Water & Infrastructure: Denmark’s ambassador to Ghana, Jakob Linulf, visited Wa in Ghana to push a $5.8m water project for Wa and surrounding communities, aiming to improve clean drinking water for about 105,000 people via 120km of pipelines and subsidised connections for 15,000 low-income households, with Denmark working alongside UNICEF and Ghana Water Limited. Oil & Gas (West Africa): Petrobras has submitted an expression of interest and received Ghana’s approval to enter direct negotiations over four offshore exploration blocks in the Keta Basin, as Ghana seeks to reverse declining crude output (37.3m barrels in 2025) and attract deeper-water investment. Regional Integration (Services): SADC’s push to operationalise Article 7 of the Protocol on Mutual Recognition Agreements is gaining traction, with only a few countries having ratified the Free Movement Protocol while many have ratified AfCFTA, and work continues toward MRAs for areas like legal services and tourism. Trade & Connectivity: A report by the Atlantic Council says Africa’s 18% share of the world’s population accounts for just 2% of global air traffic, blaming high costs and inconvenience for weak intra-African connectivity. Maritime Security: The US Coast Guard kept 22 countries on its port-security advisory list, including São Tomé and Príncipe, after assessing antiterrorism measures at commercial ports. Inflation Watch: São Tomé and Príncipe recorded 9.70% inflation in June 2026 (up from 9.20% in May), the highest since December 2025.