Abdiwahab Ahmed

In one of the war’s few recurring acts of coordination, Moscow has returned the remains of 1,000 soldiers to Ukraine, according to a source in Russia's negotiating delegation, while Kyiv handed back the bodies of 41 dead Russian troops. The exchanges of war dead have continued even as the four-year conflict, unleashed by Russia's full-scale invasion, has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and left little room for cooperation elsewhere. Footage published by Russia's state-run Ruptly video agency showed men wearing white…

As the aftermath of Lebanon’s deadliest day of the war continued to unfold, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he wants direct negotiations with Beirut, raising the stakes just one day after bombardments killed more than 300 people and cast fresh doubt over Donald Trump’s US-Iran ceasefire. Mr Trump declared a ceasefire in the six-week Iran conflict late on Tuesday, only hours before a deadline after which he had warned he would wipe out Iran’s entire civilisation. In Pakistan, officials were making…

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…