Rail Rehabilitation Woes: A decade after a 20-year transport master plan, Malawi’s rail lines—especially the Limbe–Makhanga stretch—are reportedly overgrown, decayed and left to vandalism, undermining freight and passenger ambitions. Tobacco Market Divide: At Lilongwe auction floors, contracted and non-contracted tobacco farmers face sharply different realities, with independent growers lacking guaranteed buyers and support. Fuel & Forex Pressure: Government’s explanation for diesel challenges still points to forex scarcity and procurement constraints, as authorities push longer-term fixes like storage expansion and diversified import routes. Energy Sector Tension: CDEDI has objected to ESCOM’s plan to shift the single buyer licence to Power Marketing Limited, warning it could raise tariffs and distract from fixing blackouts. Electricity Governance Shake-up: Malawi’s cabinet restructuring splits Energy and Mining into two ministries, appointing Jean Mathanga (Energy) and Thoko Tembo (Mining). Drug Trafficking Crackdown: South Africa’s Beitbridge bust—about 713kg of methaqualone linked to mandrax—has led to arrests of two Malawians and a Zambian, with court proceedings and valuation questions now in focus. Industrial Jobs Under Pressure: AfDB says Malawi’s manufacturing employment fell from 4.3% (2010) to 3.9% (2024), citing electricity shortages, weak capacity and low-value production. Agribusiness & Climate Resilience: ICRISAT expands climate-resilient chickpea seed production in Malawi and the region as fertilizer costs and weather shocks strain food systems. Cotton Season Opens: Cotton Council launches 2026 marketing with optimism, targeting about K27bn from 22,000MT and citing zoning to improve buyer-farmer efficiency. Logistics Spotlight: CTS Courier wins Malawi’s Most Reliable Courier Service award, highlighting growing competition in transport and delivery services. Donor Support Signal: Ireland assures Malawi it will keep supporting despite wider donor withdrawals, focusing on food systems and health/education. SME Space Boost: Pacific Limited’s property development drive is praised for easing business space constraints in Blantyre, with calls to expand to Lilongwe and Mzuzu.