Category World News

United States President Donald Trump will undertake a three-day tour of the Gulf for his first state visit since retaking office in January.

The trip begins in Saudi Arabia, followed by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

It marks Trump’s second foreign visit as president after he attended Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome in April.

Here is what to know about the trip and what is on the agenda:

When and where is Trump visiting?

Trump will fly out of the US on Monday and start his trip in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday.

He is expected to attend a Gulf summit in the city on Wednesday, visit Qatar later that day and conclude his visit in the UAE on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia was the first country Trump visited during his first term as well, breaking the tradition of US presidents starting with the United Kingdom, Canada or Mexico.

What is on Trump’s agenda?

His objectives are securing major economic deals and making diplomatic progress on issues that impact the region, including a Gaza ceasefire and stalled Saudi-Israel normalisation talks.

The focus on economic deals comes as the US recorded a drop in its economic output in the first quarter, its first in three years.

On Wednesday, Trump said he will also decide during his trip how the US refers to the “Persian Gulf”.

US media reported that he may decide to refer to the body of water as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia.

Saudi Arabia: Normalisation, business deals and weapons

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the president wants to expand the Abraham Accords, under which the UAE and Bahrain recognised Israel during Trump’s first term, to include Saudi Arabia.

Talks were reportedly under way on Saudi Arabia joining the accords, but after Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) paused those discussions.

Saudi officials have said they won’t move forward unless there is real progress towards a two-state solution for Palestine, leading to speculation that Trump may propose a US-backed framework to end the war and revive normalisation efforts during this visit.

In a shift from past US policy, the Trump administration has uncoupled discussions on a Saudi nuclear agreement and normalisation with Israel, which US President Joe Biden’s administration had held as a condition for nuclear cooperation.

Riyadh wants US help building a civilian nuclear programme, which Israel has raised concerns about and had wanted it tied to normalisation.

Trump’s main focus will be economic partnerships as he meets with MBS and attends a Saudi-US investment forum. He wants to secure a $1 trillion Saudi investment in US industries, expanding on a $600bn pledge made by the crown prince earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia is also expected to announce more than $100bn in US arms purchases, including missiles, radar systems and transport aircraft.

Other key issues include reviving a scaled-down US-Saudi defence pact.

UAE: Investment in the US and cooperation on tech goals

In the UAE, Trump is to meet with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss investment opportunities in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing.

In March, the UAE announced a $1.4 trillion investment plan for those sectors in the US over the next decade.

Meanwhile, Trump is expected to lift Biden-era export restrictions on advanced technology as the UAE seeks US microchips and artificial intelligence technology to support its goal of becoming a global AI leader by 2031.

Qatar: Military cooperation, regional security and Syria

In Qatar, where the largest US military base in the Middle East is located, Trump’s agenda includes meetings with the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss military cooperation and regional security.

Doha, which has close ties with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, may also seek Trump’s support in easing sanctions on Syria.

As a key partner in regional mediation, Qatar is also expected to discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts with Trump.

Why is Israel not on the itinerary?

Trump’s decision to skip Israel during this tour comes amid heightened tensions in Gaza, where Israel’s military has intensified its operations after breaking a ceasefire on March 18.

“Nothing good can come out of a visit to Israel at the moment,” a US official told the Axios news website.

Since it broke the ceasefire, Israel has continued extensive air strikes on Gaza while voicing concerns over what it sees as a decline in US support.

Recent reports from US and Israeli media also suggest growing tensions between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the Trump administration signals it may act independently on Middle East policy without waiting for the Israeli leader.

Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg told Al Jazeera: “At the moment, Israel is at odds with [Trump’s] overall goal, promising continuous fire.

“I think the mistrust between Trump and Netanyahu has been quite extensive for some time.”

How are countries responding to this visit?

In the lead-up to Trump’s visit, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE pledged significant investments in the US, signalling an interest in deepening economic ties.

However, Trump’s trip also follows resistance in the region over his proposal for the US to redevelop Gaza and relocate its residents to other Arab countries.

Police bodycam footage shows Newark Mayor Ras Baraka being arrested outside a detention centre in New Jersey, during a protest about US immigration. Officials claim he trespassed, but Baraka and witnesses say he complied with orders.

People in Pakistan and India have been celebrating a ceasefire after the most serious fighting between the nuclear-armed nations for decades. Life is slowly returning to normal in border regions as tensions linger.

