Statistics & Governance: Ethiopia’s long-delayed population and housing census is back in Parliament as a new statistics bill would dissolve the multi-regional Council and replace it with a nine-member technical board reporting to the Prime Minister—sparking fresh disputes over neutrality and who controls the country’s core demographic data. Federal Budget: The Council of Ministers approved a 2.34 trillion Birr draft federal budget for EFY 2019, forwarding it to the House of People’s Representatives and tying spending to the 2019–2021 E.C Development and Investment Plan plus a new medium-term macro-fiscal framework. Housing Delivery Push: Prime Minister Abiy visited a housing demonstration site showcasing rapid-build methods—3D printing, light steel prefabrication, and container housing—arguing the technologies can speed up Ethiopia’s national housing program nationwide. Capital Market Openness: Ethiopia moved to deepen its capital market as United Capital received a licence to operate as a foreign investment bank in Addis Ababa, marking a first for foreign investment banking locally. Elections & Security Context: Election reporting highlights ongoing delays in results transmission and continued claims of disruption by armed groups, with hundreds of constituencies still pending as voters head into a tense political moment. Public Health Preparedness: Africa CDC and WHO launched a unified Ebola preparedness and six-month response plan in Addis Ababa, targeting $518 million for outbreak control and cross-border coordination.