave the European Union. In a new series, the FT looks at how the vote has affected the economy, the main scenarios for leaving the bloc and what is at stake for British citizens. Separately, the FT’s Joshua Chaffin looks at how Britain’s pro-remain capital is grappling with political uncertainty and a spate of terror attacks. (FT)

Online gamblers’ shadow banking system revealed
A network of seven fake online stores offering household goods has been used as a front for internet gambling payments, part of an international system to conceal payments for the $40bn industry, which is illegal in many countries. (Reuters)

Surviving Boko Haram
The harrowing story of four Nigerian boys who were among thousands kidnapped by the militant group and trained as soldiers. Survival depended on carrying out acts of extreme violence that broke all bonds to their former life. (NYT)

Video of the day

Welcoming our robot overlords
Robin Kwong reports on how workers and unions in the heart of US manufacturing have come to terms with robots taking over tasks humans once did. (FT)