Ethiopia–China Vocational Skills: Addis Ababa hosted the launch of the Ethiopia Luban Workshop smart building technology training base, expanding TVET training in industrial sensors, mechatronics and robotics to support Ethiopia’s industrial and digital push. Housing Pressure: A new housing promise—1.5 million homes—faces hard questions on financing and delivery, as past public condominium schemes met only a small share of demand. Power & Industry: Allied Gold says it has connected the Kurmuk gold mine to Ethiopia’s national grid and started crushing ore, moving the project toward first gold. Renewables Finance: Trade & Development Bank approved a $50m debt facility for the 300MW Aysha Wind Power Project, bringing the wider $508m scheme closer to financial close. Smart Building Tech Training: The same Luban Workshop launch underscores China–Ethiopia people-to-people cooperation under the 2026 China-Africa year. Sports: Eritrea’s Dawit Seare and Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw won the 5km titles at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen. Regional Security: Somalia’s forces are not yet ready to fully replace AUSSOM, with disputes among federal and regional authorities and Turkey’s growing security role complicating plans. Diplomacy & Sanctions: The US lifted Eritrea-related sanctions after a national emergency expired, while Ethiopia-related arms licensing moved from automatic denial to case-by-case review. Climate Preparedness: IGAD says El Niño preparedness has shifted from prediction to action, warning of impacts on grazing, crops, infrastructure and livelihoods across the Horn.