Italians probe Emirati for alleged insider trading in UniCredit

Italian prosecutors are investigating a former Emirati sovereign wealth fund official over allegations of insider trading in UniCredit shares in 2010 as the fallout from the Malaysian 1MDB scandal spreads through Abu Dhabi's overseas investment portfolio. Prosecutors in Milan placed Khadem al-Qubaisi, the jailed former managing director of Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company , under investigation "several months ago," said a person briefed on the probe.

Syria still has chemical weapons, USA defense secretary says

While in Israel Friday, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis accused the Syrian government of violating an agreement it made in 2013 to hand over all its chemical weapons. This month, Russian Federation vetoed a Western-backed United Nations resolution that would have condemned the reported use of chemical weapons in Syria and demanded a speedy investigation into the attack.

US defense secretary visits key ally Qatar

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met Qatar's emir on Saturday during a visit to the oil-rich Gulf state, home to the largest US air base in the Middle East. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani welcomes US Defense Secretary James Mattis at the Prince's Sea Palace residence in Doha, on April 22, 2017.

Watchdog Says Yemen Rebel Land Mines Killed, Maimed Hundreds

An international rights group on Thursday decried the use of land mines by Yemen's Shiite rebels in the impoverished Arab country at war, saying they have killed and maimed hundreds of civilians and prevented many of the displaced from returning to their homes. Human Rights Watch said in a new report that the rebels known as Houthis, who are allied with the forces of the country's former president, have used land-mines in at least six provinces since March 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition launched its military campaign against them.

Saudi Arabia Says Some Oil Producers Reach Deal to Extend Cuts

Gulf Arab oil producers have reached an agreement about a possible extension of output cuts beyond June to reduce stockpiles of crude, Oman's oil minister said. His Saudi Arabian counterpart confirmed that producers arrived at an initial deal on prolonging the cuts.

Erdogan to meet Trump in May: minister

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Donald Trump in May, the Turkish foreign minister said Wednesday, after the US president congratulated the Turkish leader for winning a referendum on enhancing his powers. "We will determine a date for the two presidents to meet in May before the NATO summit as previously confirmed by the leaders," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara.

Trump has embraced autocratic leaders without hesitation

In this April 7, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together after their meetings at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump has praised Xi since hosting him at his Palm Beach, Fla., resort, after sharply criticizing China's economic policies as a candidate.

Trump has ‘verbally’ confirmed visit to the Philippines – official

UNITED STATES President Donald Trump is slated to make his maiden official visit to the Philippines to attend the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit this November, says a Filipino official. Responding to a question fielded by a reporter during a press conference on Wednesday, the Asean 2017 National Organizing Council director-general for operations Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr, said Trump had "verbally" confirmed his attendance for the summit.

The True Cost of Israel

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee concluded its annual conference late last month, triggering the usual debate in various alternative media outlets. Why does so much U.S. taxpayer money go to a small and not particularly useful client state that has a vibrant European-level economy and is already a regional military colossus? Those who support the cash flow argue that Israel is threatened, most notably by Iran; they claim the assistance, which has been largely but not completely used to buy American-made weapons, is required to maintain a qualitative edge over the country's potential enemies.

Christian Orthodox Leader Calls on Erdogan to Repent and Convert from …

Greek Orthodox Bishop, Metropolit Seraphim of Piraeus caused a controversy this week when he wrote Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and urged him to convert to Christianity. Greek Orthodox Bishop, Metropolit Seraphim of Piraeus has caused controversy by urging Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to convert to Orthodoxy with Russian President Vladimir Putin as his godfather.

Syrian Deal to Evacuate Tens of Thousands of People Begins

The Syrian government and opposition forces began a coordinated population swap Friday of about 10,000 people from four towns besieged for years amid the country's bloody, six-year civil war. About 5,000 people were evacuated on 75 buses from two pro-government towns in northern Syria to the nearby city of Aleppo, said Abdul Hakim Baghdadi, who helped negotiate the arrangement.

ISIS bomb maker deported to Kuwait

A captured Kuwaiti explosives expert of the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria was deported on Friday to his home country where he has been a fugitive and where he faces charges for planning bomb attacks. Kuwaiti national Husayn AlDhafiri and Syrian national Rahaf Zina are presented at a press conference at the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila on April 6, 2017.

Tillerson Says US and Russia Remain Divided on Syria

Washington and Moscow "must find a way to work together to stabilise the situation in a deliberate, realistic and concerted way in support of the political process", he said. Trump and Xi spoke again by phone Tuesday evening, and by Wednesday, China - a member of the United Nations Security Council - opted to abstain rather than join Russian Federation in blocking the U.N. condemnation of Syria for its use last week of chemical weapons against civilians.

Commentary: Capitalizing on Syria attack

President Trump did the right thing, the necessary thing, in striking Syria's Shayrat Air Base in response to the Assad regime's gruesome gas attack on civilians. In so doing, the president sharply reversed his own past stance and positions his team took just days ago on Syria.