Re: Qatar diplomatic crisis: All the latest updates

Admin Tue 06 Jun 2017, 12:08 pm

Qatar row: Calls for diplomatic talks to end Gulf crisis
2 hours ago
From the section Middle East
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40168856
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Qatar is backing plans for talks with its regional rivals as a diplomatic row gathers pace.
Several countries have cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism in the Gulf region.
Neighbours including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have closed their airspace to Qatari planes.
Kuwait - one of the Gulf countries not involved in the dispute - has offered to mediate talks, and Qatar said it was receptive to dialogue.
In an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera network, the Qatari foreign minister said Kuwait's emir would travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Al Jazeera that Qatar was seeking "a dialogue of openness and honesty".
Six countries - Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Yemen, Libya's eastern-based government and the Maldives - cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have given Qatari nationals two weeks to leave, and banned their own citizens from travelling to Qatar.
EXTRACT
All you need to know about Qatar
Why has this happened?
While the severing of ties was sudden, it has not come out of the blue, as tensions have been building for years, and particularly in recent weeks.
Broadly, two key factors drove Monday's decision: Qatar's ties to Islamist groups, and to Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional rival.
Wealthy individuals in Qatar are believed to have made donations and the government has given money and weapons to hardline Islamist groups in Syria - Qatar says this is not the case.
The Financial Times also reports that Gulf allies were angry that Qatar paid a $1bn (£773m) ransom to jihadists and Iranian security officials after Qatari nationals were kidnapped in Iraq and Syria.
Saudi Arabia, too, has been accused of funding IS, either directly or by failing to prevent private donors from sending money to the group - allegations it denies.
Is Saudi to blame for IS?
Analysts also say the timing of the diplomatic withdrawal, two weeks after a visit to Riyadh by US President Donald Trump, is crucial.
Mr Trump's speech in Saudi Arabia, in which he blamed Iran for instability in the Middle East and urged Muslim countries to take the lead in combating radicalisation, is likely to have emboldened Gulf allies to act against Qatar.
Where key countries stand on IS
In the same week as Mr Trump's speech, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE blocked Qatari news sites, including Al Jazeera. Comments purportedly by Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, criticising Saudi Arabia had appeared on Qatari state media.
The government in Doha dismissed the comments as fake, attributing the report to a "shameful cybercrime".
The latest reaction
VIDEO US SEC. STATE Rex Tillerson urges Gulf states to "address differences"
Media captionUS Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urges Gulf states to "address differences"
In the interview with Al Jazeera, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Qatar would not retaliate but was unhappy with regional rivals "trying to impose their will on Qatar or intervene in its internal affairs"
He said Qatar's emir, at the request of his Kuwaiti counterpart, had cancelled a speech scheduled later for Tuesday, to allow negotiations to proceed calmly
The Philippines, which has an estimated 200,000 residents in Qatar, said it had stopped the deployment of workers to the Gulf state
Philippines labour official Silvestre Bello told a new conference he feared Filipinos in Qatar would "be the first victims" in the event of riots over food shortages.

Admin Tue 06 Jun 2017, 11:58 am

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/qatar-diplomatic-crisis-latest-updates-170605105550769.html
Qatar diplomatic crisis: All the latest updates
The latest news after Arab Gulf countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and suspended Doha-bound flights.
The row between five Middle East countries and Qatar could increase regional instability [Reuters]
SUMMARY
Kuwait Emir flying to Saudi for mediation
Qatar Emir speech expected on Tuesday
US: No change plans for military base
Aviation to/from Qatar halted in five countries
Imports continue by air and sea
Qatari exports, stocks, banks affected
The latest developments since several Arab nations cut ties with Qatar.
To jump to the beginning of the fallout, click here.
To jump to the first update on Tuesday, click here.
12:20pm - Saudi suspends Qatar Airways license
According to the Saudi press, transport authorities in Saudi have cancelled Qatar Airways license to operate in Saudi Arabia.
The authorities also decides to close all Qatar's Airways offices in the Kingdom.
11:50am - BeIn sports network appears blocked in UAE
Authorities and telecommunications companies did not provide further details. BeIN acquired Al Jazeera's sports channels in 2013.
11:20am - UAE demands guarantees before mending Qatar ties
"We need a guaranteed roadmap to rebuild confidence after our covenants were broken," UAE state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter.
Gargash accused Doha of turning to "money and media and partisanship and extremism" in a series of tweets early on Tuesday. Qatar has denied the allegations.
