agenda

Iran vowed to continue missile attacks and ruled out negotiations with the United States on Tuesday, minutes after President Donald Trump predicted the war would be “over very soon,” underscoring a widening gulf in messages as strikes rippled across the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed to oil tankers. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told PBS News the country is prepared to sustain its campaign “as long as necessary” and that talks with Washington are “no longer on the agenda.” Iran’s…

Somalia government-opposition talks stall over election agenda dispute MOGADISHU, Somalia — A high-level meeting between leaders of the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali Future Council was suspended on its second day after both sides failed to agree on which electoral issues should take priority, officials and participants said. The talks, convened to ease political tensions and set a clear path for Somalia’s next elections, broke down over the agenda itself. Government representatives pressed to advance their…

Erdogan heads to UAE, Ethiopia as Turkey presses Gaza cease-fire and backs Somalia’s unity Turkey sharpens Gulf trade push while asserting influence in the Horn of Africa amid tensions over North Western State of Somalia recognition Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 MOGADISHU — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit the United Arab Emirates on Monday before traveling to Ethiopia on Tuesday, with Gaza and Somalia’s territorial integrity expected to anchor a two-stop tour aimed at entwining economic outreach with…

President Cyril Ramaphosa used his 2026 State of the Nation Address to present a cautiously optimistic picture of South Africa’s economy and to announce a series of urgent security and infrastructure measures, saying the country is “stronger than a year ago” after four consecutive quarters of GDP growth, two primary budget surpluses and the end of load‑shedding. Major executive moves included authorising the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to tackle rising gang violence in the Western Cape and…

Former Somali premiers warn reforms timetable is unrealistic, urge consensus on elections MOGADISHU — Two former Somali prime ministers sharply criticized the federal government’s push to complete sweeping constitutional and political changes before the current term ends, warning that the roughly three months remaining are insufficient and risk deepening instability. Speaking at an event in Mogadishu on Wednesday, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said the administration’s reform agenda — including a constitutional…

Egypt takes helm of AU Peace and Security Council, puts Sudan and Somalia atop agenda CAIRO — Egypt on Sunday assumed the rotating presidency of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, pledging to focus its one-month term on the crises in Sudan and Somalia while advancing a broader agenda linking peace, security and governance across the continent. The presidency, which began Feb. 1, comes amid what Cairo described as escalating and overlapping challenges in Africa — from protracted armed conflicts and fragile…

Donald Trump’s Greenland fixation has never been about maps or minerals. It is about possession — a muscular assertion of power for its own sake — and it now threatens to turn a long‑standing alliance into collateral damage. In a three-hour interview with the New York Times on Wednesday, the former president did what he so often claims to do: say the quiet part out loud. Asked why he wants to take over Greenland, he was disarmingly blunt. “Ownership is very important,” he said. Pressed on whether the world’s most powerful…

DOHA — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday presided over a high-level session on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, using the global platform to press for tighter coordination of international support behind Somalia’s state-building agenda. In a detailed briefing, Mohamud outlined the government’s push to stabilize the country and reform public institutions while waging a multi-front campaign against international terrorist groups. He said Somalia is countering the threat militarily, economically and…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development on Thursday convened a high-level session of the National Development Council (NDC), bringing together federal and state planning leaders to align priorities behind the country’s new National Transformation Plan (NTP 2025–2029). The Mogadishu meeting advanced a unified national planning agenda by focusing on accelerated NTP implementation, tighter federal–state coordination, strengthened drought-response mechanisms and the rollout of a single…

A Glimpse of the National Dialogue Commission Gathering in Ethiopia's Somali Region (Photo: public domain) On Sunday, the National Dialogue Commission embarked on a pivotal gathering in Ethiopia's Somali region, as detailed by BBC Amharic. A myriad of issues came under the spotlight during this session—everything from the structural composition of the government and possible constitutional revisions to the symbolism of the country's flag. Language officialdom and the interpretation of Ethiopia’s rich history were also up…