Maritime Security: Japan has deployed a Kawasaki P-1 patrol aircraft to Djibouti to support anti-piracy operations off Somalia, adding to the existing P-3C missions that already use Djibouti as a base. Red Sea Trade Protection: Saudi Arabia has appointed Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salem Al-Shehri to command a new multinational maritime defence alliance aimed at securing the Bab el-Mandeb, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden; Djibouti is listed among the founding members. Debt & Fiscal Risk: A new economic assessment urges Djibouti to tighten debt controls, reform state-owned enterprises and broaden domestic revenue collection, warning that infrastructure spending has raised debt exposure even as projections show some improvement. FIFA Governance: Djibouti’s football federation is among at least 20 backing FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid the fallout from his controversial commercial-rights plan. Regional Mobility: Kenya’s road freight openness lags Rwanda and Burundi in an EAC scorecard, a reminder that cross-border regulatory barriers can raise logistics costs across the region. Health Threat: Djibouti is highlighted as a key entry point in the spread of the urban-adapted malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi across the Horn and beyond.