Latest news with #Rubio
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Italian celebrity chef questioned by antiterrorism unit over anti-Israel posts
LONDON: Italian celebrity chef Rubio, born Gabriele Rubini, has been questioned by Italy's antiterrorism police and had his electronic devices seized over a series of social media posts critical of Israel's actions in Gaza. A vocal pro-Palestine activist, Rubio was briefly detained and interrogated last week by Digos — Italy's antiterrorism division — on charges of inciting racial hatred, according to his friend and journalist Alberto Fazolo, who shared details of the case on Monday. Fazolo said Rubio's X account posts triggered the investigation, describing it as a 'blitz' aimed at obtaining data from his online activity, an operation usually carried out by a different police unit. 'Death to diplomats complicit in the genocide that has been ongoing for 77 years, death to colonialism, supremacism, racism, and anti-Muslim hatred. Death therefore to Zionism and the Jewish colony. Long live Palestine and the native Palestinian Semites,' one of them read. Fazolo said Rubio remains free but has lost access to his social media accounts and private messages during the investigation. Authorities are reportedly reviewing his Telegram and Signal chats as part of the probe. His accounts remain publicly visible, but he is unable to use them. 'Gabriele is free, he is keen to assure you that he is well,' Fazolo said. 'But for a while he will not have the opportunity to communicate through his channels or contact details.' Rubio has long been a controversial figure in Italy due to his outspoken criticism of Israeli policy and strong support for the Palestinian cause. Pro-Israeli groups have previously accused him of antisemitism, which Rubio denies. Earlier this year, he drew fresh backlash after urging his followers to submit war crimes complaints against Israeli Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, who was visiting Rome at the time. In May 2024, Rubio was violently assaulted outside his home by six unidentified attackers armed with bricks and hammers, an attack his supporters linked to his activism. Fazolo said Rubio has 'been persecuted for years' due to his efforts to raise awareness about what he calls the 'ethnic cleansing of Palestine.'
Rudaw Net
5 hours ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
US passes Syria sanctions bill, ties relief to reforms
Also in World Rubio tells Sudani important to pay KRG salaries 'consistently' Brawl breaks out between pro-Damascus, Kurdish rallies in Germany's Dusseldorf US encourages Iraq to end tensions with Kurdistan Region US orders return of Baghdad embassy, Erbil consulate staff A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Syria Sanctions Accountability Act, aiming to maintain pressure on Damascus while allowing flexibility to support Syria's transitional government. 'The goal is to give them the chance to succeed while ensuring accountability for any malign activities,' said US Congressman Mike Lawler, a member of the committee behind the bill. According to the US Congress website, the legislation proposes maintaining and expanding targeted sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the former regime, human rights violations, narcotics production, and activities threatening Syria's stability or hindering transitional justice. It also calls on US financial agencies to review banking restrictions and push for enhanced economic monitoring at international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The bill ties the lifting of remaining sanctions to measurable progress in several areas, including ending attacks on civilians, ensuring humanitarian access, releasing political prisoners, and halting the targeting of religious minorities. 'My bill provides the administration with the flexibility to ensure that our posture is in line with the current environment and provides Congress with the information we need to act,' Lawler added. In May, US President Donald Trump, during a trip to the Middle East, announced his decision to effectively lift most broad, economy-wide sanctions on Syria. He also met with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a summit in Riyadh hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Since taking office in January, following the toppling of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, Syria's new leadership has prioritized lifting international sanctions. Several countries, including members of the European Union, which officially lifted its sanctions in May, have expressed openness to removing Assad-era restrictions but have emphasized the need for inclusive governance and strong counterterrorism efforts. In a recent interview with Reuters, US envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack said he had urged Sharaa to embrace a more inclusive political approach in the wake of recent sectarian violence, warning that failing to do so could undermine international support and risk further fragmentation of the country. A fresh wave of violence between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes has rocked the southern Druze-majority Suwayda province since July 13, leading to a regional crisis as Israel intervened in support of the Druze, striking several targets, including Syrian state forces and an airstrike on the defense ministry building in Damascus. Sharaa's forces have been accused of siding with the Sunni tribes. 'We're, of course, aware of those reports and we're aware that some who might be affiliated but not directed by the Syrian Government may be a part of that [violence],' US Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Rudaw's Diyar Kurda during a press conference on Tuesday. At least 1,265 people have been killed in the violence in Suwayda, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A Washington-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria was announced on Saturday by Barrack, with the truce seemingly holding. The Druze are in control of the province, while Syrian government forces are guarding the entrance to prevent Sunni fighters' entry in a bid to avoid further tensions. In June, the Observatory reported that 7,670 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the first half of the year due to ongoing violence and widespread 'security chaos.' A fact-finding committee probing sectarian violence in Syria's coastal Alawite-majority areas in March said on Tuesday that it identified nearly 300 suspects in connection with the events, which left more than 1,700 people dead, mostly from the Alawite community. Investigations by the committee documented 'serious violations against civilians,' including 'murder, premeditated murder, looting, destruction and burning of homes, torture, and sectarian insults,' committee spokesperson Yasser al-Farhan said during a Damascus presser. In March, violence erupted in Syria's Alawite-majority coastal areas after armed groups, many loyal to ousted president Bashar al-Assad, launched attacks on forces allied with the government, prompting Damascus to respond with force.
