talks

Iran and the United States will open talks in Oman as early as this week, with Washington signaling it will test the chances for progress on Iran’s nuclear program while refusing to rule out military action. Both capitals confirmed late Wednesday that delegations would meet in Muscat, the first such encounter since June, when the United States joined Israel’s war against Iran with strikes on nuclear sites. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are due to lead…

WASHINGTON — Ireland’s foreign minister defended the European Union’s Digital Services Act during a visit to the U.S. capital, arguing the online safety law protects consumers and children without undermining free speech, even as a House Judiciary Committee hearing questioned whether the framework infringes on Americans’ First Amendment rights. Helen McEntee, Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs, trade and defense, met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington as part of advance preparations for Ireland…

Russia said there had been “progress” in talks with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi as Kyiv accused Moscow of launching a “massive” overnight drone attack on railway infrastructure in the country’s north, underscoring the gulf between diplomatic messaging and battlefield realities nearly four years into the war. Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian negotiator, told state media that discussions in the United Arab Emirates were advancing. “There is definitely progress, things are moving forward in a good, positive direction,” he said on the second…

WASHINGTON — A U.S. fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, the Pentagon’s Central Command said, even as President Donald Trump said Washington is engaged in talks with Tehran to defuse tensions across the Gulf. U.S. Central Command said the drone, identified as a Shahed-139, “aggressively approached” the carrier and continued toward it despite measures taken by U.S. forces in international waters. CENTCOM said the jet acted in self-defense. The command did not…

Ukraine, Russia open Abu Dhabi talks as strikes batter energy grid ABU DHABI — Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were set to gather in the Emirati capital on Tuesday, seeking to advance talks on how to end the four-year war as a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks pounded Ukraine’s energy grid in subfreezing temperatures. The meeting, scheduled to run through Wednesday after a postponement last weekend over what the Kremlin called scheduling issues, comes amid grim omens for diplomacy. Europe’s…

Somalia pledges inclusive dialogue as Jubaland, Puntland State allege flight blocks ahead of election talks MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to preserving national unity and advancing an inclusive political dialogue, even as tensions rise with the Jubaland and Puntland State regional administrations over security arrangements before planned election talks. In a statement, the government said it remains fully committed to an open, broad and constructive consultative…

Standoff threatens Somalia’s election talks as UN calls for urgent dialogue MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s latest push to unlock political talks on elections hit a new snag Sunday after a security dispute grounded delegations from Puntland State and Jubaland, prompting the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) to urge swift, good-faith dialogue to keep negotiations on track. In a statement posted on social media, UNTMIS said preparatory teams from the two regional states were unable to reach…

Monday, Feb. 2, 2026 Mogadishu — The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia urged the federal government and regional leaders to prioritize dialogue on elections and other national issues after a security dispute prevented advance teams from Puntland State and Jubaland from arriving in the capital for a planned consultative forum. In a brief statement posted on social media, UNTMIS said it regretted that preparatory delegations from the two semi-autonomous regions were unable to reach Mogadishu because…

Zelensky announces Feb. 4–5 Abu Dhabi talks with U.S., Russian envoys as strikes hit Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday’s two-day talks among U.S., Russian and Ukrainian envoys will open in Abu Dhabi, describing the latest bid to halt the Ukraine war as Russian strikes again hit civilians and critical infrastructure. “The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set — February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi,” Zelensky wrote on X. “Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested…

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…