Confusion deepened around US-Iran diplomacy after President Donald Trump insisted negotiations were still moving ahead, even as an Iranian state-linked report said Tehran had put indirect talks with Washington on hold. "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post. Earlier, Iran's state news agency Tasnim reported that Tehran was suspending indirect negotiations with the US after Israel ordered its forces to advance further ‌into Lebanon. Speaking by…

Monday June 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s widening political standoff drew fresh international concern Monday, as key partners pressed the federal government and opposition leaders to return to talks and settle on an election roadmap without delay. In a joint statement released June 1, the United Kingdom, the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, the European Union, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway said Somali leaders must place the national interest above partisan divisions at a sensitive moment for…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is set to head to Dhusamareeb, the seat of Galmudug state, as tensions intensify between regional President Ahmed Abdi Karie (Qoorqoor) and the federal government in Villa Somalia. People familiar with the plan said Barre’s trip is intended to help bridge the widening political divide and push both sides toward a settlement in Galmudug. Over the past several days, the prime minister has held a string of consultations in Mogadishu aimed at easing the standoff,…

Wednesday May 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s political standoff has entered another waiting period, but mediators say the effort to bring the federal government and opposition back to the table is still alive. On Tuesday, traditional elders involved in the process met with leaders of the Somali Future Council, saying the talks have been slowed by logistical and procedural hurdles rather than derailed. Garaad Jamac Garaad Ali, who is part of the mediation team, said the main setback has been the incomplete formation of…

The United States will secure either a satisfactory agreement with Iran or confront Tehran “another way,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, as Washington sought to temper expectations of any immediate breakthrough in the three-month-old war. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr Rubio said the US would allow diplomacy every opportunity to work before turning to what he called “alternatives,” after President Donald Trump said yesterday that he had instructed his team not to hurry into an agreement with Iran. Rubio said…

Friday May 22, 2026 Ankara (AX) — Somalia and Turkey moved to deepen their partnership on rebuilding roads, expanding housing and strengthening urban development on Thursday, as Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing Minister Ayub Ismail Yusuf held talks in Ankara with Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu. The meeting took place at Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and brought together senior officials, engineers and technical advisers from both countries. The…

Thursday May 21, 2026 Garowe (AX) — In a meeting that underscored both security concerns and Somalia’s unsettled politics, a U.S. delegation headed by acting Ambassador to Somalia Justin Davis met Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni in Garowe on Wednesday to discuss cooperation against ISIS and the country’s broader political transition. According to a statement from the Puntland State presidency, the delegation included officials from U.S. Africa Command, among them Col. Shane Jones. Puntland State Vice President…

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Wednesday hosted a senior United States delegation in Garowe for talks centered on Somalia’s political transition, security cooperation, and investment prospects in the northeastern federal state, officials said. The delegation was headed by Justin Davis and included U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) officers, among them Col. Shane Jones, who commands U.S. special operations activities in Africa, according to a statement from the Puntland State presidency. Deni,…

Facing mounting pressure over a war that has rattled global oil markets, US President ⁠Donald Trump said he has halted a planned strike on Iran to leave room for negotiations, after Tehran delivered a fresh peace proposal to Washington. Mr Trump said he had ordered the US military to stand down for now, writing that "we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an…

MOGADISHU, May 18, 2026 – Somalia’s long-running electoral dispute took on fresh urgency on Monday as international partners opened virtual crisis talks with the opposition alliance and influential regional leaders, diplomatic sources said, in a bid to pull the country back from a deepening political impasse. The online session brought foreign diplomats face to face with the Future Council, a major coalition of opposition-aligned political figures, as well as Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland…