UAE drops demand to close Al Jazeera

Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries, that have imposed a political and economic blockade on Qatar are to drop their demand that the Al Jazeera Media Network be closed.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Qatar on June 5.

The anti-Doha quartet then issued a 13-point list of demands that included shutting down Al Jazeera Media Network, severing all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and with other groups, including Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and ISIL (also known as ISIS), limiting Qatar's ties with Iran and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country.

UAE minister for the federal national council, Noura al-Kaabi, said, the Emirates sought "fundamental change and restructuring" of Al Jazeera rather than to shut it.

"The staff at the channel can keep their jobs and Qatar can still fund a TV channel but not one which provides a platform for extremists and where the English channel is a protective shield for the much more radical Arabic one," Kaabi added.

UCJ, UNILORIN.