A nine-day conference is under way in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, where an 825-member assembly is expected to ratify a new constitution. The Constituent Assembly began its meeting yesterday, after it was postponed three times this month. The assembly includes a broad range of regional delegates who will discuss and possibly amend a draft measure. They are also likely to provisionally adopt the constitution. Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said the gathering marks a historic moment for the country.