Red Sea Shipping Security: Saudi Arabia’s 14-nation Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance (including Djibouti) held its first planners’ meeting in Riyadh to protect navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden as Houthi attacks keep disrupting trade. Maritime Incident: A suspected Houthi strike on the Tanzania-flagged cargo ship Tihamah off Yemen’s al-Mokha reportedly killed crew members and hit rescue operations, underscoring the risk for vessels routing via Djibouti. Djibouti-China Cooperation: China’s PLA Navy hospital ship Auspicious Ark made a technical stop at Djibouti’s support base on its “Mission Harmony-2026,” taking fuel and supplies and providing medical services during a long Africa and South Asia outreach. Local Investment Push: Somalia’s Public Works minister met investors from Turkey, Djibouti and Sudan in Mogadishu to discuss private funding for affordable housing and social infrastructure, with the ministry offering facilitation on procedures and regulations. Regional Security Agenda: Uganda’s Museveni pledged to rally EAC leaders to strengthen the Eastern Africa Standby Force and urged Djibouti, Comoros and Sudan to fully participate. Trade & Policy Watch: A report says China’s AI weather models are expanding to countries including Djibouti, pointing to new tech links tied to extreme-weather monitoring.