UNESCO World Heritage: UNESCO added 25 new sites to its World Heritage List for 2026, bringing the total to 1,273 across 173 countries, with first-time African entries including São Tomé and Príncipe. São Tomé and Príncipe Heritage: The country’s historic roças (plantations)—Roças of Agostinho Neto and São João dos Angolares—were recognized, highlighting the colonial coffee and cocoa estate system and the forced-labour history behind it. Housing Affordability: A new global look at home prices versus incomes shows affordability varies widely by country; the U.S. ranks among the less affordable markets in the dataset, while Saudi Arabia and the UAE sit at the low end of the price-to-income gap. Maritime Oil Theft Crackdown: Nigeria’s Navy says it arrested 12 crew members after intercepting the São Tomé and Príncipe-flagged tanker MT FILIA, alleging it loaded about 650 metric tonnes of stolen crude worth over N660 million, while also calling for faster judicial reforms to avoid long delays in prosecutions. Labour Pressure: A new ranking of the most overworked African countries for 2026 places São Tomé and Príncipe among the highest, with average weekly hours around 49.