US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and his Qatari counterpart Khalid al-Attiyah signed a letter of agreement Wednesday for a $12-billion sale of US-manufactured F-15 fighters, the Pentagon said.

The sale comes amid a simmering crisis in the Gulf after Qatar&#39;s neighbours accused it of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties.

US President Donald Trump has signalled his support for the Saudi-led move but other US officials have been more cautious and called for dialogue to end the crisis.

&quot;The $12-billion sale will give Qatar a state-of-the-art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar,&quot; the Pentagon said in a statement.&nbsp;

Mattis and al-Attiyah also discussed mutual security concerns, including the Islamic State group and &quot;the importance of de-escalating tensions so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals.&quot;

The Pentagon did not provide additional details on the sale but Bloomberg reported it could include as many as 36 warplanes.

The State Department last year had said it had authorised the sale of 72 F-15 Strike Eagle jets to Qatar.&nbsp;That deal was worth an estimated value of $21 billion.

In November, the United States had approved possible sale of up to 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for $21.1 billion. Boeing is the prime contractor on the fighter jet sale to the Middle East nation, Reuters reported.

The sale comes amid a simmering crisis in the Gulf after Qatar's neighbours accused it of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties.

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and his Qatari counterpart Khalid al-Attiyah signed a letter of agreement Wednesday for a $12-billion sale of US-manufactured F-15 fighters, the Pentagon said. The sale comes amid a simmering crisis in the Gulf after Qatar's neighbours accused it of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties. US President Donald Trump has signalled his support for the Saudi-led move but other US officials have been more cautious and called for dialogue to end the crisis. "The $12-billion sale will give Qatar a state-of-the-art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar," the Pentagon said in a statement. Mattis and al-Attiyah also discussed mutual security concerns, including the Islamic State group and "the importance of de-escalating tensions so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals." The Pentagon did not provide additional details on the sale but Bloomberg reported it could include as many as 36 warplanes. The State Department last year had said it had authorised the sale of 72 F-15 Strike Eagle jets to Qatar. That deal was worth an estimated value of $21 billion. In November, the United States had approved possible sale of up to 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for $21.1 billion. Boeing is the prime contractor on the fighter jet sale to the Middle East nation, Reuters reported.

US to sell F-15 fighters to Qatar in deal worth $12 billion

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates announced hotlines to help families with Qatari members, their official news agencies reported, after their cutting of diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar led to travel disruption.

The coordinated move suggests the Gulf states are seeking to lessen the humanitarian impact of their June 5 severing of ties with Qatar, in retaliation for what they call its support for terrorism and their regional foe Iran.

Qatar has called the accusations baseless and have described the measures as a &quot;siege&quot; harmful to ordinary people there.

The three countries&#39; news agencies did not make clear what services the hotline would provide.

Amnesty International on June 9 criticised the measures against Qatar as sweeping and arbitrary and said they had split up families and destroyed peoples&#39; livelihoods and education.

Until the political dispute, which has cut air links and banned Qataris from visiting the three countries, Gulf societies enjoyed close travel ties and many families are intermarried.

But authorities in the UAE and Bahrain have made praise for Qatar&#39;s government a criminal offence carrying possible jail time, and some Gulf citizens have worried that the strong rhetoric on Qatar&#39;s foreign policy would divide their peoples.

But in language common to the three countries&#39; announcements, the UAE said it drew a distinction between Qatar&#39;s government and its people.

The hotline showed &quot;the UAE&#39;s commitment to the wellbeing of the brotherly Qatari people as a natural, authentic extension of their brothers in the UAE&quot;, it said.

The three countries' news agencies did not make clear what services the hotline would provide

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates announced hotlines to help families with Qatari members, their official news agencies reported, after their cutting of diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar led to travel disruption. The coordinated move suggests the Gulf states are seeking to lessen the humanitarian impact of their June 5 severing of ties with Qatar, in retaliation for what they call its support for terrorism and their regional foe Iran. Qatar has called the accusations baseless and have described the measures as a "siege" harmful to ordinary people there. The three countries' news agencies did not make clear what services the hotline would provide. Amnesty International on June 9 criticised the measures against Qatar as sweeping and arbitrary and said they had split up families and destroyed peoples' livelihoods and education. Until the political dispute, which has cut air links and banned Qataris from visiting the three countries, Gulf societies enjoyed close travel ties and many families are intermarried. But authorities in the UAE and Bahrain have made praise for Qatar's government a criminal offence carrying possible jail time, and some Gulf citizens have worried that the strong rhetoric on Qatar's foreign policy would divide their peoples. But in language common to the three countries' announcements, the UAE said it drew a distinction between Qatar's government and its people. The hotline showed "the UAE's commitment to the wellbeing of the brotherly Qatari people as a natural, authentic extension of their brothers in the UAE", it said.

Amid diplomatic fallout, Gulf states announce humanitarian hotline for mixed Qatari families

Qatar moved Sunday to avoid an escalation of its feud with Gulf neighbours by telling their citizens they are welcome to stay, while boasting of &quot;business as usual&quot; for vital gas exports.

Iran also announced it had sent tonnes of vegetables to Qatar, which has seen food imports threatened after its neighbours cut air, sea and land links with the country.&nbsp;

Nearly a week after Saudi Arabia and several of its allies severed ties with Qatar in an unprecedented Gulf diplomatic crisis,&nbsp;there were no signs of the bitter dispute being resolved.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others accused Qatar of supporting extremist groups, an assertion since backed by US President Donald Trump.

The crisis has raised deep concerns of instability in the region and on Sunday Kuwait&#39;s foreign minister said his country would continue efforts to mediate a solution to the crisis.&nbsp;

Qatar strongly rejects the allegations and has said it is open to talks on ending the dispute, which also saw the three Gulf states order all Qatari citizens out of their countries within 14 days.

Qatar said late on Saturday it would not retaliate with such measures of its own.

A statement carried on Qatari state media said Doha would &quot;not take any measures against residents of Qatar who hold the nationalities of countries that severed diplomatic ties... on the back of hostile and tendentious campaigns against the country&quot;.

No gas interruption

The decision will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain living in Qatar.

Concerns have been raised for the impact of these measures on people who live in all the countries affected.&nbsp;

&quot;For potentially thousands of people across the Gulf, the effect of the steps imposed in the wake of this political dispute is suffering, heartbreak and fear,&quot; Amnesty International has said.

Saudi Arabia said Sunday it was ordering &quot;suitable measures&quot; to help families with mixed citizenships but provided few details.

Despite the unprecedented sanctions, Qatar says that its crucial exports of liquified gas have not been interrupted.

&quot;Qatar Petroleum... is conducting business as usual throughout all its upstream, midstream and downstream businesses and operations, and in all activities across all of QP&#39;s world-class facilities,&quot; a statement read.

Gas has helped transform the tiny emirate into one of the richest countries in the world, fuelling its rise into a major regional player and helping fund huge infrastructure projects such as the 2022 football World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar.

On Thursday, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said his country could last &quot;forever&quot; despite the sanctions.&nbsp;

Qatar&#39;s rivals have also accused Doha of being too close to the Sunni Arab Gulf states&#39; arch-rival -- Shiite-dominated Iran -- in claims that Doha has also denied.

Iranians officials said on Sunday that tonnes of vegetables had been sent from Iran to Qatar since the measures were taken against it.

Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said five planes carrying around 90 tonnes of vegetables each had been sent to Qatar in recent days.

&quot;We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand,&quot; Noushabadi added, without saying if the deliveries were commercial exports or aid.

Kuwait presses on with efforts

Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also set to leave an Iranian port for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency quoted a local official as saying.&nbsp;

Moscow on Saturday joined other nations in calling for a dialogue, after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their &quot;blockade&quot; of Qatar.

Washington has sent mixed signals on the crisis, despite Qatar&#39;s position as a key ally and host to the largest US airbase in the region.

While Tillerson and others have called for an easing of tensions, Trump on Friday said Qatar had &quot;historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level&quot;.

Kuwait, which has not joined its neighbours against Qatar, has been leading mediation efforts and on Sunday Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled Al-Sabah said that would continue.

&quot;Kuwait stresses the need for the dispute to be resolved within the Gulf framework,&quot; Sheikh Sabah said in a statement quoted by the KUNA news agency.

Qatar has expressed readiness &quot;to understand the concerns of its brothers and respond to the efforts of the emir (of Kuwait) to strengthen peace and security,&quot; the foreign minister said. 
 
(AFP)

Saudi Arabia and several of its allies have severed ties with Qatar in an unprecedented Gulf diplomatic crisis

Qatar moved Sunday to avoid an escalation of its feud with Gulf neighbours by telling their citizens they are welcome to stay, while boasting of "business as usual" for vital gas exports. Iran also announced it had sent tonnes of vegetables to Qatar, which has seen food imports threatened after its neighbours cut air, sea and land links with the country. Nearly a week after Saudi Arabia and several of its allies severed ties with Qatar in an unprecedented Gulf diplomatic crisis, there were no signs of the bitter dispute being resolved. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others accused Qatar of supporting extremist groups, an assertion since backed by US President Donald Trump. The crisis has raised deep concerns of instability in the region and on Sunday Kuwait's foreign minister said his country would continue efforts to mediate a solution to the crisis. Qatar strongly rejects the allegations and has said it is open to talks on ending the dispute, which also saw the three Gulf states order all Qatari citizens out of their countries within 14 days. Qatar said late on Saturday it would not retaliate with such measures of its own. A statement carried on Qatari state media said Doha would "not take any measures against residents of Qatar who hold the nationalities of countries that severed diplomatic ties... on the back of hostile and tendentious campaigns against the country". No gas interruption The decision will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain living in Qatar. Concerns have been raised for the impact of these measures on people who live in all the countries affected. "For potentially thousands of people across the Gulf, the effect of the steps imposed in the wake of this political dispute is suffering, heartbreak and fear," Amnesty International has said. Saudi Arabia said Sunday it was ordering "suitable measures" to help families with mixed citizenships but provided few details. Despite the unprecedented sanctions, Qatar says that its crucial exports of liquified gas have not been interrupted. "Qatar Petroleum... is conducting business as usual throughout all its upstream, midstream and downstream businesses and operations, and in all activities across all of QP's world-class facilities," a statement read. Gas has helped transform the tiny emirate into one of the richest countries in the world, fuelling its rise into a major regional player and helping fund huge infrastructure projects such as the 2022 football World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar. On Thursday, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said his country could last "forever" despite the sanctions. Qatar's rivals have also accused Doha of being too close to the Sunni Arab Gulf states' arch-rival -- Shiite-dominated Iran -- in claims that Doha has also denied. Iranians officials said on Sunday that tonnes of vegetables had been sent from Iran to Qatar since the measures were taken against it. Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said five planes carrying around 90 tonnes of vegetables each had been sent to Qatar in recent days. "We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand," Noushabadi added, without saying if the deliveries were commercial exports or aid. Kuwait presses on with efforts Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also set to leave an Iranian port for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency quoted a local official as saying. Moscow on Saturday joined other nations in calling for a dialogue, after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their "blockade" of Qatar. Washington has sent mixed signals on the crisis, despite Qatar's position as a key ally and host to the largest US airbase in the region. While Tillerson and others have called for an easing of tensions, Trump on Friday said Qatar had "historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level". Kuwait, which has not joined its neighbours against Qatar, has been leading mediation efforts and on Sunday Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled Al-Sabah said that would continue. "Kuwait stresses the need for the dispute to be resolved within the Gulf framework," Sheikh Sabah said in a statement quoted by the KUNA news agency. Qatar has expressed readiness "to understand the concerns of its brothers and respond to the efforts of the emir (of Kuwait) to strengthen peace and security," the foreign minister said. (AFP)

Qatar says Gulf citizens can stay despite crisis

President Donald Trump declared Friday that the time has come for Qatar to halt all funding of terrorism, as a diplomatic stand-off between the Gulf emirate and its neighbors escalated.

