Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — With his term set to expire in less than two weeks, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called members of the Somali Future Council to a high-level meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, 2026, as political friction deepens over the country’s next steps. In a statement released Saturday, the presidency said the invitation came after the president consulted with a range of social groups in recent days. The planned gathering is expected to examine major national issues, among them Somalia’s…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called the Somali Future Council to a meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, according to a statement released by the presidency on Saturday. The invitation comes after several weeks of consultations between the president and different sectors of Somali society, and the proposed session is expected to tackle some of the country’s most pressing political questions. In the statement, the presidency said the discussions will focus on speeding up state-building efforts,…

Thursday April 30, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia on Wednesday brought together intelligence chiefs from East African Community member states for a two-day conference in Mogadishu aimed at deepening cooperation and confronting shared security threats across the region. The April 29–30 gathering was opened by Somali National Army Commander Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud, who underscored the need for tightly coordinated intelligence work in the face of shifting and interconnected challenges. Participants are reviewing the regional…

With oil markets on edge and diplomacy stalled, US President Donald Trump has been weighing how to cushion the fallout from a potential months-long US blockade of Iran's ports, according to a White House official, while pressing Tehran to “get smart soon” and agree to a deal. The discussion with US oil executives yesterday came after several days of impasse in efforts to end the conflict, which has prompted the United States to squeeze Iran’s oil exports through a naval blockade in an attempt to force Tehran to reopen the…

As diplomacy faltered and tensions in the Gulf remained high, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Russia on Monday blaming the United States for the collapse of peace talks in Pakistan ahead of a planned meeting with President Vladimir Putin. The previous round of negotiations had made progress but ultimately failed because of “excessive demands” from Washington, Mr Araghchi said, according to Iranian state media. “The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach…

Shuttling between regional capitals in a last-ditch diplomatic push, Iran's foreign minister returned to Islamabad on Sunday as mediators tried to prevent peace contacts between Tehran and the United States from collapsing altogether. After departing Pakistan, Abbas Araghchi travelled on to Muscat in Oman and is due in Moscow on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, though there was still no sign that direct negotiations between Iran and the US were about to restart. On Saturday, US President Donald Trump…

Sunday April 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali met with his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, in Muscat on Saturday for talks aimed at broadening bilateral ties and deepening cooperation in several priority areas. The discussions, held at the Omani Foreign Ministry headquarters, came during Abdisalam’s official visit to Oman and centered on shared interests spanning diplomacy, development and regional security. The two ministers also reviewed developments in the Horn…

A fresh diplomatic push is taking shape as US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner prepare to fly to Pakistan tomorrow morning for talks involving Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News this evening. "I can confirm Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks ... with representatives from the Iranian delegation," Ms Leavitt said. Vice President JD Vance is not expected to…

Iran has released dramatic footage of commandos boarding a massive cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring its tightening hold on the strategic passage after peace talks broke down. Washington had pinned hopes on the negotiations to reopen what is widely regarded as the world's most vital shipping route. On Iranian state television, masked forces were shown racing up to the MSC Francesca in a speedboat, scaling a rope ladder to a hull door and leaping inside with rifles in hand. The video, set to an…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is quietly preparing to push elections ahead in three allied regional states before opening broader talks on Somalia’s federal vote, according to sources close to his political circle. During a private meeting earlier this week with three of his main political allies, the president reportedly laid out a plan to first lock in leadership in Galmudug, Hirshabeelle, and Southwest State. Sources said it was the second time in recent weeks that Mohamud has advanced the same…