Census Fight: Ethiopia’s long-delayed population and housing census is back in Parliament, but not as a simple counting exercise—debates are flaring over a new statistics law that would dissolve the multi-regional council and replace it with a technical board reporting directly to the Prime Minister, raising neutrality concerns. Budget Push: The Council of Ministers approved a 2.34 trillion birr federal budget draft for the upcoming EFY, covering recurrent and capital spending, support to regions, and Sustainable Development Goals, and forwarded it to Parliament. Housing Tech Boost: PM Abiy visited a housing demonstration site showing 3D printing, light steel prefabrication, and container housing—promising faster, higher-quality delivery for the national housing program. Capital Market Step: Ethiopia granted a first foreign investment banking licence to Nigeria’s United Capital Group, signaling deeper access to the emerging Addis Ababa capital market. Fuel Import Flexibility: Ethiopia’s central bank amended rules to let diplomatic missions, foreign investors, and international organizations import fuel independently, easing pressure on state-controlled supply. Ebola Preparedness: Africa CDC and WHO launched a unified six-month Ebola plan in Addis Ababa, targeting $518 million for response and cross-border readiness. Regional Diplomacy: Ethiopia hosted a five-day diplomatic training for South Sudanese diplomats, focused on negotiation, peacekeeping, and regional cooperation.