Trump&#39;s stern warning overshadowed an earlier declaration from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson -- who had also urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their land and sea &quot;blockade&quot; of Qatar.

But US officials insisted that both men were sending the same message that the countries of the region should not allow their differences to hinder the fight against extremism.

The gas-rich emirate is home to the largest US airbase in the Middle East and thus a key ally in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

But it has fallen out with its Arab neighbors, who accuse it of sponsoring extremist groups, some of them allegedly linked to arch Saudi foe Iran, fomenting trouble across the region.

The neighbors also resent Qatar&#39;s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood movement and its sponsorship of pan-Arab satellite television network Al-Jazeera, which has given opposition figures a platform.

Qatar has denounced the allegations of terror funding as baseless and has received the support of close ally Turkey, which has approved the deployment of troops to defend the emirate.

&#39;High-level terror funding&#39;&nbsp;

Having apparently been caught on the hop by the speed with which the dispute has spiralled -- despite meeting all of the leaders&#39; concerned in Riyadh last month -- Trump has asked Tillerson to mediate.

The US president&#39;s rhetoric on Friday, however, did not appear likely to calm spirits in Doha. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,&quot; Trump told reporters in the White House Rose Garden, as Tillerson looked on.

&quot;I decided, along with secretary of state Rex Tillerson, our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding,&quot; he declared.&nbsp;

&quot;They have to end that funding and its extremist ideology in terms of funding,&quot; he said, lumping Qatar in with other nations which he said must &quot;stop teaching people to kill other people.&quot;

Less than two hours earlier, Tillerson had approached the crisis from a different direction -- warning that the stand-off between the former Gulf allies was undermining the anti-terror fight.

He did urge Qatar to be &quot;responsive to the concerns of its neighbors&quot; and to immediately crack down on extremist funding.

&quot;The emir of Qatar has made progress in halting financial support and expelling terrorists from his country, but he must do more and he must do it more quickly,&quot; he said.

But he also warned the response -- Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties on Monday and are trying to blockade Qatar by air and sea -- could be counterproductive.

&quot;The blockade is hindering US military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS,&quot; Tillerson warned.

Previously, US officers had denied the blockade was a problem, but Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the &quot;evolving situation is hindering our ability to plan for longer-term military operations.&quot;

Families separated

But Tillerson also noted that other countries must do more -- and he urged Riyadh and its allies to soften their embargo.

&quot;There are humanitarian consequences to this blockade. We are seeing shortages of food. Families are being forcibly separated and children pulled out of school,&quot; he said.

&quot;We believe these are unintended consequences, especially during this holy month of Ramadan. But they can be addressed immediately.&quot;

Tillerson said he had spoken to many leaders in the Gulf region in recent days and supported&nbsp;efforts by the emir of Kuwait to resolve the stand-off.

The tough US line was a rebuff for Qatar&#39;s efforts to reach out for support from abroad.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani spoke to Tillerson and was due in Moscow on Saturday.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain released a joint statement listing 59 entities and individuals, including members of Qatar&#39;s royal family as involved in &quot;terrorist&quot; activities.&nbsp;

Also named were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities.&nbsp;

A statement said the list shows that Qatar &quot;announces fighting terrorism on one hand and finances and supports and hosts different terrorist organizations on the other hand.&quot;&nbsp;

The Qatari government said the list &quot;once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact&quot; and boasted: &quot;We lead the region in attacking the roots of terrorism.&quot;&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the crisis is drawing in more countries.

Turkey&#39;s parliament has approved deploying troops to a base in Qatar and Iran has offered to send food.&nbsp;

Bahrain&#39;s foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, is expected in Turkey on Saturday to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.&nbsp;

The moves taken against Doha include banning Qatar Airways from airspace and closing Qatar&#39;s only land border with Saudi Arabia. The Arab states have also ordered Qataris out within 14 days.

Analysts say the crisis is partly an extension of a 2014 dispute, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain temporarily recalled their ambassadors over Qatari support for Egypt&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood.&nbsp;

Doha has for years forged its own alliances in the region, often diverging from GCC policies and taking in leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestinian Hamas and members of the Afghan Taliban.

US President Donald Trump said that the time has come for Qatar to halt all funding of terrorism

President Donald Trump declared Friday that the time has come for Qatar to halt all funding of terrorism, as a diplomatic stand-off between the Gulf emirate and its neighbors escalated. Trump's stern warning overshadowed an earlier declaration from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson -- who had also urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their land and sea "blockade" of Qatar. But US officials insisted that both men were sending the same message that the countries of the region should not allow their differences to hinder the fight against extremism. The gas-rich emirate is home to the largest US airbase in the Middle East and thus a key ally in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. But it has fallen out with its Arab neighbors, who accuse it of sponsoring extremist groups, some of them allegedly linked to arch Saudi foe Iran, fomenting trouble across the region. The neighbors also resent Qatar's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood movement and its sponsorship of pan-Arab satellite television network Al-Jazeera, which has given opposition figures a platform. Qatar has denounced the allegations of terror funding as baseless and has received the support of close ally Turkey, which has approved the deployment of troops to defend the emirate. 'High-level terror funding' Having apparently been caught on the hop by the speed with which the dispute has spiralled -- despite meeting all of the leaders' concerned in Riyadh last month -- Trump has asked Tillerson to mediate. The US president's rhetoric on Friday, however, did not appear likely to calm spirits in Doha. "The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level," Trump told reporters in the White House Rose Garden, as Tillerson looked on. "I decided, along with secretary of state Rex Tillerson, our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding," he declared. "They have to end that funding and its extremist ideology in terms of funding," he said, lumping Qatar in with other nations which he said must "stop teaching people to kill other people." Less than two hours earlier, Tillerson had approached the crisis from a different direction -- warning that the stand-off between the former Gulf allies was undermining the anti-terror fight. He did urge Qatar to be "responsive to the concerns of its neighbors" and to immediately crack down on extremist funding. "The emir of Qatar has made progress in halting financial support and expelling terrorists from his country, but he must do more and he must do it more quickly," he said. But he also warned the response -- Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties on Monday and are trying to blockade Qatar by air and sea -- could be counterproductive. "The blockade is hindering US military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS," Tillerson warned. Previously, US officers had denied the blockade was a problem, but Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the "evolving situation is hindering our ability to plan for longer-term military operations." Families separated But Tillerson also noted that other countries must do more -- and he urged Riyadh and its allies to soften their embargo. "There are humanitarian consequences to this blockade. We are seeing shortages of food. Families are being forcibly separated and children pulled out of school," he said. "We believe these are unintended consequences, especially during this holy month of Ramadan. But they can be addressed immediately." Tillerson said he had spoken to many leaders in the Gulf region in recent days and supported efforts by the emir of Kuwait to resolve the stand-off. The tough US line was a rebuff for Qatar's efforts to reach out for support from abroad. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani spoke to Tillerson and was due in Moscow on Saturday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain released a joint statement listing 59 entities and individuals, including members of Qatar's royal family as involved in "terrorist" activities. Also named were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities. A statement said the list shows that Qatar "announces fighting terrorism on one hand and finances and supports and hosts different terrorist organizations on the other hand." The Qatari government said the list "once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact" and boasted: "We lead the region in attacking the roots of terrorism." Meanwhile, the crisis is drawing in more countries. Turkey's parliament has approved deploying troops to a base in Qatar and Iran has offered to send food. Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, is expected in Turkey on Saturday to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The moves taken against Doha include banning Qatar Airways from airspace and closing Qatar's only land border with Saudi Arabia. The Arab states have also ordered Qataris out within 14 days. Analysts say the crisis is partly an extension of a 2014 dispute, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain temporarily recalled their ambassadors over Qatari support for Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. Doha has for years forged its own alliances in the region, often diverging from GCC policies and taking in leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestinian Hamas and members of the Afghan Taliban.

Trump rebukes Qatar as Gulf stand-off escalates

The government of Qatar has hired John Ashcroft, the US&nbsp;attorney general during the September&nbsp;11 attacks, as it seeks to rebut accusations from US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and its Arab neighbors that it supports terrorism.

Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for a 90-day period as the country seeks to confirm its efforts to fight global terrorism and comply with financial regulations including US&nbsp;Treasury rules, according to a Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, filing on Friday with the Justice Department.

&quot;The firm&#39;s work will include crisis response and management, program and system analysis, media outreach, education and advocacy regarding the client&#39;s historical, current and future efforts to combat global terror and its compliance goals and accomplishments,&quot; according to a letter by Ashcroft firm partner Michael Sullivan included in the filing.

Qatar faces isolation by fellow Arab countries after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt severed ties with Doha on Monday, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and their adversary Iran. Qatar denies the allegations.

The crisis is a major diplomatic test for the United States, which is a close ally of countries on both sides but has given mixed signals on whether to isolate Qatar or bring it into talks with other Gulf countries.

Trump on Friday accused Qatar of being a &quot;high level&quot; sponsor of terrorism in remarks made shortly after his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, pushed Qatar&#39;s Arab neighbors to &quot;immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation.&quot;

The Ashcroft firm was hired to do a compliance and regulatory view of Qatar&#39;s anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing framework, Sullivan said in an email.

&quot;Qatar is confident that the review and analysis will confirm that Qatar has significant measures in place to prevent and detect efforts to launder funds and/or to use its financial systems to finance terrorist organizations,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ashcroft was US&nbsp;attorney general under President George W. Bush from February 2001 to February 2005, turbulent years in which US&nbsp;policies and laws were reshaped by the so-called war on terrorism that followed the 2001 al Qaeda attacks.

Ashcroft&#39;s firm includes an array of former senior government officials including Sullivan, a former US&nbsp;attorney in Massachusetts appointed by Bush to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

&nbsp;

Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for a 90-day period

The government of Qatar has hired John Ashcroft, the US attorney general during the September 11 attacks, as it seeks to rebut accusations from US President Donald Trump and its Arab neighbors that it supports terrorism. Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for a 90-day period as the country seeks to confirm its efforts to fight global terrorism and comply with financial regulations including US Treasury rules, according to a Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, filing on Friday with the Justice Department. "The firm's work will include crisis response and management, program and system analysis, media outreach, education and advocacy regarding the client's historical, current and future efforts to combat global terror and its compliance goals and accomplishments," according to a letter by Ashcroft firm partner Michael Sullivan included in the filing. Qatar faces isolation by fellow Arab countries after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt severed ties with Doha on Monday, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and their adversary Iran. Qatar denies the allegations. The crisis is a major diplomatic test for the United States, which is a close ally of countries on both sides but has given mixed signals on whether to isolate Qatar or bring it into talks with other Gulf countries. Trump on Friday accused Qatar of being a "high level" sponsor of terrorism in remarks made shortly after his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, pushed Qatar's Arab neighbors to "immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation." The Ashcroft firm was hired to do a compliance and regulatory view of Qatar's anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing framework, Sullivan said in an email. "Qatar is confident that the review and analysis will confirm that Qatar has significant measures in place to prevent and detect efforts to launder funds and/or to use its financial systems to finance terrorist organizations," he said. Ashcroft was US attorney general under President George W. Bush from February 2001 to February 2005, turbulent years in which US policies and laws were reshaped by the so-called war on terrorism that followed the 2001 al Qaeda attacks. Ashcroft's firm includes an array of former senior government officials including Sullivan, a former US attorney in Massachusetts appointed by Bush to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Qatar hires ex-US attorney general John Ashcroft to rebut accusations of sponsoring terror

Qatar on Friday dismissed a terrorism blacklist published by Saudi Arabia and its allies as &quot;baseless&quot;&nbsp;which linked individuals and organisations in Doha to support for Islamist militant groups.

