Abdiwahab Ahmed

After 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, the US and Iran have steered clear of the worst possible outcome: a complete collapse of peace negotiations. Only by the narrowest of margins, though. The two delegations were so divided that they walked out of the five-star Serena Hotel without even locking in another meeting — a modest benchmark that even hardened sceptics had assumed was within reach. Although Iran had all but signalled it might stay away, and the opening of the talks slipped behind schedule, there was early cause for…

Asha Bhosle, the iconic Indian playback singer whose voice became inseparable from Bollywood’s golden decades of the 1970s and 80s, has died in Mumbai at the age of 92, her family said. Bhosle, a two-time Grammy nominee, died at Breach Candy Hospital after being admitted with what doctors described as "extreme exhaustion" and a chest infection. "My mother passed away today (Sunday). Her last rites will be held tomorrow at Shivaji Park in Mumbai," her son Anand Bhosle told reporters. Across a career that stretched over seven…

Charges of truce-breaking flew from both Kyiv and Moscow over Orthodox Easter, with each side alleging thousands of violations as the war stretched into its fifth year. The two countries had agreed to a ceasefire for the religious holiday. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the pause on Thursday, more than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first proposed suspending hostilities. "As of 7:00 a.m. (5am Irish time) on 12 April, 2,299 ceasefire violations were recorded. Specifically: 28 enemy assault…

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." Oscar Wilde’s line is a reminder that setbacks can sharpen judgment as much as successes do. People test an idea, assess the outcome and, ideally, use what they learned to navigate the next challenge with greater care. For the most part, that has defined how Democrats have responded during the second Trump administration. Until this week, that approach included a notable hesitation to embrace demands to force Mr Trump from office. That caution may have reflected worries…

Eamonn Holmes is “doing okay given the circumstances” after suffering a stroke, with his eldest son Declan saying the family is still coming to terms with the sudden medical emergency. Declan Holmes said his father's health scare “came as a real shock” and thanked well-wishers for their support, adding: “It means a lot to us as a family.” GB News said on Saturday that Holmes, 66, had suffered a stroke last week and was recovering in hospital. In a statement issued on Sunday, his son said: “What happened came as a real shock,…

A marathon round of high-stakes diplomacy in Islamabad ended without a breakthrough, as US Vice President JD Vance said the American negotiating team was leaving Pakistan after 21 hours of talks without securing a deal with Iran. Vance blamed the impasse on what he described as gaps in the negotiations, saying Tehran had declined to accept US conditions, including a commitment not to build nuclear weapons. "The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad…

Veteran broadcaster Eamonn Holmes is recovering in hospital after suffering a stroke, GB News has confirmed. "Eamonn was taken ill last week and it was later confirmed he had suffered a stroke," a GB News spokesperson said. "He is currently responding well to treatment. "Eamonn has asked for privacy as he focuses on getting better. The 66-year-old presenter, who was born in Belfast, fronts GB News Breakfast alongside co-host Ellie Costello. GB News said Alex Armstrong will present the programme this week while Holmes…

Coachella roared to life in the California desert on Friday, drawing thousands of festivalgoers as pop star Sabrina Carpenter stepped into the headliner spotlight for one of the year’s most closely watched music events. The packed bill - also featuring headliners Justin Bieber and Colombia's Karol G - takes over Indio across two consecutive weekends, launching the US music festival season for 2026 in blockbuster fashion. Coachella 2026 - A stacked roster of artists is set to take the stage in Indio over two straight…

Rory McIlroy surged into uncharted territory at Augusta on Friday, turning a commanding position into a record-setting one and insisting he will stay locked on his own game as he chases back-to-back Masters titles. A dazzling 65, fueled by six birdies across his final seven holes, lifted the defending champion to 12 under par and gave him a six-shot lead at the halfway stage — the largest 36-hole advantage in Masters history. McIlroy still carries the memory, however faint now, of surrendering a four-shot lead on the final…

With oil markets rattled and the Strait of Hormuz still at the center of the crisis, US and Iranian negotiators met in Pakistan for their most senior talks in half a century, seeking a way to end a war that has already redrawn the region’s fault lines. At the same time, US President Donald Trump said American forces had sunk Tehran's mine-layers and begun reopening the strategic waterway. "We're now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favour to Countries all over the World," Mr Trump posted, saying…