Eritrean Arts & Identity: Hajayat Mendal, celebrated singer-poet-dancer and now a TV scriptwriter, reflects on how her independence-era work in EPLF arts and crafts shaped her lifelong mission to defend Eritrean culture and language. Diaspora Culture & Community: Eritrean Association in Greater Seattle is among 2026 Arts in Parks grantees, with $216,000 awarded to 33 groups to stage park-based festivals and cultural events. Women’s Craft Spotlight: A feature spotlights the Mesob, the woven straw-and-raffia centerpiece of Eritrean communal dining, tracing how Eritrean women turn palm leaves into months-long works of art. Refugee Arts (Regional): “Resilience and Inclusion” opened for World Refugee Day at Addis Ababa’s Gebrekristos Desta Center, featuring works by refugee artists from Eritrea and across the region. Sports & Representation: Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay gets Tour de France support via NSN’s team selection as he aims to recapture his 2024 form. Martyrs Day (Asmara): Eritrea commemorated Martyrs Day with wreath-laying, live-broadcast ceremonies, and candlelight vigils, alongside cultural performances honoring independence sacrifices. Theatre & Exile (France): A protest in Castres followed the cancellation of Alexis Michalik’s play “Passeport,” which centers on an Eritrean refugee in France seeking a residence permit.