Abdiwahab Ahmed

A 37-year-old Irish man identified by Spanish authorities as “one of the leaders” of the Hutch Organised Crime Group is set to fight efforts to send him back to Ireland, after appearing before a court in Lanzarote. Spanish police arrested the man yesterday under a European arrest warrant issued by the High Court in Dublin. Gardaí want him returned to Ireland, where he is sought to face criminal charges. He appeared by video link before a judge in Lanzarote this morning and was remanded in custody after refusing to consent to…

As strains inside NATO deepen over the Iran war, alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte has told several capitals that US President Donald Trump is seeking firm commitments within days to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, according to two European diplomats who spoke to Reuters. Mr Rutte held talks with Mr Trump in Washington on Wednesday as unease spread across the alliance over the conflict with Iran. "We note the frustration in Washington, but they did not consult allies either before or after starting this war," said one…

Lebanon endured one of its deadliest days of the war as Israeli strikes killed 182 people and wounded 890, according to an initial official toll, while Beirut came under its fiercest bombardment since fighting began between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel said Lebanon was not included in the Iran-US truce announced overnight. Live images broadcast by AFPTV showed thick plumes of smoke rising above Beirut, while AFP journalists reported scenes of panic in the streets and buildings collapsing onto residents without any prior…

A tense Middle East standoff deepened as US President Donald Trump said American military forces would stay in the region until a peace agreement with Iran is secured, while warning that any failure to comply could trigger a dramatic widening of the conflict. The prospect of further turmoil pushed oil prices higher as markets fretted over supply risks and continuing restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post, Mr Trump said US ships, aircraft and personnel — backed by extra ammunition and weapons — would…

Shipping companies are holding back from returning to the Strait of Hormuz, saying they need firmer assurances on the terms of the US-Iran ceasefire after Tehran said the vital waterway remains off-limits to vessels sailing without a permit. The six-week war all but choked off traffic through the strait, a narrow corridor that handles about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, sending energy prices sharply upward around the world. Iran said it would provide safe passage in coordination with its armed…

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Israel unleashed its most intense strikes yet on Lebanon, killing hundreds and provoking a threat of retaliation from Iran, which signaled it would be “unreasonable” to move ahead with talks aimed at securing a permanent peace deal with the United States. The remarks from Iran’s chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf, underscored how fragile the region remains even after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire. The United States and Iran have entered Saturday’s planned peace talks with sharply…

The ceasefire struck between the US and Iran has ended the fighting without delivering Israel’s core war aims, analysts say, prompting swift condemnation from Israeli opposition figures who cast the outcome as a serious strategic setback. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had framed the conflict around a central objective: eliminating, or at minimum sharply crippling, Iran’s nuclear programme, which he has long portrayed as an "existential threat" to Israel. He also said Israel sought to dismantle Iran’s ballistic…

Matthew Perry’s fatal overdose case reached a major turning point as Jayvee Sangha — the alleged drug supplier known as the “Ketamine Queen” — was sentenced in the US to 15 years in prison for her role in delivering the ketamine dose that killed the Friends actor. Sangha, 42, admitted she operated a “stash house” for illegal narcotics from her home in Los Angeles’ North Hollywood neighbourhood and pleaded guilty in September to five felony drug charges linked to Mr Perry’s 2023 death. Sangha, 42, who holds dual US and…

Greece will block children under 15 from accessing social media starting 1 January next year, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced today, unveiling what he described as a tough but necessary step. "We have decided to proceed with a difficult yet necessary measure: ban access to social media for children under 15 years old," he said in a video posted on TikTok. "Greece is one of the first countries in the world to adopt such a measure," the prime minister said, adding that he intends to press the European Union to…