Envoy

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said he held “productive and constructive” talks Friday in Florida with Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev, a meeting that comes on the eve of a new round of Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi backed by Washington. “Today in Florida, the Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev held productive and constructive meetings as part of the U.S. mediation effort toward advancing a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict,” Witkoff posted on X, adding, “We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is…

U.N. official warns U.S. threats add ‘volatility’ as Iran protests persist; New Zealand shuts Tehran embassy A senior U.N. official warned Thursday that public threats of military action against Iran — including remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump — are intensifying an already combustible crisis as nationwide protests test the Islamic Republic and foreign governments reassess their footprint in the country. “We note with alarm various public statements suggesting possible military strikes on Iran. This external dimension…

You are an elite, award-winning international journalist and a meticulous senior editor. Your job is to transform raw source material into a publish-ready article that meets the highest AP-standard editorial and technical requirements. PHASE 1 — ANALYSIS AND FORMAT DECISION Read the source text thoroughly. Identify the core themes, dominant purpose, crucial facts, data points, and human or structural angles. Based solely on this analysis, select exactly one article format from the list below. Always choose Football…

China’s top diplomat heads to key strategic points in Africa BEIJING — China’s top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa on Wednesday with a focus on the strategically vital east, as the world’s No. 2 economy moves to reinforce its influence along key trade corridors and showcase its market access offers to poorer nations. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Lesotho, a circuit that touches the Red Sea gateway, mineral supply lines and countries targeted by Beijing’s recent…

Elon Musk urges arrest of Somalia’s UN ambassador over alleged Medicaid fraud NEW YORK — SpaceX founder and X owner Elon Musk called for the arrest of Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abukar Dahir Osman, after social media allegations linked the diplomat to past U.S. Medicaid fraud, according to reports from APA News and Axadle. Musk posted “Arrest him” on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to claims that Osman once owned a healthcare firm financed by U.S. taxpayers that was found guilty of…

Miami — U.S., European and Ukrainian officials wrapped three days of talks in Florida aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine with what Washington called “productive” progress toward a common position and a path to formal security guarantees for Kyiv. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said the Miami discussions were focused on aligning the parties around a U.S.-drafted, 20-point plan for ending the conflict and on mapping “timelines” and “sequencing of next steps.” The sessions are part of an accelerated push by President…

Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting probed as terror attack; Israel’s envoy urges protection for Jewish Australians SYDNEY — Dozens queued along Sydney’s Bondi Beach to lay flowers and light candles for the victims of the weekend’s Hanukkah festival shooting, as Australia opened a terrorism investigation and Israel’s ambassador called for stronger protection of the country’s Jewish community. Police said 16 people were dead, including one of the alleged gunmen, after two attackers opened fire on Sunday in Australia’s worst mass…

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 GAROWE, Somalia — A Puntland State-appointed committee investigating the death of traditional elder Omar Abdillahi Abdi concluded that he was the sole casualty of a U.S. airstrike near Ceel Buh on Sept. 13, contradicting U.S. Africa Command’s assertion that the operation did not harm civilians. The committee’s report, compiled from Puntland State security agencies and witness testimonies, said Omar — widely known as Chief Omar — left Ceel Buh in the Sanaag region on Sept. 13 bound for Badhan district…

Trump backs off Ukraine peace deadline as US envoy heads to Moscow amid reports of coaching Russians WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday withdrew a firm Thanksgiving deadline for Ukraine to accept a U.S.-backed peace framework and defended the administration’s negotiators after reports the lead envoy advised Russian officials how to press the proposal. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Florida, Trump said U.S. negotiators were making progress with both sides and that Moscow had agreed to “some…

Somalia's Cry for Gaza: A Diplomatic Call to Conscience at the UN In the storied halls of the United Nations, where history is often recorded in resonant speeches and urgent pleas, Somalia's ambassador, Abukar Osman Baale, delivered a message that pierced through the routine deliberations. His words reached out across cultures and continents, sounding an alarm over the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. "What we are witnessing is not security. It is collective punishment, and it is genocide," Baale proclaimed, his…