Candidates in today’s Kuwaiti elections – the first with women participants - made a final pitch for voters to endorse electoral reform, the issue that caused the emir to dissolve parliament last month.

The former Iranian president said today that talk of US contingency planning for a military attack on Iran was overblown because such a move would be too dangerous.

Muslims across the Middle East – Sunnis and Shiites alike – largely ignored sectarian divides today to unite in condemnation of the the bombing that destroyed of the golden dome that graced one of Iraq’s holiest Shiite shrines.

Kuwait’s Cabinet resigned as expected today, one day after the new emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, was sworn in as the leader of this oil-rich US ally.

Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah took the oath of office today as the new emir of Kuwait, ending a two-week leadership crisis in the oil-rich US ally.

The unprecedented shake-up in Kuwait’s ruling family should not effect the tiny, oil-rich country’s close ties to Washington, but analysts said tonight there could be significant changes in Kuwait, such as the imposition of taxes.

Kuwait’s parliament will meet on Sunday to elect a new emir, who will almost certainly be Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, the deputy speaker of parliament said today.

Kuwait’s parliament today voted unanimously to oust the ailing emir, apparently ending a leadership crisis that had gripped the oil-rich US ally for nine days.

Kuwaitis waited today for the expected abdication of their ailing emir, Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, a move that has been sought for days to resolve the country’s unprecedented leadership crisis.

POLITICAL science teacher Massouma al-Mubarak yesterday became Kuwait's first ever female minister.

Political science teacher Massouma al-Mubarak was appointed today as a Cabinet minister, becoming Kuwait’s first ever female minister, the state-owned Kuwait Television said.

A summit of Muslim leaders from around the world degenerated into chaos today as an Iraqi official hurled insults at his Kuwaiti counterpart.