Education & Soft Power: Egypt’s Supreme Council of Universities has approved a Cairo University branch in Eritrea, part of a wider push to expand branch campuses across Sub-Saharan Africa and deepen cultural diplomacy. Human Rights Watch: A UN special rapporteur warned that Eritrea’s abuses—including enforced disappearances, prolonged detention, torture, and persecution of political opponents and religious communities—may amount to crimes against humanity, saying the situation has worsened. Martyrs Day in Eritrea: In Asmara, Orthodox Tewahdo, Catholic, and Lutheran leaders held a Martyrs Day prayer service at St. Michael’s Church, while Muslim leaders led Salat and Dua at the Al-Khulafae Al-Rashideen Grand Mosque, urging citizens to renew their pledge to support martyrs’ families. Women’s Organizing: The National Union of Eritrean Women reported progress in awareness campaigns against harmful practices, expanded women’s participation in education and health services, and support for disadvantaged women, including awards for outstanding students. Health & Resilience: Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a national workshop on rangelands, calling for community action to restore degraded land amid climate change and recurrent drought. Diaspora Culture & Community: A new Eritrean-Ethiopian-Mediterranean café, Fùl Café, opened in Cincinnati’s Lower Price Hill, offering an Eritrean coffee ceremony and a community gathering space.