framework

U.S. and Iran edge toward framework as Geneva nuclear talks resume, but missile rift looms GENEVA — The United States and Iran could reach a framework agreement if Washington separates nuclear issues from other disputes, a senior Iranian official said, as a third round of indirect talks resumed in Geneva amid rising regional tensions and a U.S. military buildup. The official said “new ideas” surfaced in a three-hour session mediated by Oman between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — High-stakes talks at Villa Somalia between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and opposition leaders collapsed Sunday without agreement, laying bare deep divisions over the electoral model meant to guide Somalia’s next vote. The second round of discussions between the presidency and figures grouped under the Somali Future Council ended in deadlock after the sides failed to reconcile positions on core political questions tied to Somalia’s electoral framework, according to sources familiar with the talks. At…

NAIROBI — Kenya and Somalia signaled a renewed push to deepen their economic partnership beyond the traditional exchange of goods, using a Nairobi forum this week to elevate services, diaspora investment and regional integration under the East African Community as central pillars of future growth. Policymakers and business leaders from both countries gathered Feb. 12–13 for the second Somalia–Kenya & Diaspora Trade Week at BBS Mall in Eastleigh, a meeting that organizers said drew more small and medium-sized enterprises…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre met Saturday with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Justin Davis to deepen cooperation on Somalia’s security campaign and navigate a fraught political calendar, as the federal government presses constitutional changes and debates the framework for the 2026 elections. The meeting at Mogadishu’s Halane base camp covered the government’s military offensive against al-Shabaab and ISIS, along with efforts to stabilize newly recovered areas, according to a readout from the prime minister’s…

DAVOS, Switzerland — U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday backed away from threats to slap tariffs on European allies over Greenland, ruled out the use of force and said a framework was emerging for a long-term Arctic security and minerals deal that could defuse one of the sharpest transatlantic disputes in years. Trump said the United States and NATO partners had “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” and, based on that understanding, he would not impose…

Trump retreats from Greenland seizure threat, touts open-ended Arctic security deal and lifts tariff warnings DAVOS, Switzerland — President Donald Trump backed down from threats to seize Greenland by force from U.S. ally Denmark, announcing a vague security arrangement he said delivers “everything we wanted” and lifting promised tariffs on European partners that opposed the move. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Trump said the agreement was negotiated with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and would last “forever,”…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Monday overwhelmingly approved a national tobacco control framework, a landmark move aimed at curbing tobacco use and tackling what lawmakers and health officials describe as a growing public health threat. The House of the People backed the measure with 139 votes in favor, three abstentions and none against, signaling rare cross-party consensus on the need to rein in tobacco consumption and marketing across the country. Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, widely known…

MOGADISHU — Somalia and the United Nations on Wednesday signed a 2025 Implementation Guide, a strategic “Roadmap” to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict, marking a fresh milestone in the country’s effort to prevent grave violations and reinforce accountability across its security sector. The agreement was formalized in Mogadishu by Somalia’s defense minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi; the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Somalia, James Swan; and UNICEF Representative Sandra…

Jubaland's Minister of Information, Abdifatah Mohamed Mukhtar, didn't mince words when responding to recent allegations. Speaking to the BBC, Mukhtar stood his ground, "Our constitution grants us the freedom to hold our own elections," he asserted. "The Prime Minister's accusations stray from his past endorsements of Jubaland's electoral independence." The heart of this conflict highlights the persistent friction between Somalia's central government and its regional administrations. The federal government places a premium…

Somalia: Hassan Sheikh Reverses His Stance on Jubaland's Election Framework MOGADISHU, Somalia - A political showdown brews in the Horn of Africa nation as Jubaland's leader, Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe, turns his back on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's direct election vision. Instead, Jubaland is veering towards holding indirect elections. Recently, Madobe made a dramatic exit from Mogadishu, declaring that implementing nationwide voting rights would undoubtedly lead to extending presidential terms—a notion that, he…