allies

A diplomatic dispute over control of key canal ports has prompted a show of support for Panama from across the Americas, with the US, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago backing the country's sovereignty and warning that China is trying to turn maritime trade into a political weapon while encroaching on the independence of governments in the hemisphere. "We are monitoring with vigilance China's targeted economic pressure and the recent actions that have affected Panama-flagged vessels," the…

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…

NAIROBI, Kenya — Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, widely known as Lafta-Gareen, has reappeared on the political stage in a conspicuous way, hosting a high-profile luncheon in Nairobi on Saturday nearly a month after stepping down as president of Somalia’s Southwest State. The gathering drew federal lawmakers, prominent politicians and longtime allies who stood by him through a bitter confrontation with the federal government at Villa Somalia. Among those present was Mohamed Mursal, the former Speaker of the House of the People, who…

Trump rebukes allies over Hormuz escorts as Iran strikes Gulf oil targets; oil prices rise Several European partners decline immediate naval deployments as Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed; strikes hit UAE, Israel and Iraq amid third week of US-Israel war with Iran Standfirst: President Donald Trump criticized some Western allies for hesitating to send warships to protect tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran launched drone and missile attacks across the region. Dubai’s main airport and energy facilities in the UAE…

Analysis: Macron’s nuclear bet redraws Europe’s security map — and tests its appetite for autonomy Emmanuel Macron stood before a hulking French ballistic-missile submarine in Brest and declared a new nuclear doctrine for Europe. In quieter times, the French leader’s vow to expand France’s arsenal, cease public warhead disclosures and extend a French “nuclear umbrella” over willing European partners would have sparked a week of front pages. Instead, with the United States and Israel waging war on Iran, the significance of…

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron warned Tuesday that the United States is “gradually turning away” from some of its allies and “breaking free from international rules,” delivering some of his sharpest public criticism yet of Washington’s posture under Donald Trump. Addressing France’s assembled ambassadors at the Élysée Palace, Macron said Europe must respond with unity and resolve as the global order frays, citing a spate of U.S. actions that have rattled longtime partners — from Washington’s seizure of Venezuela’s…

PARIS — Key Ukrainian allies are meeting in Paris to hammer out security guarantees for Kyiv and advance U.S.-brokered plans aimed at ending the war with Russia, with Washington’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner set to join the talks. The gathering, convened by France and the United Kingdom under the banner of the “Coalition of the Willing,” brings together representatives from 35 countries, including Ireland. The French presidency said the aim is to demonstrate alignment between Washington, Kyiv and European partners…

Thursday January 1, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government on Wednesday thanked its international partners for what it called steadfast support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity after Israel became the first nation to formally recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, a move that has drawn widespread condemnation. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said allied countries had shown “principled engagement and unwavering solidarity” at a critical moment for…

Thursday January 1, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia’s government on Wednesday thanked its international partners for what it called steadfast support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity after Israel became the first nation to formally recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, a move drawing swift condemnation across capitals. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised allied nations for “principled engagement and unwavering solidarity” at what it described as a critical…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet European allies in London as he faces pointed criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump over a proposed plan to end the war with Russia. The diplomatic push follows several days of talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Miami that ended without a breakthrough but with a pledge to keep negotiating. Zelensky will be received in London by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron for discussions focused…