The emirate was responding just hours after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain published a list of 59 people and entities linked to &quot;terrorism&quot;.

&quot;The recent joint statement issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE regarding a &#39;terror finance watch list&#39; once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact,&quot; read a statement from Qatar&#39;s government.

The statement added that Qatar does not support terrorist groups.

&quot;Our position on countering terrorism is stronger than many of the signatories of the joint statement -- a fact that has been conveniently ignored by the authors,&quot; it added.

Included on the list were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities.

The list and its response adds to the diplomatic and political tensions in the Gulf which have heightened since Saudi Arabia and its allies severed ties with Qatar over its alleged support for extremism.

Qatar has vehemently denied the claims and on Thursday its foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said his country would not &quot;surrender&quot;.

(AFP)

Qatar dismissed a terrorism blacklist of 59 people and entities which linked individuals and organisations in Doha to support for Islamist militant groups published by Saudi Arabia and its allies as 'baseless'

Qatar on Friday dismissed a terrorism blacklist published by Saudi Arabia and its allies as "baseless" which linked individuals and organisations in Doha to support for Islamist militant groups. The emirate was responding just hours after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain published a list of 59 people and entities linked to "terrorism". "The recent joint statement issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE regarding a 'terror finance watch list' once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact," read a statement from Qatar's government. The statement added that Qatar does not support terrorist groups. "Our position on countering terrorism is stronger than many of the signatories of the joint statement -- a fact that has been conveniently ignored by the authors," it added. Included on the list were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities. The list and its response adds to the diplomatic and political tensions in the Gulf which have heightened since Saudi Arabia and its allies severed ties with Qatar over its alleged support for extremism. Qatar has vehemently denied the claims and on Thursday its foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said his country would not "surrender". (AFP)

Saudi, allies terrorism list 'baseless': Qatar

Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera said Thursday that it was under a widescale cyber attack which had targeted &quot;all systems&quot;, according to a statement released on social media by the broadcaster.

&quot;Al Jazeera Media Network under cyber attack on all systems, websites &amp; social media platforms,&quot; it said on Twitter.&nbsp;

The attack was also confirmed by a source at Al-Jazeera, who said the broadcaster was attempting to repel the hack.

&quot;An attempt has been made, and we are trying to battle it,&quot; said the source.

Following the initial reports of a cyber attack, some viewers in the region said they could no longer receive Al-Jazeera television.

Al-Jazeera, one of the largest news organisations in the world, has long been a source of conflict between Qatar and its neighbours, who accuse the broadcaster of bias and fomenting trouble in the region.

The alleged cyber attack comes during a time of heightened tensions in the Gulf, which has seen Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain and other allies cut ties with Qatar.

They severed relations over what they said is Doha&#39;s alleged financing of extremist groups and its ties to Iran, Saudi Arabia&#39;s regional arch-rival.

Long-running tensions broke out into the open last month after Qatar claimed its state news site was hacked by unknown parties who posted &quot;false&quot; statements attributed to the emir in which he speaks favourably of Iran and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

The remarks were widely reported as true across the region.

Earlier this month, Qatar said the FBI was helping it investigate the source of the alleged hacking.

Subsequently there were a media report suggesting that Qatar had been targeted by Russian hackers -- a claim dismissed by Moscow. 
 
(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Al-Jazeera said Thursday that it was under a widescale cyber attack which had targeted 'all systems'

Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera said Thursday that it was under a widescale cyber attack which had targeted "all systems", according to a statement released on social media by the broadcaster. "Al Jazeera Media Network under cyber attack on all systems, websites & social media platforms," it said on Twitter. The attack was also confirmed by a source at Al-Jazeera, who said the broadcaster was attempting to repel the hack. "An attempt has been made, and we are trying to battle it," said the source. Following the initial reports of a cyber attack, some viewers in the region said they could no longer receive Al-Jazeera television. Al-Jazeera, one of the largest news organisations in the world, has long been a source of conflict between Qatar and its neighbours, who accuse the broadcaster of bias and fomenting trouble in the region. The alleged cyber attack comes during a time of heightened tensions in the Gulf, which has seen Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain and other allies cut ties with Qatar. They severed relations over what they said is Doha's alleged financing of extremist groups and its ties to Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional arch-rival. Long-running tensions broke out into the open last month after Qatar claimed its state news site was hacked by unknown parties who posted "false" statements attributed to the emir in which he speaks favourably of Iran and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The remarks were widely reported as true across the region. Earlier this month, Qatar said the FBI was helping it investigate the source of the alleged hacking. Subsequently there were a media report suggesting that Qatar had been targeted by Russian hackers -- a claim dismissed by Moscow. (AFP)

Qatar-based Al-Jazeera says battling cyber attack

This is the worst diplomatic crisis in the Gulf region in decades.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt decided to break off ties with Qatar, accusing the Gulf state of supporting terrorism and of destabilising the whole region.

Qatar had fired the opening shot by what seemed to be open criticism of the Saudi-led and US-assisted anti-Iran alliance &nbsp;pushed by Donald Trump after his visit to Riyadh on May 21.

On May 24, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the ruler of Qatar, allegedly criticised the US-Saudi move and described Iran as an &ldquo;Islamic power&rdquo;. The Qatar News Agency quoted the emir as saying, &ldquo;There is no wisdom in harbouring hostility towards Iran&rdquo;. This infuriated Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Qatar then questioned the veracity of the comments and said its news agency was hacked. Nevertheless, the diplomatic rift been deepening, culminating in the current crisis.

Not the first diplomatic imbroglio

This is not the first time that Qatar, a thumb-shaped emirate of the size of the US state of Connecticut, has become embroiled a diplomatic imbroglio with its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partners Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

These three Gulf Arab states withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar&rsquo;s capital Doha in early 2014, on the pretext that the country had links to the Muslim Brotherhood and gave refuge to its leaders after the fall of Egypt&rsquo;s first democratically elected government in July 2013.

Saudi Arabia declared the Muslim Brotherhood, which it views as an alternative source of authority that&rsquo;s opposed to hereditary monarchical rule, a terrorist organisation in early March 2014.

But the current crisis is much more serious than the 2014 diplomatic spat, which was resolved after eight months, with Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini ambassadors returning to Doha in November of the same year on the condition that Qatar would never allow the Muslim Brotherhood to operate from its territory.

Iran in the centre

Unlike the 2014 crisis, the current Qatari&ndash;Saudi rift is not just an intra-GCC falling out, as it involves Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s regional rival Iran.

Qatar is seen by the Saudi government and its Emirati and Bahraini counterparts as a spoiler of efforts to forge a unified Arab&ndash;Muslim position, undergirded by the Trump administration, against Iran&rsquo;s so-called &ldquo;terrorist agenda&rdquo; in Arab countries.

A week before US President Donald Trump visited Riyadh to consolidate the anti-Iran alliance, the Saudi Arabic-language daily newspaper Okaz reported a secret meeting between the Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, who was officially visiting Baghdad at the time, and the Iranian Quds Force Commander Qasim Sulaimani.

The newspaper accused Qatar of exiting &ldquo;early from the Arab-Islamic consensus&rdquo; on Iran, adding &ldquo;its defence of the Iranian terrorist regime shows the secret Doha-Tehran alliance intends to strike at Arab and Islamic solidarity.&rdquo;

All of this while Qatar signed the anti-Iran Riyadh Declaration issued after the Arab-Islamic-America summit on May 21 2017.

But why would Qatar, a country that hosts the largest US air force base in the Middle East (Al-Udeid), veer off the Saudi-led GCC military and diplomatic track?

Gulf watchers know that Qatar is suspicious of Saudi goals under the GCC umbrella, and it wants an independent foreign policy, free from Saudi or Iranian influence.

Qatar hardly sees Saudi Arabia as a harmless neighbour. Tensions in Saudi-Qatar relations started right after the former emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaifa Al Thani (1995 &ndash; 2013) came to power via a bloodless coup in 1995 by overthrowing his father Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Thani. Sheikh Khalifa was visiting Saudi Arabia at the time, which embarrassed the Saudi government.

Sheikh Hamad&rsquo;s takeover in 1995 was preceded by a Saudi attack on a Qatari border security post in September 1992, in violation of a mutual defence treaty the two states had signed in 1982.

Riyadh also thwarted Qatari initiatives to export liquefied gas to other GCC member states in the 1990s. Emir Sheikh Hamad began to pull Qatar out of the Saudi shadow, a policy that Emir Sheikh Tamim is also pursuing.

Qatari satellite news channel Al Jazeera occasionally broadcasts programs criticising Saudi Arabia and, much to the anger of Riyadh, it hosted Saudi dissidents in a popular talk show in June 2002.

The incident led to Saudi Arabia recalling its ambassador from Doha in September 2002. Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored five years later, in September 2007, on Qatari assurance that Al Jazeera would refrain from broadcasting anti-Saudi programs.

A big push in the region

At the same time, Qatar, with the massive amount of oil and gas-generated income in its coffers (US$191 billion GDP in 2012), has been pushing for a bigger foreign policy and diplomatic profile in the region.

Doha successfully mediated a series of conflicts in the 2000s. It broke the political impasse in Lebanon by persuading the Sunni-led Lebanese government and the opposition Hezbollah to sign the May 2008 Doha Agreement; it mediated the conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthis in February 2008 (though it failed subsequently to find a permanent solution to the conflict); and, in February 2010, it facilitated a ceasefire agreement between the Sudanese government and the opposition Justice and Equality Movement.

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</figure>

These successful mediations brought the tiny country enviable diplomatic plaudits from home and abroad.

In 2011, to the surprise of many regional states, the Qatar military participated in the NATO-led intervention to dislodge the Gaddafi government in Libya. It wanted to achieve a similar goal in Syria &ndash; to topple the Bashar Al-Assad government &ndash; but did not succeed primarily due to Iranian and Russian opposition.

Despite being an autocracy, Qatar presented itself as a frontline Arab state for politically transforming the Arab world, under the rubric of the Arab Spring movements.

Its objective was to strengthen Qatari national security and foreign policy autonomy in the Gulf region, a neighbourhood dominated by giants such as Iran and Saudi Arabia.

What next?

Nonetheless, the diplomatic spat with Saudi Arabia does not bode well for Qatar. The Saudi-led diplomatic offensive has isolated it from the rest of GCC and the Middle East region by cutting off air, land and sea routes to Doha.

Doha has been accused again of supporting regional terror groups &ndash; al-Qaeda and ISIL in Iraq and Syria - and cooperating with Iran.

Qatar has always denied funding extremist groups, but the small country has been accused in the last few years of allowing terrorist financiers &nbsp;to operate within its territory with impunity.

The Qatari government has also pledged support for Hamas, the Palestinian group regarded as a liberation force against Israeli occupation by most Muslim countries, but as a terrorist organisation by the United States, Israel, Egypt and Canada.

Qatar can expect no serious help from Iran either, as any possible Iranian political or diplomatic help runs the risk of further embittering Saudi-Qatar relations and permanently subject Doha to Saudi wrath.

The Trump administration is definitely not on Qatar&rsquo;s side, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking in Australia, indirectly hoped to resolve the intra-GCC irritants and put Qatar back in the Saudi-driven GCC orbit.

Cracks in the Saudi-Qatar relationship would undercut the joint Arab-US fight against regional terror and extremist groups. It&rsquo;s difficult to say how long Qatar would be in the position to resist the Saudi diplomatic offensive.

