#russia-influence

#russia-influence

Abdoulaye Diop, the foreign minister of Mali, hosted a senior US official on Monday to chart a "new course" in relations between the United States and the junta-led nation. Nick Checker, who heads the US State Department's Bureau of African Affairs, reaffirmed Washington's respect for Mali's sovereignty. Ahead of Checker's visit, the bureau posted on X that the United States also looked forward to "consulting with other governments in the region, including Burkina Faso and Niger, on shared security and economic interests."

At 193cm (6ft 4in), the one-time Reform UK leader in Wales towered over colleagues and opponents and he was taller still in his favourite cowboy boots. Other than that, the softly-spoken 52-year-old was a largely unremarkable presence among the more colourful characters in Nigel Farage's parties. Until recently, political profiles have dwelt on Gill's politically quirky status: