The Stockholm stock exchange fell sharply at opening following the failure of Iran peace negotiations, with the broad index OMXSPI dropping 1.0% and the large-cap index OMXS30 falling 1.1%. Oil prices surged almost 8% to over $100 per barrel, trading at $101.50 early Monday morning. This volatility came as U.S. President Donald Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz took effect at 16:00 today, according to multiple reports. The combined economic shocks reflect heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and their immediate impact on global financial markets.
In San Francisco, a person tossed a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman before sunrise on Friday, according to statements from San Francisco police. The suspect, who allegedly threw the explosive at the home in the Russian Hill neighborhood around 3:43am, has been arrested but not identified. Police in the United States said the suspect targeted the property at about 4am local time, allegedly throwing an improvised incendiary device that ignited part of an exterior gate before fleeing the scene on foot. The unidentified man, 20, threw the fire bomb and set an exterior gate on fire, fleeing on foot shortly after 4am. No injuries were reported after the alleged attack, and Altman owns a $27 million Lombard Street mansion with a wellness center, infinity pool, and subterranean garage with a car turntable.
Police determined officers had probable cause to place a 20-year-old male under arrest. Authorities did not publicly identify the suspect or confirm the address where the attack took place. In a post on the social media platform X, the police department said that a residence in the North Beach neighbourhood was affected. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the incident took place at Altman’s residence. The suspect was ultimately located about an hour later near OpenAI’s headquarters, roughly 4.8 kilometres away, where he was allegedly threatening to set the building on fire. Police recognized the man as the same suspect from the incident at Altman's mansion and took him into custody, and charges were still pending as of Friday morning with the attack remaining under investigation.
Conflicting reports emerged about another possible incident at Altman's home. Two people were arrested after a suspected shooting outside OpenAI founder Sam Altman's home in San Francisco. The suspected shooting occurred just before 03:00 local time, and two people traveling in a car past Altman's home were arrested later. Police have not commented on whether shots were fired at Altman or his home, and it is unclear if anyone was injured. These reports suggest either two separate incidents or conflicting accounts of a single event, creating uncertainty about the nature and timing of the threats against Altman's residence.
This is the second incident at Altman's home in a short time; a man was arrested a few days ago for throwing a Molotov cocktail at the tech guru's house. Less than an hour later, police were called to OpenAI's headquarters after a man allegedly threatened to burn down the building. The incident comes amid heightened security concerns around OpenAI’s offices, which have faced threats and protests in recent months. Just last November, a man making violent threats to its San Francisco headquarters briefly prompted an office lockdown, indicating a pattern of security challenges for the company.
The individual is in custody, and we're assisting law enforcement with their investigation.
Sam Altman's home was attacked last week, and he blames concerns about AI and a review from The New Yorker, saying he has underestimated the power of words. Altman has not yet commented on the Molotov cocktail attack specifically. The company said it would increase police presence around its offices following the firebomb incident. OpenAI said it is cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation continues.
Altman and the company have increasingly become targets for activists who warn about the risks artificial intelligence could pose to society. Critics have also raised alarm over OpenAI’s decision to collaborate with the US Department of Defense, a move that has intensified scrutiny of the company’s role in military technology. Public sentiment towards AI remains mixed, with a recent NBC News poll finding that the technology is viewed even less favourably than US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal agency responsible for violent immigration raids under President Donald Trump. The Department of Defense alleges the AI developer could manipulate models in the middle of war, while company executives argue that’s impossible, highlighting fundamental disagreements about AI's military applications.
Despite the criticism, OpenAI’s growth has accelerated rapidly, with the company saying last month it was valued at $852bn following a major funding round that raised $122bn. Companies like OpenAI, however, face lingering questions about whether they can generate sufficient revenue to cover their high expenses. One of OpenAI’s signature products, ChatGPT, continues to dominate the consumer AI market, with more than 900 million weekly active users and about 50 million subscribers. The company also said usage of its search features has tripled over the past year, demonstrating its expanding influence despite security and ethical controversies.
In Stockholm, an action was carried out in connection with Iranian exile prince Reza Pahlavi's visit to the Swedish parliament, with dolls of Ebba Busch, Jimmie Åkesson, and Pahlavi hung in nooses at Sergelstorg. A sign above reads 'Mass murderers, executioners, and lackeys.' Pahlavi is the son of the last shah of Iran and is in Sweden at the invitation of the Sweden Democrats and Christian Democrats, making his visit a focal point for political protest against Iranian monarchy and its supporters.
The weekend election in Hungary strengthens the country's currency significantly, with the current level against the euro being the highest since April 2022. In Sunday's election, Péter Magyar's social conservative party Tisza gained a two-thirds majority, a so-called supermajority in parliament. Outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party Fidesz failed completely in the election. From a market perspective, the supermajority for Tisza is expected to further strengthen the country's currency as the party is anticipated to move closer to the EU, signaling a potential shift in Hungary's political and economic alignment.
Has underestimated the power of words.
German airline Lufthansa has had to cancel flights, including to and from the Nordics, due to a pilot strike over wage and pension disputes. The strike is expected to affect hundreds of flights over two days. For Sweden, departures to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich from Arlanda are canceled, and Copenhagen Airport Kastrup is also affected with canceled departures, disrupting travel across Northern Europe during a period of heightened economic uncertainty.
At least 1,639 people were executed in Iran last year, according to two human rights organizations. As Trump threatens Iranian infrastructure, the US government warns that Iran has carried out its own digital attacks against US critical infrastructure, creating a cycle of escalation that complicates diplomatic efforts and regional stability.
Agents from ICE are being deployed to over a dozen airports around the country, including New York, Atlanta, and Chicago. A WIRED analysis of DHS records identified dozens of specialized federal agents who used force against US civilians during the largest known deployment of its kind in US history. Nonprofits run out of US Border Patrol stations are also selling other 'operation'-themed coins that include a phrase popularized by the Proud Boys, potentially in violation of government rules. Federal immigration enforcement agents usually won't talk to the media—but they will talk to independent journalist Karl Loftus.
Messages sent to the FBI by an investigator with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension went ignored for at least two days, per records obtained by WIRED. The Quizlet flashcards, which WIRED found through basic Google searches, seem to include sensitive information about gate security at Customs and Border Protection locations, revealing vulnerabilities in border protection protocols.
In Seattle, activists inside tech giants are leaning into grassroots fundraising and peer support as petitions and protests draw little response from executives. Between pickup artists and juvenile pranksters, the wearable device is becoming associated with pests of all kinds, reflecting broader tensions about technology's social impact.
Several key questions remain unresolved about the attacks targeting Sam Altman. It was not immediately clear whether Altman was at home when the Molotov cocktail attack happened. Police have not indicated a possible motive behind the attack. The person allegedly made similar threats about OpenAI’s headquarters in the city, but the connection between these incidents and whether they represent coordinated actions or isolated events remains uncertain. Images taken of Altman's house after the incident showed multiple security cameras, and the unidentified man was caught by surveillance footage, with a photo first obtained by The San Francisco Standard, yet the identity of the suspect arrested for the Molotov cocktail attack has not been disclosed, leaving gaps in the public understanding of these security breaches.