Kuwait dissolves its parliament again amid years of political gridlock in oil-rich nation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait’s emir has dissolved parliament, the latest dissolution to strike the oil-rich nation’s legislature amid years of political gridlock. The state-run KUNA news agency announced the decree from the country’s ruling emir, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber. It blamed “offensive and uncontrolled” utterances by lawmakers for the decision. Those comments by a lawmaker were reportedly aimed at Sheikh Meshal. Domestic political disputes have been gripping Kuwait for years — including the overhaul of Kuwait’s welfare system — which prevented the sheikhdom from taking on debt. That’s left it with little in its coffers to pay bloated public sector salaries, despite generating immense wealth from its oil reserves.