10:00am - Qatar stocks rebound in early trade
Qatar's stock market rebounded in early trade on Tuesday after plunging 7.3 percent on Monday.
The Qatari stock index was up 2.7 percent after half an hour of trade; it rose as much as 3.2 percent at one stage.
9:20am - Aluminium exports from Qatar blocked
Exports of aluminium from the Qatalum metals plant in Qatar have been blocked by the UAE, Norway's Norsk Hydro said.
Norsk Hydro owns a 50-percent stake on the Qatalum joint venture, which produces more than 600,000 tonnes per year of primary aluminium to customers in Asia, Europe and the United States.
"Most Qatalum shipments normally go through the large Jebel Ali port in UAE, but this port looks to be closed for all Qatar shipments from Tuesday morning," Norsk Hydro said in a statement.
8:23am - Qatar Airways suspends flights to UAE, Egypt, Bahrain
Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates from Tuesday until further notice, the airline said on its website, a day after it had suspended flights to Saudi Arabia.
The airline said passengers holding a confirmed Qatar Airways ticket to any of the four countries between June 5 and July 6 are permitted to rebook their flights up to 30 days after their current departure date.
Qatar Airways said its offices will continue to operate as normal in affected countries until further notice.
8:00am - Erdogan holds talks on lowering tensions
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with the leaders of Qatar, Russia, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on lowering tension, presidential sources said.
"The importance of regional peace and stability was underlined in the talks, as well as the importance of focusing on the path of diplomacy and dialogue to lower the current tension," according to the sources.
1:30am, Tuesday - Qatar's foreign minister interview
"For us, the strategic choice of the state of Qatar is to solve any dispute through dialogue," Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani tells Al Jazeera.
"Regarding the reasons for this escalation, honestly, we don't know if there were real reasons for this crisis", Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani tells Al Jazeera.
"There were no indications [of a crisis] whatsoever," in the latest GCC meeting, or the American-Islamic-Arab summit.
He said the emir of Kuwait was traveling to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to assist in "containing the crisis".
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will give a speech to the nation on Tuesday to address the situation.
He added there's a big question mark over the future of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
"There was an unprecedented escalation from the [Gulf] mass media.. but Qatar has not met this escalation with escalation".
10:40pm - Kuwait calls for restraint
Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah has called Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and "urged him for restraint and not to take any measure that could escalate" the situation in the Gulf, according to the state-run KUNA news agency.
8:30pm - Saudi banks asked to sell Qatari Riyals
Saudi Arabia's central bank asks local banks to sell Qatari Riyals and not to buy anymore of it, local media and Reuters report.
8:30pm - Turkey is seeking to resolve Gulf spat
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is "actively involved" in efforts to resolve the diplomatic spat between Qatar and its neighbours, according to Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus.
8pm - US military has "no plans" for change
The US military's Central Command says it has "no plans to change our posture in Qatar" amid a Gulf diplomatic crisis. Major Adrian J T Rankine-Galloway said in a statement that US military aircraft continue to fly missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria from Qatar's Al-Udeid air base.
7:30pm - Egypt airspace to close on Tuesday
Egypt's ministry of civil aviation has announced that the country's airspace will be closed to Qatari flights starting Tuesday 04:00GMT.
6:30pm - Israel praises anti-Qatar moves
Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's defence minister, has praised the measures against Qatar, saying "there is no doubt that this opens very many possibilities of cooperation in the struggle against terror".
6:25pm - Saudi shuts Al Jazeera office
Saudi Arabia has shut down Al Jazeera Media Network's local office, according to Saudi state media
5:40pm - No Qatari vessels allowed in Saudi ports
The Saudi Ports Authority has notified shipping agents not to receive vessels carrying Qatari flags or ships that are owned by Qatari companies or individuals.
5:10pm - Egypt suspends air and sea links
Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement the country was suspending air and sea links to Qatar, citing national security.
4:40pm - Turkey expresses 'sorrow'
Turkey is ready to help however it can to bring the disputes to a manageable level, said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara.
Cavusoglu also said: "Turkey sees the unity and solitary among Gulf states as our own unity".
4pm - Iran's food 'can reach in 12 hours'
Food shipments sent from Iran can reach Qatar in 12 hours, said Reza Nourani, chairman of the union of exporters of agricultural products.
3:30pm - UAE port to turn away Qatar-bound vessels
UAE's Port of Fujairah says all vessels flying the flag of Qatar or destined for Qatar will not be allowed to call at the port.
3:30pm - Iran calls for dialogue
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi was quoted on the ministry's website as calling for a "clear and explicit dialogue" among the feuding nations. Iran says rising tensions among its Arab Gulf neighbours threaten the interests of everyone in the region.
3:15pm - Maldives cuts ties with Qatar
Decision made because of the Maldives "firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism".
3:10pm - Egypt recalls ambassador
Egypt's foreign ministry says it has given the Qatari ambassador in Cairo 48 hours to leave the country and has ordered its own envoy in Doha to return home, also within two days.
2:50pm - Libya's Haftar cuts ties with Qatar
The faction led by Khalifa Haftar, one of three rival governments in Libya, announced it is cutting ties with Qatar.
Haftar's foreign minister accuses Qatar of "harbouring terrorism".
2pm - Saudi closes border with Qatar
Saudi Transport authority confirms immediate border closure with Qatar by land and by sea.
1:30pm - Saudi border line up
Reports of trucks being lined up across the border in Saudi Arabia unable to enter Qatar.
1:20pm - Updates from FIFA
Football's world governing body says it remains in "regular contact with Qatar".
FIFA issued a short statement saying it has spoken with "the Qatar 2022 Local Organizing Committee and the Supreme Committee for Delivery Legacy handling matters relating to the 2022 FIFA World Cup".
It said: "We have no further comments for the time being".
1:15pm - Air Arabia flights suspended from Tuesday
Air Arabia, a low-cost airline based in the United Arab Emirates, said it is suspending flights to Qatar along with other Emirati airlines over a growing diplomatic crisis.
Air Arabia says its flights will be suspended from Tuesday "until further notice".
EXPLAINED: How diplomatic rift affects air travel
12:10pm - Saudia flights suspended from Monday
Saudi Arabian Airlines says it is suspending flights to the Qatari capital, Doha.
The airline, also known as Saudia, posted on Twitter that it would be halting flights from Monday morning, without elaborating.
11:05am - FlyDubai flights cancelled from Tuesday
Dubai's budget carrier FlyDubai says it has canceled its flights to Qatar amid a diplomatic dispute between it and other Arab countries.
The carrier said on Monday that, starting Tuesday, all flights would be suspended. It offered no other details.
FlyDubai's decision follows that of Emirates and Etihad in canceling flights to Doha.
10:45am - Yemen cuts ties with Qatar
Yemen's internationally recognised government has cut relations with Qatar and says it supports the decision by the Saudi-led coalition to end Qatar's participation in the war on the Houthis in Yemen. Qatar has been part of the coalition since March 2015.
The government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi says it severed ties with Qatar in part over is support of extremist groups in Yemen "in contradiction with the goals announced by the countries supporting the legitimate government".
10:20am - Emirates flights cancelled from Tuesday
The Dubai-based airline Emirates says it is suspending flights to Qatar amid a growing diplomatic rift.
Emirates said on its website on Monday flights would be suspended until further notice starting Tuesday.
10am - US urges GCC unity
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters in Sydney: "It is important that the GCC remain a unified [front]".
Tillerson does not expect the rift "to have any significant impact, if any impact at all, on the unified fight against terrorism".
Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East.
9:55am - Qatar's official reaction
Qatar says there is "no legitimate justification" for four Arab nations to cut diplomatic ties.
Qatar also says the decision is a "violation of its sovereignty", vowing to its citizens it will not affect them.
READ: Qatar's reaction in full
8:35am - Etihad suspends flights from Tuesday
Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad said it is suspending flights to Qatar from June 6 "until further notice".
Etihad said its last flights would leave early Tuesday morning.
Etihad gave no reason for the decision. It is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates.
6:10am - UAE, Egypt cut ties with Qatar
The United Arab Emirates and Egypt have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
Both the UAE and Egypt made the announcement on their state-run news agencies within minutes of each other.
6am - Saudi cuts ties with Qatar
Saudi Arabia says it is cutting diplomatic ties to Qatar and it has pulled all Qatari troops from the ongoing war in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia made the announcement via its state-run Saudi Press Agency early on Monday. It appeared to be timed in concert with an earlier announcement by Bahrain similarly cutting ties.
The dispute between Qatar and the Gulf's Arab countries escalated recently over a hack of Qatar's state-run news agency. It has spiraled since.
5:50am, Monday - Bahrain cuts ties with Qatar
Bahrain says it is cutting diplomatic ties to Qatar amid a deepening rift between Gulf Arab nations.
Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement early on Monday saying it would withdraw its diplomatic mission from the Qatari capital of Doha within 48 hours and that all Qatari diplomats should leave Bahrain within the same period.