GMA Network
6 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
US announces $60-million aid for Philippine economy, maritime security
"This is the US government's first announcement of new foreign assistance for any country since the Trump administration began its review and realignment of foreign assistance in January," the State Department said in a statement highlighting Washington's commitment to its ties with its oldest treaty ally in Asia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced $60 million in fresh funding to bolster the Philippines' economy and maritime security, as Manila and Washington agreed to expand cooperation and further strengthen their more than seven-decade-old treaty alliance. Rubio thus announced in a statement Wednesday, two days after he met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was in Washington for a meeting with US President Donald Trump. It also came on the heels of the new 19% tariff rate for goods from the Philippines, which Trump announced after meeting Marcos at the White House on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). Manila and Washington have yet to reveal details of the trade deal. The new levies on Philippine goods were just below the 20% demanded by Trump this month and were above the 17% rate set in April when Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariff rates for its trading partners, including its allies. "This is the US government's first announcement of new foreign assistance for any country since the Trump administration began its review and realignment of foreign assistance in January," the State Department said in a statement highlighting Washington's commitment to its ties with its oldest treaty ally in Asia. The funding, amounting to P3 billion in local currency, would reinforce the Philippines' energy, maritime, and economic growth programs, the State Department said. Rubio, according to the State Department, would seek US Congress approval to allocate Php825 million or $15 million from said amount "to catalyze private sector development in the Luzon Economic Corridor," a US-envisioned growth region in Asia, that intends to increase trade and establish an economic hub in the northern Philippines through major infrastructure and other key projects. "If approved, this funding will support investments in the areas of transport, logistics, energy, and semiconductors that will help create jobs and drive economic growth in the country," the State Department said. Ahead of his summit with Trump on July 22, Marcos met with Rubio and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, with the two senior Trump officials reaffirming the US's "ironclad commitment" to its alliance with the Philippines and enhancing economic ties with Manila. Both Manila and Washington share concerns on China's increasingly assertive behavior in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims nearly in its entirety. The US has repeatedly said it would come to the Philippines' aid if Filipino forces, ships, or aircraft come under attack anywhere in the South China Sea under a 1951 mutual defense treaty. Washington has also forged a trilateral bloc with Japan and the Philippines to boost security, economic, and investment engagements. Such alliances would help its two closest Asian allies, which both face similar territorial disputes with China, diversify their trading engagements as a buffer in case the disputes spill into the economic front. The US is also helping the Philippines shore up its territorial defense, conducting joint military drills and joint sails in the West Philippine Sea and through intelligence-sharing and provision of defense equipment, as the Marcos administration expands its security alliances with "like-minded" military powers. –NB, GMA Integrated News
Rudaw Net
9 hours ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Rubio tells Sudani important to pay KRG salaries 'consistently'
Also in World Brawl breaks out between pro-Damascus, Kurdish rallies in Germany's Dusseldorf US encourages Iraq to end tensions with Kurdistan Region US orders return of Baghdad embassy, Erbil consulate staff US says attacks on Kurdistan Region 'unacceptable' A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, emphasizing the importance of ensuring uninterrupted salary payments to civil servants in the Kurdistan Region. Rubio also conveyed Washington's concerns regarding a pending bill in the Iraqi parliament that seeks to further institutionalize pro-Iranian militia groups, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday. The phone call came just hours after the Iraqi government decided to resume the payment of the salaries of public employees in the Kurdistan Region after nearly three months of suspension due to financial disputes with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). 'The Secretary noted the importance of paying Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) salaries consistently,' read a statement from State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce. Sudani's office has yet to comment on the phone call. Tensions between Baghdad and Erbil escalated in late May when the federal finance ministry suspended transfers, accusing the KRG of exceeding its 12.67 percent share of the federal budget and failing to deliver the agreed oil volumes to Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). The freeze affected more than 1.2 million public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region. Last week, the federal and regional governments reached a new deal over financial and oil disputes following the failure of several similar deals in the past. The Iraqi government approved the agreement during a cabinet meeting and decided to resume the disbursement of the salaries of KRG's civil servants on Tuesday. The payment will only cover the month of May, and the disbursement of salaries for the remaining months will depend on how the agreement is implemented moving forward. The Erbil-Baghdad agreement also includes the resumption of KRG's oil exports. The process has been halted since March 2023 when a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, saying the latter had violated the 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to begin exporting oil independently in 2014. Under the agreement, the KRG must export its entire oil output through Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), keeping 