Suicide bombing at Kabal Police Station kills 14, injures 20 in Swat

Iran has dismissed reports of ongoing negotiations with the United States, saying there are currently no direct talks between the two countries, while confirming that discussions with Oman are focused solely on establishing a temporary maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the consultations with Oman are aimed at ensuring safe navigation in the strategic waterway and should not be interpreted as an agreement to fully reopen the strait. He maintained that the security situation in the region remains unchanged and insisted that any broader decision regarding the Strait of Hormuz would depend on regional developments. Baghaei also said there are no plans for Iranian or American delegations to meet in the coming days, rejecting speculation that formal negotiations are currently underway. His remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington expected to begin talks with Iran and suggested that diplomatic efforts had prompted him to cancel a planned military operation. Trump said discussions involving Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iran had encouraged the United States to pursue diplomacy instead of military action. The US president said he preferred reaching a negotiated settlement but warned that military options remained available if diplomacy failed. He expressed hope that an agreement could eventually address both navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme. Meanwhile, regional tensions remain high despite renewed diplomatic efforts. Reports emerged that an explosion occurred near a commercial tanker off the coast of Oman. Maritime authorities said the vessel and its crew were safe, while an investigation into the incident is underway. In another development, Iraq’s state oil marketing company reportedly offered significant discounts on Basrah crude exports to encourage buyers to lift cargoes from facilities inside the Strait of Hormuz, reflecting continuing uncertainty in regional energy markets. Iran also announced the execution of two men convicted of spying for Israel’s intelligence agency, saying they had provided sensitive military information to foreign operatives. The uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continues to affect global energy markets. The waterway handles a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, making any disruption a major concern for international trade and energy security.

Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan has been extradited from Dubai back to Ireland, marking the end of a ten-year stretch abroad that began after an armed assault on his life. The 49-year-old landed at Casement Aerodrome in Dublin under tight security protocols, arriving on an official Irish government aircraft. Kinahan is scheduled to present himself at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin, where he will face charges of commanding an organised crime syndicate before being remanded to Portlaoise Prison. Law enforcement agencies contend that Kinahan holds a high-ranking position within the Kinahan crime syndicate, an enterprise tied to global narcotics trafficking, illegal arms dealing, and further criminal operations. Kinahan has not been convicted of these specific offences. Speaking on a podcast hosted by James English prior to his surrender, Kinahan voiced an expectation that he would face significant jail time. ‘I think I’ve already got life in prison. And we have to go through the dance now,’ he remarked. Whilst conceding that he had ‘not been an angel’, Kinahan asserted that the claims made against him were exaggerated, adding: ‘I believe in a way I’m a scapegoat.’ His departure from Ireland occurred after a targeted assassination attempt at a boxing weigh-in inside Dublin’s Regency Hotel back in February 2016. He subsequently established residency in Dubai, where local authorities apprehended him in April. The legal transfer was enabled after Ireland and the United Arab Emirates ratified an extradition agreement in May 2025. Emirati courts dismissed Kinahan’s final legal challenge against the transfer last month, paving the way for his custody transfer to Irish officials.

At least 44 people have died after an severely overcrowded passenger ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, according to updated statements from national police authorities. The vessel, which had a maximum rated capacity of 90 individuals, was carrying at least 114 adult passengers, five crew members, and an unrecorded number of children under ticketing age when it encountered severe waves. A surviving crew member reported that up to 153 passengers may have been aboard when the boat began taking on water roughly 30 minutes after departing the port town of Kariba. Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit deployed a specialized aquatic rescue team and helicopters to locate dozens of individuals who remain unaccounted for. While initial emergency reports placed the confirmed death toll at 15, police retrieved additional bodies from the water throughout Wednesday afternoon, raising the official fatality count significantly. Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake by volume, serves as a crucial transit route for rural communities traveling between mainland settlements, fishing camps, and islands. Local officials and disaster management agencies have recommended that the incident be formally declared a national disaster as search and recovery operations continue.