But backing down from the fight with Riyadh looks set to produce two outcomes. First, Doha would be obliged to downgrade its support to rebel groups in Syria, linked to either Muslim Brotherhood or al-Qaeda. And second, it must be willing to shed some degree of its foreign policy autonomy to participate in the Saudi-led offensive against Iran.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78894/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />In either case, Qatar has undermined the anti-Iran alliance, giving Tehran more time to reassess the situation and consider its options.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/saudi-rift-with-qatar-exposes-growing-division-in-the-anti-iran-alliance-78894">original article</a>.

This is the worst diplomatic crisis in the Gulf region in decades.

This is the worst diplomatic crisis in the Gulf region in decades. On June 5, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt decided to break off ties with Qatar, accusing the Gulf state of supporting terrorism and of destabilising the whole region. Qatar had fired the opening shot by what seemed to be open criticism of the Saudi-led and US-assisted anti-Iran alliance pushed by Donald Trump after his visit to Riyadh on May 21. On May 24, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the ruler of Qatar, allegedly criticised the US-Saudi move and described Iran as an “Islamic power”. The Qatar News Agency quoted the emir as saying, “There is no wisdom in harbouring hostility towards Iran”. This infuriated Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Qatar then questioned the veracity of the comments and said its news agency was hacked. Nevertheless, the diplomatic rift been deepening, culminating in the current crisis. Not the first diplomatic imbroglio This is not the first time that Qatar, a thumb-shaped emirate of the size of the US state of Connecticut, has become embroiled a diplomatic imbroglio with its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partners Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. These three Gulf Arab states withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar’s capital Doha in early 2014, on the pretext that the country had links to the Muslim Brotherhood and gave refuge to its leaders after the fall of Egypt’s first democratically elected government in July 2013. Saudi Arabia declared the Muslim Brotherhood, which it views as an alternative source of authority that’s opposed to hereditary monarchical rule, a terrorist organisation in early March 2014. But the current crisis is much more serious than the 2014 diplomatic spat, which was resolved after eight months, with Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini ambassadors returning to Doha in November of the same year on the condition that Qatar would never allow the Muslim Brotherhood to operate from its territory. Iran in the centre Unlike the 2014 crisis, the current Qatari–Saudi rift is not just an intra-GCC falling out, as it involves Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran. Qatar is seen by the Saudi government and its Emirati and Bahraini counterparts as a spoiler of efforts to forge a unified Arab–Muslim position, undergirded by the Trump administration, against Iran’s so-called “terrorist agenda” in Arab countries. A week before US President Donald Trump visited Riyadh to consolidate the anti-Iran alliance, the Saudi Arabic-language daily newspaper Okaz reported a secret meeting between the Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, who was officially visiting Baghdad at the time, and the Iranian Quds Force Commander Qasim Sulaimani. The newspaper accused Qatar of exiting “early from the Arab-Islamic consensus” on Iran, adding “its defence of the Iranian terrorist regime shows the secret Doha-Tehran alliance intends to strike at Arab and Islamic solidarity.” All of this while Qatar signed the anti-Iran Riyadh Declaration issued after the Arab-Islamic-America summit on May 21 2017. But why would Qatar, a country that hosts the largest US air force base in the Middle East (Al-Udeid), veer off the Saudi-led GCC military and diplomatic track? Gulf watchers know that Qatar is suspicious of Saudi goals under the GCC umbrella, and it wants an independent foreign policy, free from Saudi or Iranian influence. Qatar hardly sees Saudi Arabia as a harmless neighbour. Tensions in Saudi-Qatar relations started right after the former emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaifa Al Thani (1995 – 2013) came to power via a bloodless coup in 1995 by overthrowing his father Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Thani. Sheikh Khalifa was visiting Saudi Arabia at the time, which embarrassed the Saudi government. Sheikh Hamad’s takeover in 1995 was preceded by a Saudi attack on a Qatari border security post in September 1992, in violation of a mutual defence treaty the two states had signed in 1982. Riyadh also thwarted Qatari initiatives to export liquefied gas to other GCC member states in the 1990s. Emir Sheikh Hamad began to pull Qatar out of the Saudi shadow, a policy that Emir Sheikh Tamim is also pursuing. Qatari satellite news channel Al Jazeera occasionally broadcasts programs criticising Saudi Arabia and, much to the anger of Riyadh, it hosted Saudi dissidents in a popular talk show in June 2002. The incident led to Saudi Arabia recalling its ambassador from Doha in September 2002. Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored five years later, in September 2007, on Qatari assurance that Al Jazeera would refrain from broadcasting anti-Saudi programs. A big push in the region At the same time, Qatar, with the massive amount of oil and gas-generated income in its coffers (US$191 billion GDP in 2012), has been pushing for a bigger foreign policy and diplomatic profile in the region. Doha successfully mediated a series of conflicts in the 2000s. It broke the political impasse in Lebanon by persuading the Sunni-led Lebanese government and the opposition Hezbollah to sign the May 2008 Doha Agreement; it mediated the conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthis in February 2008 (though it failed subsequently to find a permanent solution to the conflict); and, in February 2010, it facilitated a ceasefire agreement between the Sudanese government and the opposition Justice and Equality Movement. These successful mediations brought the tiny country enviable diplomatic plaudits from home and abroad. In 2011, to the surprise of many regional states, the Qatar military participated in the NATO-led intervention to dislodge the Gaddafi government in Libya. It wanted to achieve a similar goal in Syria – to topple the Bashar Al-Assad government – but did not succeed primarily due to Iranian and Russian opposition. Despite being an autocracy, Qatar presented itself as a frontline Arab state for politically transforming the Arab world, under the rubric of the Arab Spring movements. Its objective was to strengthen Qatari national security and foreign policy autonomy in the Gulf region, a neighbourhood dominated by giants such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. What next? Nonetheless, the diplomatic spat with Saudi Arabia does not bode well for Qatar. The Saudi-led diplomatic offensive has isolated it from the rest of GCC and the Middle East region by cutting off air, land and sea routes to Doha. Doha has been accused again of supporting regional terror groups – al-Qaeda and ISIL in Iraq and Syria - and cooperating with Iran. Qatar has always denied funding extremist groups, but the small country has been accused in the last few years of allowing terrorist financiers to operate within its territory with impunity. The Qatari government has also pledged support for Hamas, the Palestinian group regarded as a liberation force against Israeli occupation by most Muslim countries, but as a terrorist organisation by the United States, Israel, Egypt and Canada. Qatar can expect no serious help from Iran either, as any possible Iranian political or diplomatic help runs the risk of further embittering Saudi-Qatar relations and permanently subject Doha to Saudi wrath. The Trump administration is definitely not on Qatar’s side, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking in Australia, indirectly hoped to resolve the intra-GCC irritants and put Qatar back in the Saudi-driven GCC orbit. Cracks in the Saudi-Qatar relationship would undercut the joint Arab-US fight against regional terror and extremist groups. It’s difficult to say how long Qatar would be in the position to resist the Saudi diplomatic offensive. But backing down from the fight with Riyadh looks set to produce two outcomes. First, Doha would be obliged to downgrade its support to rebel groups in Syria, linked to either Muslim Brotherhood or al-Qaeda. And second, it must be willing to shed some degree of its foreign policy autonomy to participate in the Saudi-led offensive against Iran. In either case, Qatar has undermined the anti-Iran alliance, giving Tehran more time to reassess the situation and consider its options. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Saudi rift with Qatar exposes growing division in the anti-Iran alliance

US President Donald Trump offered on Wednesday to help resolve a worsening diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Arab powers as the United Arab Emirates invoked the possibility of an economic embargo on Doha over its alleged support of terrorism.

In his second intervention in the row in as many days, Trump urged action against terrorism in a call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, a White House statement said.

&quot;The President offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary,&quot; it said.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday over long-standing allegations that Doha is courting Iran, which they deem the region&#39;s biggest external threat, and supporting Islamist groups, seen as the biggest internal danger.

The four countries also cut transport links to tiny gas-rich Qatar, disrupting food and other supplies and deepening uncertainty about the future of trade and investment ties.

In a sign of economic damage from the dispute, Standard &amp; Poor&#39;s downgraded Qatar&#39;s&nbsp;debt on Wednesday as the country&#39;s riyal currency fell to an 11-year low amid signs that portfolio investment funds were flowing out because of the rift.

S&amp;P cut its long-term rating of Qatar by one notch to AA- from AA and put the rating on CreditWatch with negative implications, meaning there was a significant chance of a further downgrade.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told Reuters there would be more economic curbs on Qatar if necessary and said Doha needed to make ironclad commitments to change what critics say is a policy on funding Islamist militants.

He later told France 24 television that any further steps could take the form of &quot;a sort of embargo on Qatar&quot;.

Regional tensions

Reiterating comments by Gulf officials, Gargash told Reuters there was no plan to seek a change in Qatar&#39;s leadership, only a change in its policies.

Regional tensions, already high following the diplomatic dispute, ratcheted up further after militants attacked targets in Tehran on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people.

Iran blamed arch-foe Saudi Arabia for the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State militant group. Riyadh denied any involvement.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Gulf states could resolve a row with Qatar among themselves without outside help.

&quot;We have not asked for mediation, we believe this issue can be dealt with among the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council,&quot; he told a news conference with his German counterpart during a visit to Berlin that was broadcast on Saudi state television.

Jubeir declined to confirm a list of 10 demands published by Al Jazeera, which included shutting down the Doha-based news channel, but added that Qatar knew what it needed to do to restore normal relations.

Meanwhile Kuwait&#39;s ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah continued a regional effort to mediate the crisis, shuttling from the UAE en route to Qatar on Wednesday evening, a Kuwaiti diplomat told Reuters.

But efforts to defuse the worst crisis among Gulf Arabs for two decades showed no immediate progress.

The UAE threatened anyone publishing expressions of sympathy towards Doha with up to 15 years in prison and barring entry to Qataris.

Turkish support

Qatar has backed Islamist movements but vehemently denies supporting terrorism. It drew some support on&nbsp;Wednesday when Turkey&#39;s parliament approved a draft bill allowing its troops to be deployed to a military base in Qatar. Turkish exporters have also pledged to provide food and water to Qatar if needed.

Trump&#39;s defence secretary, James Mattis, spoke to his Qatari counterpart to express commitment to the Gulf region&#39;s security. Qatar hosts 8,000 U.S. military personnel at al Udeid, the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East and a launchpad for U.S.-led strikes on Islamic State jihadists.

The sudden isolation has spurred Qatar to hold talks with Turkey, Iran and others to secure food and water supplies, said a Qatari official. He said there were enough grain supplies for four weeks and Qatar also had large strategic food reserves.

Abu Dhabi port authorities in the UAE have eased curbs on non-Qatari oil tankers going to and from Qatar, according to industry sources and shipping circulars seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Bans on Doha&#39;s fleet using regional ports and anchorages are threatening to halt some of its exports and disrupt those of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

UAE-based newspaper Gulf News and pan-Arab channel Al-Arabiya reported the crackdown on expressions of sympathy with Qatar.

&quot;Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form,&quot; Gulf News quoted UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi as saying.

On top of a possible jail term, offenders could also be hit with a fine of at least 500,000 dirhams ($136,000), the newspaper said, citing a statement to Arabic-language media.

Slogans against and in support of Qatar have dominated Twitter in Arabic. Newspapers and television channels in the region have also been engaged in a war of words.

UAE airlines Etihad and Emirates said all travellers holding Qatari passports were currently prohibited from travelling to or transiting through the emirates.

They announced details of the restrictions after Australian carrier and Emirates partner Qantas Airways &lt;QAN.AX&gt; said it would not fly Qataris to Dubai because of the bans.

Foreigners residing in Qatar in possession of a Qatari residence visa would also not be eligible for visas on arrival in the UAE, an Etihad spokesman said in an email.

Gargash, the UAE minister, told Reuters in an interview it would be very complex to disentangle the &quot;very diverse&quot; business ties between Qatar and its neighbours but suggested this might be necessary.

