Mining Devolution: Malawi’s civil society welcomed the move to devolve selected mining functions to district councils, saying it could boost transparency and community participation—if councils get real funding and technical capacity. Power Sector Tension: A K65.9bn dispute between Escom and Egenco over power purchase payments has spilled into consumer anger, with critics warning taxpayers and tariffs may end up covering the gap. WASH Push: Government launched a Presidential Compact on WASH aiming to lift safe water and sanitation access by 2030, including targets of 85% rural and 100% urban safe water. Tobacco Outlook: Tobacco fears eased after the Tobacco Commission revised the 2026 forecast to about 154.7m kg, below projected trade demand, citing disease, leaching and post-harvest losses. Food & Fertiliser Pressure: Fertiliser stocks remain short ahead of planting, while maize prices are projected to rise sharply—raising household cost risks as El Niño looms. Regional Integration & Migration: SADC leaders faced renewed focus on xenophobia after Ramaphosa condemned attacks on foreign nationals, as Malawi migrants reportedly return home after South Africa crackdowns. Tech & Connectivity: Airtel Africa and Starlink launched satellite-to-mobile service commercially in DRC, bringing SMS and light-data access to compatible phones. Education & Industry Skills: Malawi-China partnership opened a School of Artificial Intelligence at University of Hebron, while Illovo Sugar disbursed K71.3m scholarships to 31 MUST women in STEM.