Maritime Crime Shock: Spain’s Guardia Civil has seized a record 30+ tons of cocaine in the Atlantic near the Canary Islands, detaining the full crew of 23 (including Dutch nationals) after the Comoros-flagged ship Arconian was boarded on May 1; investigators say the drugs were likely meant for sea-to-speedboat offloads before reaching Spain. West Africa Pressure: Sierra Leone’s opposition is now raising alarms about alleged links between the country and international trafficking networks, pointing to the Freetown departure of the same shipment and warning that the vessel left “undetected.” Gulf Tensions, Shipping Fallout: As Iran-U.S. clashes keep escalating, maritime safety is worsening around Hormuz—officials warn that attacks and electronic interference are disrupting routes and energy flows. Diplomacy & Capacity: In Comoros, an Arab Fund program just trained 50 diplomats in negotiation and multilateral diplomacy, while development financing and agriculture transformation stories continue to surface across the region. Business Watch: Primevex is pitching a single multi-asset trading platform aimed at global access and tighter risk control.