Subsea Connectivity Boost: The EU pledged €37 million to extend the Google-backed Blue-Raman cable into East Africa, linking Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania to a Europe–Middle East–India digital corridor—aiming to cut bandwidth costs and improve resilience. Digital Economy Funding: Kenya also secured €102 million under the EU–Kenya Digital Partnership for connectivity and digital transformation, with officials tying the push to jobs and faster digital trade. Coastal Pollution Watch: Djibouti researchers reported a “chemical cocktail” of common medicines in Gulf of Tadjourah waters, including ibuprofen, caffeine and antibiotics, with untreated urban wastewater flagged as a key pathway and ecological risk highlighted. AI in the Browser: Google is rolling out Ask Gemini in Chrome to Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, expanding built-in AI help for searching and understanding information. Climate Alert: NOAA says El Niño is back, with impacts that can vary but may raise odds of drought, heat and extreme weather across parts of Asia and beyond. Regional Security Lens: An op-ed warns of a growing convergence of Horn actors around destabilizing Ethiopia, with wider Red Sea implications.