U.S. arrest awakens ghosts of Turkey’s Iran-gold scandal that implicated Erdogan

U.S. arrest awakens ghosts of Turkey’s Iran-gold scandal that implicated Erdogan

Special to WorldTribune.com By Charles Recknagel, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Night-time police raids in Istanbul. Reports of shoe boxes stuffed with $4.5 million in cash hidden in the home of a Turkish state bank head, plus a money-counting machine in the bedroom of a government minister’s son. And allegations that state funds are […]

Lawmakers: Pakistan could use F-16s against India, not terrorists

Lawmakers: Pakistan could use F-16s against India, not terrorists

Special to WorldTribune.com Several members of Congress are questioning the “judgment and timing” of the Obama administration’s sale of F-16s to Pakistan, saying the Pakistanis could use the jets to attack India rather than the intended purpose of combating terrorism. The Obama administration plans to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan at an estimated […]

Egyptian migrants killed in Libya by human traffickers

Egyptian migrants killed in Libya by human traffickers

Special to WorldTribune.com Human traffickers killed 13 Egyptian migrants in Libya in a dispute over money, the United Nations said. The UN has called for an investigation into the incident in Bani Walid. A local official said on April 27 that a group of Egyptians had killed three Libyan human traffickers in the dispute and […]

Poll reveals young Palestinians overwhelmingly reject ISIL, don’t trust any leader

Poll reveals young Palestinians overwhelmingly reject ISIL, don’t trust any leader

Special to WorldTribune.com Palestinian youth overwhelmingly oppose Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and don’t trust any of the Palestinian leadership factions, according to a new poll. Most young Palestinians say they are socially conservative and believe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved through negotiations, the poll published on April 25 by the Jerusalem […]

U.S. Sinai peacekeepers retreat to safety after ISIL attacks

U.S. Sinai peacekeepers retreat to safety after ISIL attacks

Special to WorldTribune.com The United States has relocated more than 100 soldiers in Egypt after multiple attacks on their Sinai camp by jihadists affiliated with Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). The Pentagon said the troops, part of the Multinational Force of Observers (MFO), were transferred about 300 miles south to a more secure […]

Report: Iran may have secretly tested ICBM with ‘space launch’

Report: Iran may have secretly tested ICBM with ‘space launch’

Special to WorldTribune.com What Iran claimed was a “space launch” was likely the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, sources said. Two Russian radar stations detected the Iranian rocket launch on April 19, Russian media reported. U.S. sources confirmed the launch to the Washington Free Beacon. Iran insists the intended used for its Simorgh rocket […]

Jordan cancels concert by pro-gay rights Lebanese band

Jordan cancels concert by pro-gay rights Lebanese band

Special to WorldTribune.com A Lebanese rock bank known for its social activism and support of gay rights was banned from performing in Jordan. Beirut-based Mashrou’ Leila was notified of the ban days before its scheduled April 29 concert in Amman, the band said in a statement on Facebook. Through its support of political and religious […]

France reportedly rejected Israeli tech that could have prevented Paris attacks

France reportedly rejected Israeli tech that could have prevented Paris attacks

Special to WorldTribune.com Israeli data-mining technology that could have given French authorities a chance to prevent the November 2015 terror attacks was rejected by higher-ups in Paris, an Israeli security expert said. After the Charlie Hebdo attack in January 2015, an Israeli company offered France terrorist-tracking software that could have helped authorities flag the terror […]

‘Vision 2030’: Saudi crown prince outlines post-oil era after $98 billion deficit in 2015

‘Vision 2030’: Saudi crown prince outlines post-oil era after $98 billion deficit in 2015

Special to WorldTribune.com Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has unveiled a plan aimed at kicking the kingdom’s “addiction” to oil. The 31-year-old prince believes his recently-unveiled “Vision 2030” would transform the world’s top oil exporter into a global investment powerhouse. Paving the way, Mohammed said, would be the initial public offering (IPO) of […]

Report: U.S. challenged China, 12 other nations on navigation rights in 2015

Report: U.S. challenged China, 12 other nations on navigation rights in 2015

Special to WorldTribune.com The United States carried out “freedom of navigation” operations against China and 12 other countries last year, the Pentagon reported on April 25. China’s sovereignty claims and military buildup in the South China Sea were the main focus of the missions and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the Navy would continue […]