&quot;You cannot rule out further measures. We hope that cooler heads will prevail, that wiser heads will prevail and we will not get to that.&quot;

&quot;Tensions are still high and mediation efforts by fellow Gulf Cooperation Council state Kuwait have yet to lead to a concrete solution, so investors will likely remain on edge,&quot; said one Dubai-based trader. 
 
(Reuters)

Trump urged action against terrorism in a call with Qatari Emir Sheikh QHamad al Thani

US President Donald Trump offered on Wednesday to help resolve a worsening diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Arab powers as the United Arab Emirates invoked the possibility of an economic embargo on Doha over its alleged support of terrorism. In his second intervention in the row in as many days, Trump urged action against terrorism in a call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, a White House statement said. "The President offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary," it said. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday over long-standing allegations that Doha is courting Iran, which they deem the region's biggest external threat, and supporting Islamist groups, seen as the biggest internal danger. The four countries also cut transport links to tiny gas-rich Qatar, disrupting food and other supplies and deepening uncertainty about the future of trade and investment ties. In a sign of economic damage from the dispute, Standard & Poor's downgraded Qatar's debt on Wednesday as the country's riyal currency fell to an 11-year low amid signs that portfolio investment funds were flowing out because of the rift. S&P cut its long-term rating of Qatar by one notch to AA- from AA and put the rating on CreditWatch with negative implications, meaning there was a significant chance of a further downgrade. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told Reuters there would be more economic curbs on Qatar if necessary and said Doha needed to make ironclad commitments to change what critics say is a policy on funding Islamist militants. He later told France 24 television that any further steps could take the form of "a sort of embargo on Qatar". Regional tensions Reiterating comments by Gulf officials, Gargash told Reuters there was no plan to seek a change in Qatar's leadership, only a change in its policies. Regional tensions, already high following the diplomatic dispute, ratcheted up further after militants attacked targets in Tehran on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people. Iran blamed arch-foe Saudi Arabia for the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State militant group. Riyadh denied any involvement. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Gulf states could resolve a row with Qatar among themselves without outside help. "We have not asked for mediation, we believe this issue can be dealt with among the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council," he told a news conference with his German counterpart during a visit to Berlin that was broadcast on Saudi state television. Jubeir declined to confirm a list of 10 demands published by Al Jazeera, which included shutting down the Doha-based news channel, but added that Qatar knew what it needed to do to restore normal relations. Meanwhile Kuwait's ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah continued a regional effort to mediate the crisis, shuttling from the UAE en route to Qatar on Wednesday evening, a Kuwaiti diplomat told Reuters. But efforts to defuse the worst crisis among Gulf Arabs for two decades showed no immediate progress. The UAE threatened anyone publishing expressions of sympathy towards Doha with up to 15 years in prison and barring entry to Qataris. Turkish support Qatar has backed Islamist movements but vehemently denies supporting terrorism. It drew some support on Wednesday when Turkey's parliament approved a draft bill allowing its troops to be deployed to a military base in Qatar. Turkish exporters have also pledged to provide food and water to Qatar if needed. Trump's defence secretary, James Mattis, spoke to his Qatari counterpart to express commitment to the Gulf region's security. Qatar hosts 8,000 U.S. military personnel at al Udeid, the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East and a launchpad for U.S.-led strikes on Islamic State jihadists. The sudden isolation has spurred Qatar to hold talks with Turkey, Iran and others to secure food and water supplies, said a Qatari official. He said there were enough grain supplies for four weeks and Qatar also had large strategic food reserves. Abu Dhabi port authorities in the UAE have eased curbs on non-Qatari oil tankers going to and from Qatar, according to industry sources and shipping circulars seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Bans on Doha's fleet using regional ports and anchorages are threatening to halt some of its exports and disrupt those of liquefied natural gas (LNG). UAE-based newspaper Gulf News and pan-Arab channel Al-Arabiya reported the crackdown on expressions of sympathy with Qatar. "Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form," Gulf News quoted UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi as saying. On top of a possible jail term, offenders could also be hit with a fine of at least 500,000 dirhams ($136,000), the newspaper said, citing a statement to Arabic-language media. Slogans against and in support of Qatar have dominated Twitter in Arabic. Newspapers and television channels in the region have also been engaged in a war of words. UAE airlines Etihad and Emirates said all travellers holding Qatari passports were currently prohibited from travelling to or transiting through the emirates. They announced details of the restrictions after Australian carrier and Emirates partner Qantas Airways <QAN.AX> said it would not fly Qataris to Dubai because of the bans. Foreigners residing in Qatar in possession of a Qatari residence visa would also not be eligible for visas on arrival in the UAE, an Etihad spokesman said in an email. Gargash, the UAE minister, told Reuters in an interview it would be very complex to disentangle the "very diverse" business ties between Qatar and its neighbours but suggested this might be necessary. "You cannot rule out further measures. We hope that cooler heads will prevail, that wiser heads will prevail and we will not get to that." "Tensions are still high and mediation efforts by fellow Gulf Cooperation Council state Kuwait have yet to lead to a concrete solution, so investors will likely remain on edge," said one Dubai-based trader. (Reuters)

Trump offers to help resolve Gulf crisis, UAE tightens squeeze on Qatar

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday&nbsp;media reports linking Russian hackers to the rift between Qatar and Gulf Arab allies were false.

A CNN report sourcing US&nbsp;officials briefed on the investigation said US&nbsp;investigators believed Russian hackers had breached Qatar&#39;s state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to the Qatar crisis.

Lavrov called CNN and other news outlets sources of &quot;mass disinformation&quot; and added: &quot;they are just waiting for the type of story that stinks or some scandal to automatically without any evidence add this episode to the list of Russian sins, Russian hackers or someone else linked to the Russian Federation.&quot;

Lavrov was referencing the current&nbsp;US&nbsp;investigations&nbsp;into&nbsp;what multiple American intelligence agencies&nbsp;say was Russian&nbsp;interference in the 2016 US election. They have concluded&nbsp;that Russia has indeed interfered, and are looking into what they did and what affect it had. They are also&nbsp;investigating whether Trump&#39;s campaign actively worked with a foreign country to interfere in the US election.

More, it was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-russia-us-intelligence-contractor-charged-with-leaks-16499" target="_blank">reported</a> that not only was there a widespread online campaign launched by Russia to&nbsp;negatively portray&nbsp;presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and help Trump achieve the presidency, but that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-russia-us-intelligence-contractor-charged-with-leaks-16499" target="_blank">election campaign</a> software was targeted by a Russian &quot;spear-phish&quot; email scam, aiming to trick recipient into clicking on malicious links to steal data. They were to more than 100 local election officials days before the US election.&nbsp;

There is no evidence that this&nbsp;effort concerning voting machines&nbsp;actually manipulated votes, let alone&nbsp;altered the outcome of the election.

Russia on Syria

Lavrov also said US-led air strikes in Syria on Tuesday, against what it said were Iranian-backed fighters who support the Damascus regime, were a violation of Syria&#39;s sovereignty and threatened the fight against terrorism in the region by targeting the most &quot;effective forces fighting terrorists on the ground&quot;.

A Syrian military source said the strike had caused deaths and material damage and showed the coalition was &quot;in support of terrorism&quot;. The Syrian military command warned against the dangers of escalation, the source added.

The US&nbsp;military had repeatedly warned massing forces to stay away from a so-called &quot;de-escalation&quot; zone near a garrison used by American special forces and US-backed fighters around the southern town of At Tanf.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The US says Russian hackers had breached Qatar's state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to the Qatar crisis

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday media reports linking Russian hackers to the rift between Qatar and Gulf Arab allies were false. A CNN report sourcing US officials briefed on the investigation said US investigators believed Russian hackers had breached Qatar's state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to the Qatar crisis. Lavrov called CNN and other news outlets sources of "mass disinformation" and added: "they are just waiting for the type of story that stinks or some scandal to automatically without any evidence add this episode to the list of Russian sins, Russian hackers or someone else linked to the Russian Federation." Lavrov was referencing the current US investigations into what multiple American intelligence agencies say was Russian interference in the 2016 US election. They have concluded that Russia has indeed interfered, and are looking into what they did and what affect it had. They are also investigating whether Trump's campaign actively worked with a foreign country to interfere in the US election. More, it was reported that not only was there a widespread online campaign launched by Russia to negatively portray presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and help Trump achieve the presidency, but that the election campaign software was targeted by a Russian "spear-phish" email scam, aiming to trick recipient into clicking on malicious links to steal data. They were to more than 100 local election officials days before the US election. There is no evidence that this effort concerning voting machines actually manipulated votes, let alone altered the outcome of the election. Russia on Syria Lavrov also said US-led air strikes in Syria on Tuesday, against what it said were Iranian-backed fighters who support the Damascus regime, were a violation of Syria's sovereignty and threatened the fight against terrorism in the region by targeting the most "effective forces fighting terrorists on the ground". A Syrian military source said the strike had caused deaths and material damage and showed the coalition was "in support of terrorism". The Syrian military command warned against the dangers of escalation, the source added. The US military had repeatedly warned massing forces to stay away from a so-called "de-escalation" zone near a garrison used by American special forces and US-backed fighters around the southern town of At Tanf. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Sergei Lavrov says reports linking Russian hackers to Qatar crisis are 'mass disinformation'

The Maldives said on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-bahrain-egypt-uae-cut-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-16432">Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who accused the Gulf state of supporting terrorism.</a>

&quot;The Maldives took the decision because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism,&quot; the government of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation said in a statement.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464">Also Read:&nbsp;Saudi Arabia shuts Qatar&#39;s Al Jazeera amid </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464">ban</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464"> crisis</a>

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Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today (Others)
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With the crisis escalating, Qatar Airways cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today&nbsp;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.

On Monday, Egypt Air, Fly Dubai and Bahrain&#39;s Gulf Air joined Etihad and Emirates in saying they would suspend all flights to and from Doha.

Gulf Arab states and Egypt have long resented Qatar&#39;s support for Islamists, especially the Muslim Brotherhood which they regard as a dangerous political enemy.

Saudi Arabia&#39;s King Salman had been due to visit the island chain of 400,000 people on a month-long tour of Asia this year, but postponed the trip due to an outbreak of flu there.

The Maldives government said in March a planned multi-billion dollar, Saudi-funded investment project on one of its atolls would focus on high-end tourism, and rejected opposition claims that the islands would be sold to the government of Saudi Arabia.

(Reuters)

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Saudi Arabia has broken diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, saying the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism (WION)
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Maldives said it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain

The Maldives said on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who accused the Gulf state of supporting terrorism. "The Maldives took the decision because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism," the government of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation said in a statement. Also Read: Saudi Arabia shuts Qatar's Al Jazeera amid ban crisis Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today (Others) × With the crisis escalating, Qatar Airways cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today 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. On Monday, Egypt Air, Fly Dubai and Bahrain's Gulf Air joined Etihad and Emirates in saying they would suspend all flights to and from Doha. Gulf Arab states and Egypt have long resented Qatar's support for Islamists, especially the Muslim Brotherhood which they regard as a dangerous political enemy. Saudi Arabia's King Salman had been due to visit the island chain of 400,000 people on a month-long tour of Asia this year, but postponed the trip due to an outbreak of flu there. The Maldives government said in March a planned multi-billion dollar, Saudi-funded investment project on one of its atolls would focus on high-end tourism, and rejected opposition claims that the islands would be sold to the government of Saudi Arabia. (Reuters) Saudi Arabia has broken diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, saying the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism (WION) ×

Maldives backs Saudi Arabia, cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar

Qatar&#39;s foreign minister says Kuwait is trying to mediate and solve a diplomatic crisis that has seen Arab nations cut off diplomatic ties.

