The Latest: Chad recalls envoy from Qatar amid Gulf dispute


              In this photo released by Emirates News Agency, WAM, the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, right, is received by UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to hold talks about Qatar, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, June 7, 2017. Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states cut ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting violent Islamist groups across the region. (WAM via AP)
In this photo released by Emirates News Agency, WAM, the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, right, is received by UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to hold talks about Qatar, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, June 7, 2017. Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states cut ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting violent Islamist groups across the region. (WAM via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The latest on the Gulf crisis after Saudi Arabia and other nations cut ties to Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

The Central African nation of Chad has recalled its ambassador from Qatar, joining Saudi Arabia and other nations who have moved to isolate the small Gulf country over allegations it supports terrorism.

In a statement released Thursday, Chad's Foreign Ministry urged countries to use dialogue to resolve the escalating dispute.

Chad, a predominantly Muslim country, joins the West African nations of Senegal and Mauritania, which have also recalled their ambassadors from Qatar.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen have accused Qatar of supporting regional terror groups, allegations denied by the Qatari government.

___

3 p.m.

Bahrain is warning the island's media outlets not to "publish or circulate anything that condones or justifies Qatari policies by any means."

Bahrain's Information Affairs Ministry said Thursday that those who do publish material sympathetic to Qatar "will be held responsible," without elaborating.

Bahrain's decision comes after the UAE on Wednesday warned that those who are sympathetic to Qatar on social media could face three to 15 years in prison and fines starting from 500,000 dirhams ($136,000).

Bahrain already has shut down what many believe is its only independent newspaper and refused to accredit journalists, including two from The Associated Press. All that comes amid a crackdown on all dissent on the island home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and an under-construction British naval base.

___

2:50 p.m.

The United Arab Emirates has blocked access to the website of Qatar Airlines amid an Arab nation campaign to isolate Qatar.

The website block began Thursday and follows the UAE blocking access to a series of Qatari media websites, including those of Doha-based satellite news network Al-Jazeera.

The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority also announced on Twitter that it had "closed the airspace for all air traffic to and from Doha until further notice." It already had blocked Qatar Airlines flights as local airlines had cut their own routes to Doha.

___

2:45 p.m.

Russia's state RIA Novosti news agency says the Qatari foreign minister will visit Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart amid a diplomatic crisis between the Gulf nation and other Arab countries.

RIA Novosti said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Saturday. It quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Thursday that Putin wasn't scheduled to meet with Al Thani.

Putin had a telephone conversation with the emir of Qatar Tuesday, urging dialogue. Moscow rejected allegations that Russian hackers breached Qatar's state news agency and planted a fake news story that led to a split between Qatar and the other Arab nations

Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen have accused Qatar of harboring extremists. Qatar has denied the allegations.

___

12:55 p.m.

A Pakistani cabinet minister says Islamabad will continue to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar under a 15-year agreement, despite the severing of diplomatic ties with Qatar by Saudi Arabia and some other countries.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the federal minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, said Qatar and Pakistan last year signed a $1 billion agreement, under which Qatar's Liquefied Gas Company Limited will sell LNG from 2016 to year 2031 to state-run Pakistan State Oil.

He said since no sanctions have been imposed on Qatar by the United Nations, Pakistan and Qatar were bound to abide by the agreement.

___

6:30 a.m.

Qatar has released an initial report into the alleged hack of its state-run news agency, an incident which helped spark a diplomatic crisis between the energy-rich country and Arab nations.

The Qatari Interior Ministry said late Wednesday that the website of the Qatar News Agency was initially hacked in April with "high techniques and innovative methods."

It said hackers installed a file and then published a fake news item attributed to Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, just after midnight May 24.

The ministry did not say who it suspected carried out the attack. It also thanked the FBI and the British National Commission for Combating Crime for assisting it in its investigation.

The alleged fake news item, which had Sheikh Tamim making controversial comments on Iran and Israel, immediately was picked up by Saudi and Emirati media, laying the groundwork for the crisis that began Monday.

___

6:20 a.m.

Kuwait's emir has traveled to Qatar and met that country's leader as part of his efforts to mediate an end to a crisis that's seen Arab nations cut ties to the energy-rich country and attempt to isolate it.

Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah was met planeside by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, when he arrived on Wednesday night.

The two held talks, though details of their discussions were not released. Sheikh Sabah earlier Wednesday traveled to Dubai where he met with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as prime minister and vice president of the UAE.

Sheikh Sabah also has traveled to Saudi Arabia in his efforts.

Upcoming Events