Red Sea trade risk: A new 14-nation Saudi-led maritime coalition (MMDA) is set to protect navigation around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb as Houthi threats keep oil and shipping costs under pressure. Eritrea–Ethiopia sovereignty row: Eritrea’s embassy pushed back on foreign narratives about the Horn, stressing the difference between commercial port access and sovereignty, while Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions continue to be framed around sea access and regional security. Blocked airline funds: Ethiopian Airlines says about $45m in Russia earnings remains inaccessible due to sanctions and disrupted banking channels, adding to Africa’s wider blocked-funds headache. Horn geopolitics & water: Egypt and experts argue Cairo has multiple tools to deter Ethiopia’s Nile dam plans, keeping the GERD dispute central to regional economic stability. Local capacity building: Northern Red Sea PFDJ offices ran social science training for 190 members, including 106 women, linking ideology, identity, and economic/diplomacy awareness to regional development. Sports finance: Eswatini’s EFA is reported to have avoided about E325,000 in coaching salaries during a prolonged technical-team gap after Eritrea eliminated them from AFCON qualifiers.