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Turnout was 62.4% across the country, which was lower than the December 2005 average turnout but still represented a relatively high level of participation compared to global norms. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)

Freedom of expression is a proud Kuwaiti boast in a region where most countries restrict public debate and media comment. The existence of a powerful and democratically elected parliament is only one facet of a society that can justifiably claim to stand out from its neighbours for the pluralism and vigour of its political culture.

Marriages; Funeral; Russia, US, Montenegro, Turkey, Qatar

Opposition critics are exasperated by King Abdullah’s cautious tone, but significant reforms continue to advance. Having reassured conservatives with an almost content-free annual speech to the Majlis Al-Shura, King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz is presiding over further cautious steps towards modernisation. Prince Mansour Bin Miteb,

The Iraq election result was impossible to call throughout the entire campaign, and remained so nearly a fortnight after the poll as the counting process placed Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s State of Law marginally ahead of former prime minister Iyad Allawi’s Iraqiya who briefly led in the middle of the week

Defence-related meetings; Intelligence appointment upgrade; Yemen delegation; Doha powwow; Murder charge

Oman’s sovereign rating has improved and there is growth again, but the authorities still face a tough task if they are to lift living standards for the majority. An Iranian gas deal is among potential solutions to drive new projects

Former head of Abu Dhabi’s Hydra Properties Sulaiman Al-Fahim has provided the western media with a bounty of stories over the past two years, but has been in even deeper trouble back home. In December, a Dubai court issued an irrevocable ruling against Al-Fahim and other defendants and ordered them to pay more than Dh8m ($2.1m) plus interest to an Azeri businessman over a property dispute – in another case that has highlighted the pitfalls of doing business in a region where transparency has its limits.

The government on 27 February declared a state of emergency in the southern province of Al-Dhalee,

Mourning, Police college graduate

British ambassador Michael Aron's short stay in Kuwait made it into the UK press and from there to several Gulf newspapers. According to the various accounts, Aron was ordered back to London - where he is now deputy director of Middle East affairs

Geopolitics; Reappointed in Qassim; Football club talks; Compensation; Marriage

The shortfalls in Tehran’s proposal of a new deal on uranium enrichment, even while it intensifies its nuclear programme, has forced long-standing allies like Russia, as well as the Obama administration, to consider taking a much harder line against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his friends

The regime’s hardliners thought its critics were a disparate bunch who would melt away under assault from the Basij militia. The fact that protests continue has surprised President Ahmadinejad’s allies as much as outside observers, forcing the regime and other key players – including the United States – to reassess their options

A number of minority and ethnic groups have become more prominent since June's disputed election - and many of them have been severely repressed