Diplomacy: Venezuela and São Tomé and Príncipe marked 20 years of diplomatic relations with meetings between ambassadors in Luanda, reviewing cooperation in education, agriculture, gender, culture and other South-South projects. World Bank Appointments: The World Bank named Juan Carlos Alvarez as country manager for Trinidad and Tobago, unifying leadership across IBRD, IFC and MIGA; Alvarez previously served as country manager for Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe. Oil & Gas (Regional): Ghana approved Petrobras’ request to negotiate exploration contracts for four offshore blocks in the underexplored Keta Basin, aiming to reverse declining production; the approval starts talks on contract terms but does not commit drilling. Citizenship-by-Investment: A report highlights São Tomé and Príncipe’s “golden passport” scheme, offering citizenship via investment of $90,000 to the National Transformation Fund, with processing described as typically around two months. Civic Space (Regional): A CIVICUS-linked analysis says São Tomé and Príncipe is one of only two Sub-Saharan countries rated “open,” while most others face blocked or repressed civic space. Security (Regional): The US Coast Guard kept 22 countries, including São Tomé and Príncipe, on its port security advisory list for not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures, which can trigger extra ship security requirements for US-bound vessels.