Education & Skills Expansion: Edubex says it is scaling AI-enabled, internationally accredited learning across Africa and beyond, with 200+ career programmes aimed at linking study to employability. Energy & Grid Reliability: EGTC Director General Milton Gegbai has died in Freetown, a blow to Sierra Leone’s power-sector leadership as the country pushes renewables and grid stability. Youth Innovation: UNDP and Samsung’s RE:ACT challenge is backing youth-led solutions with up to $15,000 per team, mentoring, and real-world testing support. Ebola Response Pressure: WHO says the DRC outbreak is outrunning the response, with deaths nearing 2,000 as contact tracing struggles to keep up. Maritime Security & Drugs: Liberia’s IB Atlantic IV has been arrested in Ivory Coast, with questions over cargo and efforts underway to secure its return. Critical Minerals & Industry: Analysis highlights how critical minerals are fueling US-China rivalry—relevant as Sierra Leone positions for lithium and EV-linked investment. E-waste & Clean Tech: Young innovators in Bo are turning electronic waste into solar lamps and recycling plastics into backpacks, tackling pollution while creating practical solutions. Government Delivery Focus: President Bio’s “Year of Action” stresses faster execution on food, electricity, roads, jobs, and anti-corruption. School Feeding & Local Agriculture: Feed Salone now reaches over one million pupils across 15 districts, tied to increased domestic rice production. Digital Learning via AI: A World Bank report points to AI tools on WhatsApp helping Sierra Leone teachers bridge skill gaps despite low electricity and internet access.