I decided ... the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding," Trump said. The crisis is a major diplomatic test for the United States, which is a close ally of countries on both sides. The Trump administration has given mixed signals on whether to isolate Qatar or bring it into talks with other Gulf nations. "We call on the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to ease the blockade against Qatar," he said in Washington. The United Arab Emirates said on Friday that Qatar must acknowledge concerns about its "troubling support for extremism" and "re-examine its regional policies".

Source: Bangkok Post June 10, 2017 08:15 UTC