The minister said early today that Kuwait&#39;s ruler had asked Qatar&#39;s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to hold off on giving a speech about the crisis.

Foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also told Doha-based satellite news network Al-Jazeera that his nation rejected those &quot;trying to impose their will on Qatar or intervene in its internal affairs.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-bahrain-egypt-uae-cut-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-16432">Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE cut diplomatic ties with Qatar</a> on Monday and ordered their land, sea and airports closed to Qatari aircraft and vessels.

It&#39;s the worst diplomatic crisis to strike the region since the 1991 Gulf War.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-backs-saudi-arabia-cuts-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-16468">Maldives backs Saudi Arabia, cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar</a>

(PTI)

Qatar's foreign minister said that Kuwait's ruler had asked Qatar's ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to hold off on giving a speech about the crisis

Qatar's foreign minister says Kuwait is trying to mediate and solve a diplomatic crisis that has seen Arab nations cut off diplomatic ties. The minister said early today that Kuwait's ruler had asked Qatar's ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to hold off on giving a speech about the crisis. Foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also told Doha-based satellite news network Al-Jazeera that his nation rejected those "trying to impose their will on Qatar or intervene in its internal affairs." Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday and ordered their land, sea and airports closed to Qatari aircraft and vessels. It's the worst diplomatic crisis to strike the region since the 1991 Gulf War. Also Read: Maldives backs Saudi Arabia, cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar (PTI)

Kuwait trying to mediate, solve diplomatic rift: Qatar

Qatar Airways will finalise a long-negotiated agreement to buy 49 per cent of Italy&#39;s Meridiana in the coming days, and soon apply with Qatar&#39;s sovereign wealth fund to start an Indian airline.

Qatar Airways will sign the agreement with Italy&#39;s second biggest airline in the next &quot;few days&quot;, Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker told reporters in Dubai on Monday.

The airline has been negotiating to buy a stake in Meridiana for more than year, a deal that could help the loss-making Italian carrier&#39;s ability to compete in Europe.

Meridiana would operate as a full-service carrier to destinations in Europe and beyond, al-Baker said, with the airline taking delivery of 20 Boeing 737 MAXs from the second quarter of 2018.

The 737s will come from a Qatar Airways order of Boeing jets announced last October. Al-Baker declined to say how much Qatar Airways would invest in the Italian carrier.

Meridiana, which offers flights to and from the island of Sardinia and other destinations in Italy, is owned by the Aga Khan, a businessman and spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims.

Qatar Airways will also apply with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) for a domestic Indian airline operating licence in the next few weeks, al-Baker said.

The Indian carrier would be majority owned by QIA, with Qatar Airways controlling a minority interest, he said.

Manufacturers Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer would be welcome to bid for orders from the Indian carrier, al-Baker said.

Qatar Airways has said it plans to operate a domestic Indian carrier with around 100 jets.

The Doha-based airline also announced on Monday 12 new destinations to start in 2018, including direct flights to San Francisco in the United States.

The US&nbsp;expansion contrasts with rival Emirates, which said this month it would cut flights on five US&nbsp;destinations from May due to a &quot;significant deterioration&quot; in bookings. This followed US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s attempts to restrict travel from some Muslim countries, which has hit demand from West Asia.

&quot;We didn&#39;t have massive declines like other carriers,&quot; al-Baker said. &quot;We will continue our expansion.&quot;

The airline has seen &quot;some decline&quot; in passenger demand on US&nbsp;routes, but he said this was manageable.

Qatar Airways has delayed plans to start flights to Las Vegas until the second quarter 2018, from the first quarter of that year, &quot;mainly due to technical reasons,&quot; al-Baker said without explaining further.

The airline, like Emirates and Etihad Airways, has faced more than two years of opposition in the United States led by major carriers American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines .

The three US&nbsp;carriers have lobbied the US&nbsp;government to investigate claims the Middle East rivals have received billions of dollars in state aid, which those airlines deny.

&quot;We create jobs, we buy American, We invest in the United States and I think we outweigh whatever job creation these three American carriers are doing,&quot; al-Baker said.

(Reuters)

Qatar Airways will also apply for a domestic Indian airline operating licence in the next few weeks

Qatar Airways will finalise a long-negotiated agreement to buy 49 per cent of Italy's Meridiana in the coming days, and soon apply with Qatar's sovereign wealth fund to start an Indian airline. Qatar Airways will sign the agreement with Italy's second biggest airline in the next "few days", Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker told reporters in Dubai on Monday. The airline has been negotiating to buy a stake in Meridiana for more than year, a deal that could help the loss-making Italian carrier's ability to compete in Europe. Meridiana would operate as a full-service carrier to destinations in Europe and beyond, al-Baker said, with the airline taking delivery of 20 Boeing 737 MAXs from the second quarter of 2018. The 737s will come from a Qatar Airways order of Boeing jets announced last October. Al-Baker declined to say how much Qatar Airways would invest in the Italian carrier. Meridiana, which offers flights to and from the island of Sardinia and other destinations in Italy, is owned by the Aga Khan, a businessman and spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims. Qatar Airways will also apply with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) for a domestic Indian airline operating licence in the next few weeks, al-Baker said. The Indian carrier would be majority owned by QIA, with Qatar Airways controlling a minority interest, he said. Manufacturers Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer would be welcome to bid for orders from the Indian carrier, al-Baker said. Qatar Airways has said it plans to operate a domestic Indian carrier with around 100 jets. The Doha-based airline also announced on Monday 12 new destinations to start in 2018, including direct flights to San Francisco in the United States. The US expansion contrasts with rival Emirates, which said this month it would cut flights on five US destinations from May due to a "significant deterioration" in bookings. This followed US President Donald Trump's attempts to restrict travel from some Muslim countries, which has hit demand from West Asia. "We didn't have massive declines like other carriers," al-Baker said. "We will continue our expansion." The airline has seen "some decline" in passenger demand on US routes, but he said this was manageable. Qatar Airways has delayed plans to start flights to Las Vegas until the second quarter 2018, from the first quarter of that year, "mainly due to technical reasons," al-Baker said without explaining further. The airline, like Emirates and Etihad Airways, has faced more than two years of opposition in the United States led by major carriers American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines . The three US carriers have lobbied the US government to investigate claims the Middle East rivals have received billions of dollars in state aid, which those airlines deny. "We create jobs, we buy American, We invest in the United States and I think we outweigh whatever job creation these three American carriers are doing," al-Baker said. (Reuters)

Qatar Airways closes in on Italy deal, to own minority stake in Indian airline

Qatar will continue to arm Syrian rebels even if Donald Trump ends US backing for the multinational effort, Doha&#39;s foreign minister said in an interview, signalling its determination to pursue a policy the US President-elect may abandon.

But foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the wealthy Gulf state would not &quot;go solo&quot; and supply shoulder-fired missiles to the rebels to defend themselves against Syrian and Russian warplanes.

While the rebels needed more military support, any move to supply &quot;Manpad&quot; anti-aircraft weapons to them would have to be decided collectively by the rebels&#39; backers, the minister, a member of Qatar&#39;s royal family, told Reuters late on Saturday.

Some Western officials worry that Gulf states, dismayed at effective Russian air support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, could supply such weapons. Washington fears they could be seized by jihadi groups and used against Western airliners.

Qatar is a top backer of rebels fighting Assad, working alongside Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Western nations in a military aid programme overseen by the US Central Intelligence Agency that provides moderate groups with arms and training.

Qatar was determined to carry on, Sheikh Mohammed said, sipping tea in his spacious office on the ministry&#39;s top floor overlooking the Gulf.

&quot;This support is going to continue, we are not going to stop it. It doesn&#39;t mean that if Aleppo falls we will give up on the demands of the Syrian people,&quot; he said.

Historically

&quot;Even if the regime captures it (Aleppo), I am sure they will have the ability to capture it back from the regime ... We need more military support, yes, but even more important we need to stop the bombardment and create safe zones for the civilians.&quot;

He said Assad was &quot;the fuel of Islamic State&quot; because his forces&#39; killing of Syrians helped the hardline group motivate young Syrian recruits. &quot;We never see any effort for him fighting Daesh,&quot; he said.

But Trump has signalled opposition to US support for the rebels, indicating he could abandon them to focus on fighting Islamic State which controls land in eastern and central Syria.

He might even cooperate against IS with Russia, which has been bombing the rebels for more than a year in western Syria. In an interview published this month, Assad said Trump would be a &quot;natural ally&quot; if he decides to &quot;fight the terrorists&quot;.

&quot;We want to have the US with us, for sure, they have been our historic ally,&quot; Sheikh Mohammed said.

&quot;But if they want to change their minds, are we going to change our position? For us, in Qatar at least, we are not going to change our position. Our position is based on principles, values and on our assessment of the situation there.&quot;

Qatar and other Gulf states believe the nationalist Sunni rebels are needed to build a stable Syria. But their policy has long been hampered by splits in the opposition and the prominent role jihadists have played in the insurgency.

Assad&#39;s government has accused Gulf states of backing what it calls terrorist groups in the country. Gulf states deny this and Sheikh Mohammed said any group that shared the values of al Qaeda was neither effective nor useful.

Assad, a member of the minority Alawite sect, is dependent on military support from Russia, Iran and Shi&#39;ite Islamist militias in the fight with the Sunni Muslim insurgency.

Sheikh Mohammed suggested that Trump&#39;s views about Syria might evolve once in office when he received intelligence reports about the &quot;reality&quot; on the ground.

Sheikh Mohammed said the reality was that Assad and violence by his forces were the core security risk, and that Islamic State was an outgrowth of the civil war. More hardline groups would emerge if the war does not come to a just end.

&quot;If we are not going to address the cause of all this ... without addressing the issue of al-Assad, we will have another extremist group, it will be more extreme and more brutal,&quot; he said, noting that Islamic State had evolved from al Qaeda.

Problems for decades

The minister hit out at Egypt, normally a close Gulf Arab ally, for appearing to side with Assad, and criticised Iran for what he said was interference in the affairs of Arab states.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose flagging economy has received billions of dollars from Gulf states, has supported Russia&#39;s decision to bomb in support of Assad.

&quot;For us unfortunately Egypt is supporting the regime ... We hope that they come back and be with us,&quot; he said. Support for Assad was the same as supporting terrorism, he said, &quot;because he is a terrorist and he is on equal footing with Daesh&quot;.

Sheikh Mohammed chided Western politicians for using anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric in election campaigns, saying it was against the values the West had long stood for.

&quot;Unfortunately these narratives ... will cause problems for decades because in Europe and the United States, the Muslim community is part of the texture of their society ... It will help them maybe to win the election but it will last for decades, it will create a problem within their communities.&quot;

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Qatar said it will continue to arm the rebels against Russian and Syrian forces after Trump signalled opposition to the multinational effort

Qatar will continue to arm Syrian rebels even if Donald Trump ends US backing for the multinational effort, Doha's foreign minister said in an interview, signalling its determination to pursue a policy the US President-elect may abandon. But foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the wealthy Gulf state would not "go solo" and supply shoulder-fired missiles to the rebels to defend themselves against Syrian and Russian warplanes. While the rebels needed more military support, any move to supply "Manpad" anti-aircraft weapons to them would have to be decided collectively by the rebels' backers, the minister, a member of Qatar's royal family, told Reuters late on Saturday. Some Western officials worry that Gulf states, dismayed at effective Russian air support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, could supply such weapons. Washington fears they could be seized by jihadi groups and used against Western airliners. Qatar is a top backer of rebels fighting Assad, working alongside Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Western nations in a military aid programme overseen by the US Central Intelligence Agency that provides moderate groups with arms and training. Qatar was determined to carry on, Sheikh Mohammed said, sipping tea in his spacious office on the ministry's top floor overlooking the Gulf. "This support is going to continue, we are not going to stop it. It doesn't mean that if Aleppo falls we will give up on the demands of the Syrian people," he said. Historically "Even if the regime captures it (Aleppo), I am sure they will have the ability to capture it back from the regime ... We need more military support, yes, but even more important we need to stop the bombardment and create safe zones for the civilians." He said Assad was "the fuel of Islamic State" because his forces' killing of Syrians helped the hardline group motivate young Syrian recruits. "We never see any effort for him fighting Daesh," he said. But Trump has signalled opposition to US support for the rebels, indicating he could abandon them to focus on fighting Islamic State which controls land in eastern and central Syria. He might even cooperate against IS with Russia, which has been bombing the rebels for more than a year in western Syria. In an interview published this month, Assad said Trump would be a "natural ally" if he decides to "fight the terrorists". "We want to have the US with us, for sure, they have been our historic ally," Sheikh Mohammed said. "But if they want to change their minds, are we going to change our position? For us, in Qatar at least, we are not going to change our position. Our position is based on principles, values and on our assessment of the situation there." Qatar and other Gulf states believe the nationalist Sunni rebels are needed to build a stable Syria. But their policy has long been hampered by splits in the opposition and the prominent role jihadists have played in the insurgency. Assad's government has accused Gulf states of backing what it calls terrorist groups in the country. Gulf states deny this and Sheikh Mohammed said any group that shared the values of al Qaeda was neither effective nor useful. Assad, a member of the minority Alawite sect, is dependent on military support from Russia, Iran and Shi'ite Islamist militias in the fight with the Sunni Muslim insurgency. Sheikh Mohammed suggested that Trump's views about Syria might evolve once in office when he received intelligence reports about the "reality" on the ground. Sheikh Mohammed said the reality was that Assad and violence by his forces were the core security risk, and that Islamic State was an outgrowth of the civil war. More hardline groups would emerge if the war does not come to a just end. "If we are not going to address the cause of all this ... without addressing the issue of al-Assad, we will have another extremist group, it will be more extreme and more brutal," he said, noting that Islamic State had evolved from al Qaeda. Problems for decades The minister hit out at Egypt, normally a close Gulf Arab ally, for appearing to side with Assad, and criticised Iran for what he said was interference in the affairs of Arab states. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose flagging economy has received billions of dollars from Gulf states, has supported Russia's decision to bomb in support of Assad. "For us unfortunately Egypt is supporting the regime ... We hope that they come back and be with us," he said. Support for Assad was the same as supporting terrorism, he said, "because he is a terrorist and he is on equal footing with Daesh". Sheikh Mohammed chided Western politicians for using anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric in election campaigns, saying it was against the values the West had long stood for. "Unfortunately these narratives ... will cause problems for decades because in Europe and the United States, the Muslim community is part of the texture of their society ... It will help them maybe to win the election but it will last for decades, it will create a problem within their communities." (Reuters)

Qatar will help Syrian rebels even if Trump ends US role

Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday that the present cycle of falling crude prices is close to an end amid improving market fundamentals.

Oil prices are currently around $50 per barrel after hitting the lowest in a decade in January, reaching $30 and down from a peak of more than $100 in mid-2014.

&quot;The current down cycle is nearing an end,&quot; Falih told a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak on Sunday after a Gulf ministerial meeting in Riyadh, news agency AFP&nbsp;reported.

&quot;Market fundamentals, in terms of supply and demand, have begun to improve,&quot; Falih said, adding: &quot;We are optimistic that oil prices will continue to improve in the future.&quot;

Qatar&#39;s energy minister, Mohammed al-Sada, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the OPEC oil exporting cartel, also assured that &nbsp;the &quot;difficult phase is over&quot;.

&quot;Although the market is heading to being balanced, it needs our joint effort, and we all agreed that we need to take measures to bring back this balance,&quot; he said, AFP reported.

Novak said ways to &quot;develop the best mechanism to solve the issue of stabilisation&quot; were discussed in the meeting.

&quot;We have reached an unprecedented level in our relations and cooperation&quot; with Saudi Arabia, he told reporters, adding that he agreed with Falih &quot;to continue to work and remain in continuous contact to achieve... Concrete mechanisms&quot;.

Meanwhile, OPEC has called a meeting with Russia and important non-members later this month as the cartel and Moscow look towards tightening cooperation to boost the historically low crude oil &nbsp;prices.

The cartel and Russia will also meet on Tuesday, ahead of the OPEC technical meeting in Vienna on October 28 to 29.

Last month at a meeting in Algiers, the OPEC agreed to its first production cut in eight years.

President Nicolas Maduro of OPEC member Venezuela, a country deep in economic and political crisis aggravated by falling oil prices, was in Riyadh on Sunday for talks.

His visit comes a day after calling in Iran for increased cooperation between oil-rich countries in a bid to stabilise prices.

&nbsp;

 
(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Qatar's energy minister Mohammed al-Sada has also said the 'difficult phase is over'

Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday that the present cycle of falling crude prices is close to an end amid improving market fundamentals. Oil prices are currently around $50 per barrel after hitting the lowest in a decade in January, reaching $30 and down from a peak of more than $100 in mid-2014. "The current down cycle is nearing an end," Falih told a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak on Sunday after a Gulf ministerial meeting in Riyadh, news agency AFP reported. "Market fundamentals, in terms of supply and demand, have begun to improve," Falih said, adding: "We are optimistic that oil prices will continue to improve in the future." Qatar's energy minister, Mohammed al-Sada, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the OPEC oil exporting cartel, also assured that the "difficult phase is over". "Although the market is heading to being balanced, it needs our joint effort, and we all agreed that we need to take measures to bring back this balance," he said, AFP reported. Novak said ways to "develop the best mechanism to solve the issue of stabilisation" were discussed in the meeting. "We have reached an unprecedented level in our relations and cooperation" with Saudi Arabia, he told reporters, adding that he agreed with Falih "to continue to work and remain in continuous contact to achieve... Concrete mechanisms". Meanwhile, OPEC has called a meeting with Russia and important non-members later this month as the cartel and Moscow look towards tightening cooperation to boost the historically low crude oil prices. The cartel and Russia will also meet on Tuesday, ahead of the OPEC technical meeting in Vienna on October 28 to 29. Last month at a meeting in Algiers, the OPEC agreed to its first production cut in eight years. President Nicolas Maduro of OPEC member Venezuela, a country deep in economic and political crisis aggravated by falling oil prices, was in Riyadh on Sunday for talks. His visit comes a day after calling in Iran for increased cooperation between oil-rich countries in a bid to stabilise prices. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Oil price down cycle 'nearing end', says  Saudi oil minister

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game.&nbsp;The teams meet on Monday in Saint-Etienne with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition. 
 
&quot;We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England,&quot; said Weiss. 
 
England currently top the group with four points, one point ahead of third-placed Slovakia.&nbsp;A draw could be enough for both teams to progress but a defeat for either team in the high-stakes match could see one of them return home. 
 
The sides will approach the game with confidence having both won their second group matches 2-1 -- England against Wales and Weiss&#39;s Slovakia against Russia. 
 
&quot;The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game.&nbsp;We needed a win and we&#39;re very happy that we got it.&nbsp;I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify,&quot; he told the website of Qatar&#39;s World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery &amp; Legacy. 
 
Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa.&nbsp;With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first-ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960. 
 
The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot. 
 
&quot;Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score.&nbsp;I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents.&nbsp;I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn&#39;t happy after the first game.&nbsp;She said my time will come, and it did,&quot; he said. 
(AFP)

The teams meet Monday in Saint-Etienne, with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game. The teams meet on Monday in Saint-Etienne with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition. "We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England," said Weiss. England currently top the group with four points, one point ahead of third-placed Slovakia. A draw could be enough for both teams to progress but a defeat for either team in the high-stakes match could see one of them return home. The sides will approach the game with confidence having both won their second group matches 2-1 -- England against Wales and Weiss's Slovakia against Russia. "The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game. We needed a win and we're very happy that we got it. I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify," he told the website of Qatar's World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa. With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first-ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960. The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot. "Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score. I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents. I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn't happy after the first game. She said my time will come, and it did," he said. (AFP)

Slovakia can beat England says goal scorer Weiss

Qatar said on Thursday it would give $30 million to help pay the salaries of thousands of Gaza Strip public sector workers left without a full wage package since 2013. 
 
The donation was welcomed by Hamas, the Islamist group that dominates the enclave, who said it would help ease the wage shortages that have tested already strained relations with the US-backed Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank. 
 
There was no immediate comment from Palestinian Authority or Israel, who have long been suspicious of Qatar&#39;s regular donations to Hamas and other Islamist groups across the region. 
 
The emir of the wealthy Gulf state, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, said the payment of 113 million Riyals was meant to &quot;alleviate suffering and financial distress&quot;, according to Qatar&#39;s state news agency, QNA. 
 
Hamas fighters seized control of Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority, triggering years of mutual distrust.&nbsp;A reconciliation pact signed in 2014 by the two sides raised hopes among Hamas that its 50,000 public sector employees&#39; wages would be taken care of via the Palestinian Authority (PA) payroll. 
 
But the Palestinian Authority cannot afford to pay all those extra workers, and international donors who support the PA budget, including the European Union, say they want an audit of workers and cutbacks to the bloated payroll, which costs more than $2 billion a year. 
 
The Hamas-hired public servants have grown restive and in 2014 protested over their lack of payment which is partly due to a continued blockade imposed on Gaza by both Israel and Egypt. 
 
&quot;The July payment will be made in full immediately once the Qatari financial fund is received,&quot; Hamas&#39; deputy finance minister, Youssef al-Kayyali said. 
 
Qatar, which hosts the largest US air base in the Middle East, has for years preserved influence with Islamist forces across the region it believes are the long-term future.&nbsp;The breadth and resilience of Qatar&#39;s links to Islamist groups, including Egypt&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood, which has suffered a crackdown in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, fuels suspicions in other Gulf states. 
 
(Reuters)

Neither the Palestinian Authority nor Israel commented. Both view Qatar's regular donations to Hamas, other Islamist groups with suspicion

Qatar said on Thursday it would give $30 million to help pay the salaries of thousands of Gaza Strip public sector workers left without a full wage package since 2013. The donation was welcomed by Hamas, the Islamist group that dominates the enclave, who said it would help ease the wage shortages that have tested already strained relations with the US-backed Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank. There was no immediate comment from Palestinian Authority or Israel, who have long been suspicious of Qatar's regular donations to Hamas and other Islamist groups across the region. The emir of the wealthy Gulf state, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, said the payment of 113 million Riyals was meant to "alleviate suffering and financial distress", according to Qatar's state news agency, QNA. Hamas fighters seized control of Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority, triggering years of mutual distrust. A reconciliation pact signed in 2014 by the two sides raised hopes among Hamas that its 50,000 public sector employees' wages would be taken care of via the Palestinian Authority (PA) payroll. But the Palestinian Authority cannot afford to pay all those extra workers, and international donors who support the PA budget, including the European Union, say they want an audit of workers and cutbacks to the bloated payroll, which costs more than $2 billion a year. The Hamas-hired public servants have grown restive and in 2014 protested over their lack of payment which is partly due to a continued blockade imposed on Gaza by both Israel and Egypt. "The July payment will be made in full immediately once the Qatari financial fund is received," Hamas' deputy finance minister, Youssef al-Kayyali said. Qatar, which hosts the largest US air base in the Middle East, has for years preserved influence with Islamist forces across the region it believes are the long-term future. The breadth and resilience of Qatar's links to Islamist groups, including Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which has suffered a crackdown in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, fuels suspicions in other Gulf states. (Reuters)

Qatar to give $30 million to pay Gaza public sector workers

Egypt&#39;s ousted Islamist President Mohamad Morsi was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Cairo court in an espionage trial in which six co-defendants were handed death penalties for leaking state secrets on military intelligence to Qatar and a Doha-based TV network. 
 
The Cairo Criminal Court upheld the death sentences of the six Muslim Brotherhood members and awarded life imprisonment to two others. 
 
Life in prison in Egypt is 25 years. But Morsi, who received life in prison for leading an unlawful group, was given an additional 15 years for stealing documents related to national security, increasing his jail term to 40 years. 
 
The six co-defendants were Ahmed Abdo Ali Afifi, a documentary film producer (who is in jail), Asmaa el-Khateeb, a reporter with Rasd News Network which is widely suspected of links to Morsi&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood (sentenced in absentia). 
 
Two more included Al-Jazeera employees - news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal (both sentenced in absentia). 
 
Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state, was the main backer of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood during his term in power between 2012 and July 2013, when the military overthrew and detained him.&nbsp;Today&#39;s verdicts are not final and can be appealed. 
 
Last month, the court ordered that case documents of the six defendants, excluding Morsi, be referred to the Grand Mufti, who according to Egyptian law must review all death sentences. His decision, however, is not binding. 
 
The co-defendents have been convicted for leaking classified documents to Qatar and selling them to Doha-based Al-Jazeera channel. The documents allegedly include information on general and military intelligence, the armed forces, its armaments and state policy secrets. 
 
Other charges include leading and joining the outlawed Brotherhood, that aims at changing Egypt&#39;s regime by force, and attacking army and police posts and public properties. 
 
Muslim Brotherhood&#39;s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and 35 other members of the proscribed Islamist group were last month sentenced to life for committing violent acts after the ouster of country&#39;s first democratically-elected President in 2013. 
 
Badie and Morsi were also sentenced to life in prison in the espionage case. Their sentences are currently in appeal. 
 
Morsi, Badie and 100 other leaders were sentenced to death in June last year for escaping from prison in 2011. 
 
However, an Egyptian court later quashed the death sentence against Badie. Hundreds of other Muslim Brotherhood members were also sentenced for life in various cases. 
 
The Egyptian government has been cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters since Morsi&#39;s ouster. The Muslim Brotherhood was designated as a terrorist group in November 2013 by the government. 
(PTI)

Six other co-defendants, including three journalists, were handed death penalties for leaking military secrets to Qatar

Egypt's ousted Islamist President Mohamad Morsi was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Cairo court in an espionage trial in which six co-defendants were handed death penalties for leaking state secrets on military intelligence to Qatar and a Doha-based TV network. The Cairo Criminal Court upheld the death sentences of the six Muslim Brotherhood members and awarded life imprisonment to two others. Life in prison in Egypt is 25 years. But Morsi, who received life in prison for leading an unlawful group, was given an additional 15 years for stealing documents related to national security, increasing his jail term to 40 years. The six co-defendants were Ahmed Abdo Ali Afifi, a documentary film producer (who is in jail), Asmaa el-Khateeb, a reporter with Rasd News Network which is widely suspected of links to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood (sentenced in absentia). Two more included Al-Jazeera employees - news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal (both sentenced in absentia). Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state, was the main backer of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood during his term in power between 2012 and July 2013, when the military overthrew and detained him. Today's verdicts are not final and can be appealed. Last month, the court ordered that case documents of the six defendants, excluding Morsi, be referred to the Grand Mufti, who according to Egyptian law must review all death sentences. His decision, however, is not binding. The co-defendents have been convicted for leaking classified documents to Qatar and selling them to Doha-based Al-Jazeera channel. The documents allegedly include information on general and military intelligence, the armed forces, its armaments and state policy secrets. Other charges include leading and joining the outlawed Brotherhood, that aims at changing Egypt's regime by force, and attacking army and police posts and public properties. Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and 35 other members of the proscribed Islamist group were last month sentenced to life for committing violent acts after the ouster of country's first democratically-elected President in 2013. Badie and Morsi were also sentenced to life in prison in the espionage case. Their sentences are currently in appeal. Morsi, Badie and 100 other leaders were sentenced to death in June last year for escaping from prison in 2011. However, an Egyptian court later quashed the death sentence against Badie. Hundreds of other Muslim Brotherhood members were also sentenced for life in various cases. The Egyptian government has been cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters since Morsi's ouster. The Muslim Brotherhood was designated as a terrorist group in November 2013 by the government. (PTI)

Egypt's ousted Islamist President Morsi sentenced to life in jail, plus 15 years

<h2 data-reactid=".1.0.1.0.1.2.$tag=2reuters=1com,2016=2newsml_KCN0YS16K=23.1.0.0.0.1" data-text="Qatar reassures India after Modi raises abuse of migrant workers" dir="auto" title="Qatar reassures India after Modi raises abuse of migrant workers">During his&nbsp;official visit to Qatar,&nbsp;Indian Prime Minister&nbsp;Narendra Modi discussed&nbsp;with&nbsp;Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani&nbsp;the plight of the&nbsp;630 thousand&nbsp;Indian nationals working in the&nbsp;country.&nbsp;Many of them work in low paid construction jobs, building stadiums and other infrastructures for the 2022 World Cup. Unions and labour protests are banned, and&nbsp;dissent is punished with jail or deportation. 
 
Qatar declsared to be on&nbsp;its way to implement a labour law which would protect the interest&nbsp;of both skilled and unskilled labour.</h2>

A delegation of workers interacted directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reporting&nbsp;squalid living conditions,&nbsp;cases of salaries&nbsp;witheld for months and&nbsp;passports confiscated by employers.&nbsp; 
 
In March, Amnesty International stated that&nbsp;migrants faced several abuses and&nbsp;in some cases even&nbsp;forced labour. Qatar&#39;s Kafala System, the&nbsp;set of rules&nbsp;under which migrant workers cannot change jobs or leave the country without their employer&#39;s permission,&nbsp;is believed to be at the heart of the problem. 
 
The new&nbsp;law will abolish&nbsp;Kafala&nbsp;and remove&nbsp;restrictions on&nbsp;worker movements. Migrants will no longer be forced to continue a job if there is abuse or exploitation, but domestic workers are excluded from this law. 
 
This will&nbsp;not only impact the community of Indian workers, the largest in the Gulf country,&nbsp;but also many other South Asian workers from Nepal,&nbsp;Bangladesh and Pakistan. 
? 
With bilateral trade in 2014/15 exceeding $15 billion, the &nbsp;Emirate is an important economic partner for Delhi, as well as&nbsp;one of its key sources of crude oil.

<div dir="auto">&nbsp;</div>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed optimism&nbsp;and beside thanking Quatar for its hospitality, he said he believed that the government&nbsp;would respond positively to challenges faced by the Indian community in the country.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;People here are very fond of Indians, they trust Indians, and I am sure&nbsp;they will respond positively,&quot; he said addressing Indian workers. 
(Reuters)

Facing criticism, Qatar briefs Indian Prime Minister on a new labour law meant to stop the miserable conditions of Indian labourers

During his official visit to Qatar, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed with Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani the plight of the 630 thousand Indian nationals working in the country. Many of them work in low paid construction jobs, building stadiums and other infrastructures for the 2022 World Cup. Unions and labour protests are banned, and dissent is punished with jail or deportation. Qatar declsared to be on its way to implement a labour law which would protect the interest of both skilled and unskilled labour. A delegation of workers interacted directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reporting squalid living conditions, cases of salaries witheld for months and passports confiscated by employers. In March, Amnesty International stated that migrants faced several abuses and in some cases even forced labour. Qatar's Kafala System, the set of rules under which migrant workers cannot change jobs or leave the country without their employer's permission, is believed to be at the heart of the problem. The new law will abolish Kafala and remove restrictions on worker movements. Migrants will no longer be forced to continue a job if there is abuse or exploitation, but domestic workers are excluded from this law. This will not only impact the community of Indian workers, the largest in the Gulf country, but also many other South Asian workers from Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. ? With bilateral trade in 2014/15 exceeding $15 billion, the Emirate is an important economic partner for Delhi, as well as one of its key sources of crude oil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed optimism and beside thanking Quatar for its hospitality, he said he believed that the government would respond positively to challenges faced by the Indian community in the country. "People here are very fond of Indians, they trust Indians, and I am sure they will respond positively," he said addressing Indian workers. (Reuters)

Qatar ready to tackle the plight of foreign labourers

A Dutch woman who was arrested in March after she told police she had been drugged and raped was convicted of having sex out of wedlock by a Qatari court today given a one-year suspended sentence, state-owned Al Jazeera reported. 
 
The woman, 22, will be deported to the Netherlands in the coming days once the ruling is formalised, the Dutch ambassador to Qatar Yvette Burghgraef-van Eechoud told the network. 
 
The man she said raped her, a Syrian identified in court as Omar Abdullah Al-Hasan, pleaded guilty to charges of illicit consensual sex and being drunk in a public and was sentenced to 140 lashes, Al Jazeera quoted a court official as saying. 
 
Islamic-based legal codes govern Qatar, which will host the World Cup in 2022 and faces questions on how it will cope with the influx of many fans who drink alcohol at soccer tournaments and may expect lenient Western-style rules. 
 
The Dutch woman says she was drugged at a nightclub in a central Doha hotel and realised she had been raped when she woke up in an unfamiliar apartment. 
 
&quot;Her next memory was waking up in an unfamiliar apartment where she realised to her great horror that she had been raped,&quot; her lawyer, Brian Lokollo, told Dutch radio NOS-Radio 1. 
 
She had been on vacation at the time, and reported the incident to Qatari police. She was arrested on March 14, and had been held since then on unclear charges. 
 
Hasan has acknowledged having sex with the woman, but said it had been consensual, according to Dutch media reports. 
 
Since the case emerged this week, hundreds of sympathisers on Twitter have called for her release and criticised the Qatari reaction to her allegations. 
 
It is an offence to drink alcohol or be drunk in public in Qatar, although alcohol is allowed at certain hotels and non-Muslim immigrants can obtain a permit for purchasing alcohol.

The man suspected of raping her, pleaded guilty to charges of illicit consensual sex and drinking in public. He was sentenced to 140 lashes

A Dutch woman who was arrested in March after she told police she had been drugged and raped was convicted of having sex out of wedlock by a Qatari court today given a one-year suspended sentence, state-owned Al Jazeera reported. The woman, 22, will be deported to the Netherlands in the coming days once the ruling is formalised, the Dutch ambassador to Qatar Yvette Burghgraef-van Eechoud told the network. The man she said raped her, a Syrian identified in court as Omar Abdullah Al-Hasan, pleaded guilty to charges of illicit consensual sex and being drunk in a public and was sentenced to 140 lashes, Al Jazeera quoted a court official as saying. Islamic-based legal codes govern Qatar, which will host the World Cup in 2022 and faces questions on how it will cope with the influx of many fans who drink alcohol at soccer tournaments and may expect lenient Western-style rules. The Dutch woman says she was drugged at a nightclub in a central Doha hotel and realised she had been raped when she woke up in an unfamiliar apartment. "Her next memory was waking up in an unfamiliar apartment where she realised to her great horror that she had been raped," her lawyer, Brian Lokollo, told Dutch radio NOS-Radio 1. She had been on vacation at the time, and reported the incident to Qatari police. She was arrested on March 14, and had been held since then on unclear charges. Hasan has acknowledged having sex with the woman, but said it had been consensual, according to Dutch media reports. Since the case emerged this week, hundreds of sympathisers on Twitter have called for her release and criticised the Qatari reaction to her allegations. It is an offence to drink alcohol or be drunk in public in Qatar, although alcohol is allowed at certain hotels and non-Muslim immigrants can obtain a permit for purchasing alcohol.

Qatar to deport raped Dutch woman on charges of "illicit sex"

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