The opening arguments in the high-profile criminal trial of rapper and music mogul Sean Combs, better known by his nickname Diddy, are set to begin on Monday in Manhattan, New York.

The three-time Grammy winner has been in federal custody since September on charges including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting to engage in prostitution. His trial officially began on May 5.

The multimillionaire American record producer and founder of Bad Boy Records has been accused of using his fame and money to abuse women over the course of 20 years.

The 55-year-old rap star has pleaded not guilty to all charges. But if he is found guilty on all counts, he could face a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to a life term.

Here is everything you need to know about his trial:

What can we expect on Monday?

On Monday, the jury of 12 jurors and six alternates is expected to be finalised, paving the way for opening statements by the government and then the defence.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian will preside over the trial.

Over the course of a two-month trial, jurors are expected to hear testimony from three and possibly four of the rapper’s female accusers, as well as his former employees who prosecutors say helped arrange and cover up his actions.

What are the charges against Combs?

A five-count indictment against the Hip-Hop artist has accused him of sex trafficking, racketeering and transporting individuals for the purpose of prostitution. The indictment also makes claims of sexual assault, physical violence, kidnapping, forced labour, bribery, obstruction of justice and arson against Combs.

He “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals”, the indictment said.

This involved years of carrying out threatening and coercive behaviour towards women “to fulfil his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct”, it added.

Over two decades, Combs used violence and threats to force women to take part in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers known as “Freak Offs”, according to the indictment.

Combs would often watch the performances, masturbate and film them, sometimes using the recordings as blackmail to ensure his alleged victims did not report his abuse, prosecutors say.

In one 2016 incident that was captured on hotel surveillance footage that prosecutors plan to show the jury, Combs was seen kicking and dragging a woman as she was trying to leave a “Freak Off”, prosecutors say.

CNN last year broadcast footage that appeared to show Combs attacking his former girlfriend, the rhythm and blues singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, in 2016 in a Los Angeles hotel hallway. Combs apologised after the video aired.

Who is going to testify?

Ventura is likely to testify as a key witness for the prosecution.

She sued Combs in November 2023, saying he abused her for years, also involving allegations of rape. However, the lawsuit was settled the next day, with the terms of the settlement remaining undisclosed.

But it triggered a law enforcement investigation and was followed by dozens of lawsuits from people making similar claims.

Three other alleged victims, all women and only known to the public by pseudonyms, are also set to testify, as well as former business associates and law enforcement officers.

What evidence has been presented so far?

A central part of the prosecution’s case rests on the 2016 leaked video showing Combs beating Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway.

The video, released by US media outlet CNN in May 2024, was widely circulated on other news platforms and social media sites.

While Combs’s lawyers have argued the video should not be presented in court, Judge Subramanian said he would allow it.

“The defence can’t show the footage is inadmissible,” he said in a ruling in late April. “There’s no unfair prejudice to Mr. Combs.”

Moreover, in March 2024, his homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal authorities and dozens of electronic devices were recovered.

During a hearing in October, one of the prosecutors, Emily Johnson, said 96 electronic devices had been seized in March. Eight of those contained some 90 terabytes of data, which Johnson labelled as “extraordinary”.

What is the defence saying?

Combs has repeatedly denied the allegations.

His lawyers are expected to argue that the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual, and say there is nothing illegal about a “swingers” lifestyle in which Combs and his girlfriends occasionally brought a third person into their relationships.

Their strategy at trial will hinge on undermining the credibility of the women who testify against Combs, including by arguing they were motivated by money to accuse him of wrongdoing and have unreliable memories.

Marc Agnifilo, his lawyer, has asserted the indictment was an “unjust prosecution” of his client and that Combs was not a “criminal”.

Agnifilo has said the 2016 hotel incident depicted the aftermath of a dispute over infidelity and was not evidence of sex trafficking.

In a court hearing on Friday, Agnifilo said Ventura had a history of domestic violence, undercutting prosecutors’ argument that she was a victim.

Ventura’s lawyer declined to comment.

Where is Combs right now?

The Bad Boy Records founder has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, without bail since his arrest in September.

He has been denied bail three times, with Judge Subramanian saying there was a “serious risk” of witness tampering.

What sentence does Combs face if convicted?

Combs could face up to life in prison if the jury convicts him on the racketeering charge.

If convicted on the sex trafficking charge, he would have to serve a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and a maximum of 10 years in prison if found guilty on the charges of transporting to engage in prostitution.