Qatar rejects latest threat of 'siege countries'

US Vice-President Mike Pence has made a tongue-in-cheek apology to Nasa after a photo of him touching a piece of space flight equipment went viral. Mr. Pence was visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Florida when he placed his hand on a piece of hardware - despite a large sign that read 'do not touch'. He later apologised to Nasa. Nasa assured Pence the equipment was in need of a clean anyway.

Pence, who addressed Nasa staff at Cape Canaveral on Thursday, sparked a social media storm after a photo emerged of him touching a cover for the Orion spacecraft. Nasa replied that it was OK, and said in a statement that "procedures require the hardware to be cleaned before tiles are bonded to the spacecraft, so touching the surface is okay." If the hardware was not OK to touch, it "would have had a protective cover over it", Nasa added. The original photo had gone viral within hours - with some social media users criticising Mr Pence for ignoring the sign. "Good to know our vice president has the self control of a sugar-charged third grader on a field trip," wrote a Twitter user.

DOHA, July7 ( AFP) - Qatar hit back Friday at a threat by four “siege countries” to impose further sanctions on the emirate over its refusal to bow to their ultimatum for ending the Gulf crisis.

In a statement attributed to a senior foreign ministry source, a defiant Qatar said the demands of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were defamatory.

“The State of Qatar expressed regret over the content of the two statements issued in Cairo and Jeddah by the four siege countries and the false accusations included in them that amount to defamation in contradiction with the established foundations of international relations,” read the statement.

“A senior Foreign Ministry source described the statements' claims about the State of Qatar's interference in internal affairs of countries and financing terrorism as baseless allegations.” Earlier on Friday, Saudi Arabia and its three allies said Qatar's rejection of a list of 13 demands they set to lift sanctions on Doha “reflects its intention to continue its policy, aimed at destabilising security in the region,” according to a statement on the official SPA news agency.

“All political, economic and legal measures will be taken in the manner and at the time deemed appropriate to preserve the four countries' rights, security and stability,” the statement added, without elaborating.

It is the latest impasse in the worst dip- lomatic crisis in the Gulf for several years, which has now stretched into its second month.

In June, the four states announced the severing of all diplomatic ties with Qatar over allegations the emirate bankrolled Islamist extremists and had close ties with Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran.