Abdiwahab Ahmed

Oil prices pulled back after a dramatic surge to a four-year peak above $126 a barrel today, as traders weighed the risk that the US-Iran war could intensify into a longer conflict and choke Middle East supplies in a way that would threaten global economic growth. The rally gathered pace earlier after Axios, citing unidentified sources, reported overnight that US President Donald Trump was due to be briefed today on plans for a series of military strikes on Iran, an effort aimed at pressuring Tehran back into talks over its…

As King Charles continued his visit to the United States, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani injected a charged colonial-era dispute into the conversation, saying the British monarch should return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond to India. "If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond," Mr Mamdani, who is Indian American, said when asked at a press conference just hours before a ceremony honoring victims of the September 11 attacks. Mr Mamdani and the king later…

With oil markets on edge and diplomacy stalled, US President Donald Trump has been weighing how to cushion the fallout from a potential months-long US blockade of Iran's ports, according to a White House official, while pressing Tehran to “get smart soon” and agree to a deal. The discussion with US oil executives yesterday came after several days of impasse in efforts to end the conflict, which has prompted the United States to squeeze Iran’s oil exports through a naval blockade in an attempt to force Tehran to reopen the…

Moments before prosecutors say he tried to reach US President Donald Trump with a pump-action shotgun, the man at the centre of the case snapped a selfie inside his hotel room, documenting what authorities describe as a carefully staged attack. Cole Allen allegedly moved into action shortly after 8.30pm on Saturday, leaving his room at the Washington Hilton and heading toward the basement ballroom, where Mr Trump and other senior officials were attending a media gala dinner, according to prosecutors. The 31-year-old was…

President Donald Trump has revived pressure on Germany and its NATO partners, saying his administration is weighing a cut to the US military presence in Germany after accusing allies of failing to do more, including in efforts to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. "The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time," Mr Trump said on Truth Social. Earlier this month, a senior White House official told Reuters that Mr Trump…

A High Court judge has thrown out a claim by the estates of two former Jimi Hendrix bandmates, handing Sony Music Entertainment UK a victory in a long-running dispute over recordings by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Companies acting for the estates of bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell had sued Sony, arguing they held copyright and performers’ rights connected to about 40 studio recordings made by the band during the 1960s. Redding and Mitchell, both of whom died in the 2000s, joined Hendrix to form The Jimi…

President Donald Trump said his administration plans to make public as much information as possible about UFOs in the coming weeks, signaling a broader release of material tied to one of the government’s most closely watched mysteries. Trump made the remarks at the White House during a meeting with the crew of the Artemis II mission. "I think we're going to be releasing as much as we can in the near future," Mr Trump said. "We're going to be releasing a lot of things… that we haven't," he said. In February, he ordered US…

Sweden is moving to crack down on what officials describe as brazen online “murder adverts,” with the government proposing new rules that would force platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to remove gang-linked recruitment posts within an hour or risk steep financial penalties. Authorities say criminal networks in Sweden are making growing use of social media to enlist people to carry out killings and other violent crimes, as the phenomenon known as “crime as a service” continues to spread. Those targeted for recruitment are…

Ed Sheeran has told fans he has spent the past month battling shingles, describing the illness as something he “wouldn’t recommend” as he shared a personal update on social media. The 35-year-old pop star also revealed he has shaved his head, saying the change was meant to “signify a fresh start”. The singer, behind chart hits including Lego House and Thinking Out Loud, shared the update in an Instagram post on Tuesday. In a carousel of images posted to his 48.7 million followers, Sheeran offered a glimpse into his recent…

Europe is heating up faster than any other continent, according to the European State of the Climate Report for 2025, which describes a region being reshaped by accelerating change. Across the Mediterranean, the Alps and up to the Arctic Circle, the shifts are no longer faint, slow-moving or far off on the horizon. The fallout is rippling through Europe’s environment, its economy and the ecosystems that support both. Hotter air, warming seas, vanishing ice, parched soils and ecosystems under strain are sending unmistakable…