Debt & Development: G7 leaders pledged to tackle high debt burdens for developing countries, including middle-income states, calling for reforms and more private investment to ease shrinking fiscal space. Conflict & Stability: AU High Representative Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas warned that 16 African countries face sustained armed conflict and fragility, with instability increasingly driven by social dynamics and misinformation. Energy Shock: A new analysis says the US-Iran escalation is turning into a prolonged energy, logistics and food/financial shock that could weigh on global growth through 2027. Connectivity & Telecom: Eutelsat and Angola’s Mercury (Sonangol) signed a multi-year deal to expand LEO connectivity for enterprise, public sector and offshore users. Finance & Payments: Ripple backed Flutterwave’s Series E, aiming to expand stablecoin payments across Africa; Interswitch also unveiled a digital forecourt suite for fuel retail operations. Business Aviation Data: AFBAA launched a research push to build a unified, data-driven view of business aviation across Africa. Land & Food Security: UNCCD chief scientist urged deeper cooperation on land restoration as drought and degradation intensify. Regional Trade/Defense: Nigeria and Cameroon signed an MoU on security cooperation along their shared border. Local Economy: Zimbabwe’s ZiG stability is credited with improving planning and investment conditions for industry.