US-Taliban Talks In Qatar Delayed

Senior Afghan officials had accused Washington on Wednesday of breaking assurances to Kabul.

Taliban Confirms Talks With U.S. In Qatar On Thursday

A team of U.S. negotiators arrived in Qatar earlier on Wednesday and held a meeting with Afghan diplomats in the Qatari capital.

UAE To Try 30 Emiratis, Egyptians For Illegal Brotherhood Cell

Ties between Egypt and the UAE have been strained since the revolution that toppled veteran Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Saudi King Congratulates Iran’s New President Rohani

Ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran are tense over many issues, notably the war in Syria.

Kuwait Court Dissolves Parliament, Orders New Elections

The court made its ruling after throwing out an opposition challenge to changes to the electoral system decreed by the emir.

Arabs Put Slim Hopes In New Iranian President

Hassan Rohani, who replaces Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is known for a conciliatory approach and is backed by reformists.

Iran’s New President Hassan Rohani Hails “Victory Of Moderation”

Rohani will take up the presidency in August, replacing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was legally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

Turkey’s History Of Military Coups Hangs Over Protests

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has whittled away the army’s power and even holds up his executed predecessor as a political model.

Saudi Arabia Arrests Dozens In Protest Over Prisoners

Witnesses said police surrounded around 100 protesters at a demonstration in Buraidah on Tuesday and made some arrests.

Two Canadian Reporters, Detained In Turkey, Now Released

The two were detained since they reported on the protests that have been taking place in Turkey for almost two weeks.

Turkish Riot Police Clash With Protesters In Taksim Square

Demonstrations began two weeks ago and so far three people have been killed and about 5,000 hurt.

Gulf States Pledge Sanctions Against Hezbollah Over Syria

Members of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah intervened in Syria’s civil war in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

Kuwaiti Woman Jailed For Twitter Insults

Kuwait has penalised several Twitter users in recent months for slurs against the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

Jordan Hosts US Jets And Missiles For Drills

Both Washington and Amman said on Sunday the Eager Lion exercises were not related to the war in Syria.

Turkish PM Erdogan Denounces Riots In Turkish Cities

Hundreds of police and protesters have been injured since riots began on Friday.

GCC Countries To Consider Action Against Hezbollah

The GCC has called Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria “sectarian intervention”.

Canadian Visa Waiver To UAE Effective From June 1

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird confirmed the news in Ottawa.

Bahrain Bans Political Groups From Contacting Hezbollah

The move comes a day after Bahrain’s foreign minister called the head of the Shi’ite Muslim group a “terrorist”.

Saudi King Hands National Guard Ministry To Son

Prince Miteb’s promotion bolsters his credentials within the ruling al-Saud family.

Kuwait’s Shamali Named Acting Oil Minister

Mustapha al-Shamali is Kuwait’s long-serving finance minister.

Kuwait Court Scraps Opposition Politician’s 5-Year Jail Term

A former member of parliament, Musallam al-Barrak has been out on bail since he was sentenced in April but could still receive another sentence.

Kuwaiti Lawmakers Want Power Plant Contract Scrapped

In January the government signed a deal with a consortium led by France’s GDF-Suez to build the 1,500 megawatt Az Zour plant.

LATEST: Canadians Still Require Visas To Enter UAE

The Canadian visa waiver announced earlier this year has still not come into effect, confirmed embassies.

Sheikh Mohammed Announces New ‘M-Government’ Project

The new structure for Dubai’s government is to be implemented in two years’ time and will be “the Government of the future”.

France To Invest $25m In Africa, Middle East Embassy Security

The country’s mission in Libya was targeted by a car bomb in April.

Saudi Arabia Says Hackers Sabotage Government Websites

An investigation traced the attacks to hundreds of internet protocol addresses in a number of countries.

Kuwait Court Ruling May Threaten Economic Recovery

One of the world’s richest countries per capita, Kuwait has struggled for years to get big infrastructure projects off the ground because of bureaucratic red tape and political turmoil.

Kuwaiti Ministers Offer To Resign – State News Agency

Kuwait’s elected parliament has been caught in a long-running power struggle with the appointed government.

UK Backs Dubai As Expo 2020 Host

Regional diversity makes Dubai the first choice for Expo 2020 bid, says UK minister.

Kuwait MPs Plan To Question Oil Ministers

Elections in December brought in lawmakers seen as more cooperative with the government.