Cocoa Regulation & Sustainability: The World Cocoa Foundation unveiled a new Active Deforestation Risk Assessment methodology for supply chains, built with major chocolate buyers and driven by the EU’s delayed EUDR rules and upcoming CSDDD/CSRD compliance demands—coming as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana face crop strain and price volatility. Cocoa Market Watch: Barry Callebaut reported Q3 volume growth for the first time in two years, but warned the global chocolate market remains challenging; it also said it doesn’t expect a repeat of the 2023/24 cocoa turmoil even with El Niño risk, while Jefferies flagged a potential “perfect storm” for West Africa. Youth Digital Skills: MTN Côte d’Ivoire and ALX are funding XOF 700m for 6–8 weeks of training for young people in AI, data analytics, entrepreneurship and freelancing. Trade & Logistics: HMM launched its first hub-and-spoke service in Africa, linking Spain to West Africa with feeder calls including Abidjan; Ocean Network Express also rolled out its Mediterranean Africa Express (MAX) service with direct rotations covering Dakar, Tema and Abidjan. Energy & Investment Signals: EBID approved $417m for West Africa projects, including a line of credit to Banque de l’Habitat de Côte d’Ivoire (BHCI) to support housing finance. Business & Society: A National Security Council meeting in Ghana focused on flood recovery and resilience—an indirect reminder for regional business continuity planning.