50,000 barrels daily for local use. In return, Baghdad is expected to make budget transfers and provide refined fuel if needed. The KRG is also obligated to hand over 120 billion Iraqi dinars (nearly $92 million) in non-oil revenues monthly for May. Washington has been pressuring Erbil and Baghdad to resume the Kurdish oil exports. Rubio told Sudani during the phone call that it is also important to resume the flow of the Kurdish oil to international markets through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline, Bruce said in the statement. Kurdistan Region has come under nearly 20 drone attacks, including strikes on its oil fields, in recent weeks. The KRG has blamed Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) for the drone attacks, a charge Baghdad has denied. The drones were seen by many as a pressure tactic by pro-Iran groups on the Kurdish government to make compromises to the federal government during negotiations over the resumption of the KRG's oil exports. The attacks have stopped since both governments finalized the agreement on Thursday. The Rubio-Sudani phone call focused on the drone attacks. Some of the targeted sites are operated by US companies. Rubio 'stressed the importance of the Iraqi government holding the perpetrators accountable and preventing future attacks,' Bruce noted in her statement. The attacks have been condemned internationally and locally, including by the US, UK and UN. The Iraqi government has launched an investigation into the strikes but has yet to announce the results. The federal parliament failed to discuss the matter on Monday after Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the session for unknown reasons. Rudaw has learned that some Kurdish parliamentarians feared that the Shiite factions could exploit the session to add a pending bill seeking more rights for the PMF members. The PMF was established in 2014 during the Islamic State group (ISIS) blitz, which saw the group seize control of large parts of Iraq's north and west. Although the PMF has been integrated into the security apparatus, the inclusion of some pro-Iran groups and their failure to answer to Sudani as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces has concerned Washington. The Iraqi government in February sent a bill to the parliament to further institutionalise the PMF, including retirement rights. 'The Secretary also reiterated serious U.S. concerns with the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC) bill currently pending in the Council of Representatives (COR), emphasizing that any such legislation would institutionalize Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq's sovereignty,' Bruce said. Rubio later said on X that he told Sudani that he desires to see an Iraq 'free of Iran's pernicious influence." Spoke with Iraqi PM Sudani about the recent attacks against oil companies in Iraq, including U.S. companies. We support a prosperous Iraq, free of Iran's pernicious influence. — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 23, 2025 Iran is believed to have many proxy groups in Iraq, which it has used in the past to target US interests in the region. Washington has taken several measures to ensure that Baghdad is free of Tehran's influence, including the termination of a waiver which had allowed Iraq to buy Iranian electricity for years.
Rudaw Net
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Brawl breaks out between pro-Damascus, Kurdish rallies in Germany's Dusseldorf
Also in World Rubio tells Sudani important to pay KRG salaries 'consistently' US encourages Iraq to end tensions with Kurdistan Region US orders return of Baghdad embassy, Erbil consulate staff US says attacks on Kurdistan Region 'unacceptable' A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five police officers were injured Sunday in a brawl between pro-Syrian and pro-Kurdish demonstrators outside the central station in Germany's western city of Dusseldorf, according to local police. 'A brawl involving several hundred participants triggered a large-scale police operation yesterday afternoon. Former participants of two different assemblies (pro-Syrian and pro-Kurdish) had clashed on the forecourt of the main train station,' Dusseldorf police said in a statement on Monday. During efforts to contain the violence, bottles and stones were thrown at officers, leaving five lightly injured. Police said they made several arrests and filed around 20 criminal charges for offenses including breach of the peace, dangerous bodily harm, and property damage. Participants from both demonstrations had crossed paths at Konrad-Adenauer-Platz in the city center Sunday afternoon. After an exchange of insults, violence broke out, the statement added. Police are aware of at least one injured civilian. According to the regional daily Rheinische Post, roughly 500 people had joined the pro-Kurdish demonstration, while about 200 took part in the pro-Syrian interim government rally. The Kurdish march was attacked by at least 50 people. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and police told the newspaper it is not yet confirmed whether the attackers were directly linked to the earlier Syrian demonstration, though 'a connection is possible.' According to Rudaw's reporter on the ground, the Kurdish rally was organized by Kurds from northeast Syria (Rojava) and southeast Turkey, though most participants were from Rojava. The demonstrators expressed solidarity with Syria's minorities, including Alawites, Christians, and the Druze, and called for an end to hate speech targeting Kurds in Syria and the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the de facto army in Rojava. Investigations are ongoing. The new authorities in Syria - who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December - have come under repeated criticism by minorities for neglecting their rights and steering the country towards Islamic rule. Recent sectarian clashes in the southern Druze-majority Suwayda province have left over 1,000 dead and displaced over 128,000. The fighting started last Sunday between Druze militants and the Sunni Muslim fighters. Damascus has been accused of siding with the Sunni tribes. Three ceasefires between the Druze community and the new government in Damascus have collapsed, and although the latest one - brokered by Washington - appears to be holding, it remains fragile.
