Abdiwahab Ahmed

Hungary is moving swiftly toward a political handover after Peter Magyar’s sweeping election win ended Viktor Orban’s 16-year grip on power, with the country’s new parliament expected to meet in early May to formally choose its next prime minister. Mr Magyar, who decisively defeated Orban in Sunday’s vote, said lawmakers could gather as soon as 4 May or around 6-7 May after he met President Tamas Sulyok to discuss the timetable. He also urged the president, seen as an Orban ally, to step down as part of what he cast as a…

A late-night fire at Viva Energy Group's Geelong refinery in southern Australia has triggered an emergency response, with local authorities describing the incident as "significant" as crews work to bring the blaze under control. The full scale of the damage was not immediately known. Fire Rescue Victoria said in a statement that the fire was reported at about 11 p.m. local time today. The agency said the blaze was still not under control, but confirmed that all staff had been accounted for. Emergency crews were sent to the…

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte opened a meeting of Ukraine’s main backers in Berlin with a stark warning: allies must not let attention drift from the war and should raise their support for Kyiv to $60 billion in 2026. The appeal came as defence ministers from countries including Germany and Britain gathered with the conflict against Russia now entering its fifth year. "We have to ensure that we are capable of delivering uninterrupted support for Ukraine," Mr Rutte said. "We cannot lose sight of Ukraine." In recent weeks,…

Maine lawmakers have backed a pause on new large data centres, putting the state on track to become the first in the US to slow construction tied to the intensifying AI boom. The measure cleared both the state house and senate and now heads to Democratic Governor Janet Mills, according to the bill’s sponsor, Representative Melanie Sachs. It will take effect unless Ms Mills decides to veto it. "This bill positions Maine to respond deliberately and responsibly to a rapidly evolving industry," said Ms Sachs. The rise of…

With energy costs climbing again, Europe is being urged not to repeat the expensive policy mistakes made during the 2022 crisis. European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said governments should make sure any support for households and businesses is tightly targeted and comes with a clear end-date. Speaking at the International Monetary Fund, Mr Dombrovskis said efforts to blunt the impact of rising prices linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, following the US-Israeli war on Iran, must not end up encouraging…

The US military said it had brought Iran’s seaborne trade to a standstill, even as President Donald Trump signaled that diplomacy with Tehran could restart as soon as this week to try to end the war. Mr Trump said US and Iranian officials could be back at the table in Pakistan within the next two days, while Vice President JD Vance, who led weekend negotiations that failed to produce a breakthrough, said he remained encouraged by the current state of play. "I think you're going to be watching an amazing two days ahead," Mr…

Even before officials convened in Washington, the fault lines over Israel-Lebanon talks were already on display in Beirut, where opposition to the meeting had spilled into the streets. Demonstrators have gathered in the Lebanese capital in recent days, making their objections unmistakable - and impossible to ignore. For many in the city, the idea of direct engagement with Israel amounts to betrayal, all the more so because the talks have stirred speculation about possible "normalisation" between the two states. Hezbollah…

A fresh US military move at Iran’s ports is set to squeeze global oil supplies, threatening to keep roughly two million barrels a day of Iranian crude off the market and raising the stakes for energy traders already on edge. Below is a closer look at the blockade and what it could mean for oil flows worldwide. What was announced? After weekend peace talks in Islamabad between negotiators from the US and Iran ended without an agreement, President Donald Trump said the US Navy “will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all…

Fresh hopes for diplomacy emerged on Monday as the United States and Iran appeared poised to return to Islamabad for another round of talks aimed at ending the war, sources told Reuters, even after weekend negotiations collapsed and Washington responded by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran denounced the US move in fierce terms, but the prospect that back-channel efforts were still alive helped steady oil markets, sending benchmark crude back below $100 a barrel. The weekend meeting in Pakistan's capital — the…

A widening feud between US President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV has erupted into a deeply unusual political and spiritual clash, one that could carry real consequences for the Republican leader as November’s pivotal US mid-term elections draw closer. Mr Trump has come under fire, including from some of his own allies, after lashing out at the US-born pontiff, who has condemned the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, its intervention in Venezuela and the Iran war. The dispute threatens to unsettle the religious…