UAE

A Saudi-led alliance of Arab states launched an attack on Yemen's main port city in the largest battle of the war, aiming to bring the ruling Houthi movement to its knees at the risk of worsening the world's dire humanitarian crisis.

Saudi Arabia and three allies accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism have agreed to a request by Kuwait to extend by 48 hours Sunday's deadline for Doha to comply, according to a joint statement on Saudi state news agency SPA.

Four Arab states that imposed a boycott on Qatar have issued an ultimatum to Doha to close Al Jazeera television, curb ties with Iran, shut a Turkish base and pay reparations demands so far reaching it would appear hard to comply.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan denounced the isolation of Qatar by neighbouring states as a violation of Islamic values and akin to a "death penalty" imposed in a crisis that has reverberated across the Middle East and beyond.

Four Arab countries which cut ties with Qatar this week over its alleged support of terrorism designated dozens of people with alleged links to Qatar as terrorists, intensifying a row that threatens the region's stability.

The Arab world's biggest powers cut ties with Qatar over alleged support for Islamists and Iran, reopening a festering wound two weeks after US President Donald Trump's demand for Muslim states to fight terrorism.

The Government will spend $53 million showcasing New Zealand at Expo 2020 in Dubai in an attempt to boost trade in the region and beyond.