military

Europe’s leaders condemned U.S. President Donald Trump after he questioned the value of NATO allies and floated military options over Greenland, a one-two punch that further rattled the transatlantic alliance and revived legal and sovereignty concerns from Brussels to Copenhagen. In an interview Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, Trump downplayed allied sacrifices in Afghanistan and cast doubt on whether NATO partners would aid Washington if needed. “We’ve never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them,” he told…

Nigerian Military Officers to Stand Trial for Alleged Coup Plot A group of Nigerian military officers is set to face a military court following accusations of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu's government in 2025. Sixteen officers were arrested in October 2025, sparking what has been described as "acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations." Authorities later confirmed that several of these officers would indeed be tried, despite initial denials of a coup attempt. Among those arrested, fourteen…

Al-Shabaab attacks Jubaland base in Kuday; outcome disputed KISMAYO, Somalia — Al-Shabaab fighters launched a pre-dawn assault Wednesday on a Jubaland security forces base in Kuday, a strategic coastal area in Lower Jubba about 60 kilometers south of the port city of Kismayo, according to local sources. Residents said the attack began with explosions that were followed by direct clashes between government soldiers and the militants around the base on Kuday island. The scale of the fighting and the extent of damage remained…

Saudi Arabia in Talks With Egypt, Somalia on Military Coalition RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is finalizing an agreement with Somalia and Egypt on a new military coalition aimed at tightening Red Sea security and curbing the United Arab Emirates’ regional influence, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia soon to complete the deal, the people said. The pact under discussion would deepen coordination on maritime security across the Red Sea and…

Friday January 16, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Saudi Arabia is in advanced talks with Somalia and Egypt to establish a new Red Sea military and security partnership, a step that would deepen Riyadh’s role in the Horn of Africa and sharpen competition with the United Arab Emirates, according to people familiar with the discussions. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks to finalize elements of the agreement, the people said. The proposed pact would expand coordination on…

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — European allies began sending small military teams to Greenland as Denmark and NATO partners prepared Arctic exercises aimed at reassuring the United States about the island’s security while President Donald Trump presses a bid to take over the territory. A meeting in Washington among U.S., Danish and Greenland officials produced no rapid resolution to the standoff, but the sides agreed to form a working group to address a broad set of concerns. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and…

Egypt has expanded and refocused its military mission in Somalia after Israel recognized the breakaway region of North Western State of Somalia, elevating the protection of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government to a top priority, according to sources briefed on Cairo’s policy. The move underscores Egypt’s fears that Israel’s recognition could give it a foothold in the Horn of Africa—a region Cairo sees as vital to its national security—and enable closer alignment with Ethiopia at a time of fraught disputes over Nile…

Iran has warned U.S. allies in the Middle East that it will strike American bases on their soil if Washington attacks Iran, according to a senior Iranian official, underscoring a sharp escalation in tensions surrounding a widening domestic crackdown and regional standoff. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran has asked U.S. partners in the region to “prevent Washington from attacking Iran,” and delivered a direct message that bases hosting U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and…

Somalia bans UAE military and cargo aircraft from its airspace amid escalating rift MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has barred military and cargo aircraft owned or leased by the United Arab Emirates from entering its airspace, according to media reports citing Somali security officials, in a sharp escalation that underscores deteriorating ties between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi. The reported decision, which sources said took effect Jan. 8, follows suspicions that the UAE transported Aidarus al-Zubaidi, head of Yemen’s Southern…

COPENHAGEN — A senior European official warned that a U.S. move to seize Greenland by force would spell “the end of NATO,” as Denmark and multiple European capitals rallied behind the self-governing Arctic territory and urged Washington to abandon coercive rhetoric. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said European Union member states would be obliged to come to Denmark’s assistance if faced with military aggression. “I agree with the Danish Prime Minister (Mette Frederiksen) that it will be the end…