Maritime Security: Kpler data shows Strait of Hormuz traffic stays thin—seven cargo ships transited on Thursday versus 14 the day before—while Bab El-Mandeb traffic also slowed, underscoring how Middle East tensions keep disrupting global oil and LNG flows. Piracy Update: Two separate hijackings off Yemen and Somalia involved 22 Indian seafarers; officials say crews are safe, but vessels remain under pirate control. Shipping Disruption (Panama/Black Sea/Hubs): Coverage highlights how weather and conflict are forcing reroutes and longer voyages, with Panama Canal water limits and Black Sea attacks continuing to squeeze global grain and freight lanes. Last-Mile & Warehousing: SM Prime turned over a new 40,000-sq-m Pasig logistics facility for Shopee partner SPX Express, adding to its Metro Manila distribution capacity. E-commerce Logistics Growth: J&T Express reported H1 2026 profit up 124% on strong parcel volume growth across Southeast Asia and beyond. Energy Storage for Grid Flexibility: WALDEVAR/GEN-I Sonce signed EPC for a 55 MW/220 MWh BESS in Romania, while OX2 started Australia’s 100 MW/200 MWh solar-plus-storage project—both pointing to storage as critical infrastructure for power reliability. Policy & Data Localization: India’s MNRE ordered inverter-level rooftop solar data to be stored on servers/cloud located within India, with daily reporting via a standardized API. Regional Trade Connectivity: South Africa and Zimbabwe flagged the Third Limpopo Bridge and Beitbridge One Stop Border Post as priority projects to turn bilateral plans into implementation. Health Supply Chain: South Sudan inaugurated a new $365,000 medical warehouse in Gumbo, adding 1,400 metric tons of storage to strengthen national distribution of essential commodities.