Zambia Election Watch: Zambians vote Thursday in a presidential, parliamentary and local election expected to return President Hakainde Hichilema for a second term, despite cost-of-living pressure and opposition complaints about restrictions and a lack of a level playing field. South Africa Governance & Migration: South Africa’s repatriation drive has cost nearly R300m and removed close to 90,000 people, but researchers warn the strategy’s outcomes are unclear and regional ties have been damaged. SADC Trade Push: South Africa takes the SADC chair with a push to lift intra-regional trade to 50% and push critical-mineral beneficiation, industrialisation and infrastructure. ECOWAS Climate Finance: ECOWAS targets a $294bn climate finance gap by building a unified regional carbon market, warning climate stress could displace 32m people. Regional Fuel Market: West African regulators move to create an integrated refined fuel market with transparent regional price benchmarks. Parliament & Communications: South Africa’s Icasa defends updated subscriber service rules before a parliamentary committee as court challenges loom. LGBTQ+ Rights: Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are spreading across Africa, with Senegal’s tougher crackdown and arrests drawing renewed concern. Football Governance: CAF backs FIFA’s Infantino amid FIFA governance turmoil, saying African football interests come first. Open-Source Soil Data: Varda Foundation open-sources SoilHive to help governments and researchers share trusted soil data while keeping national ownership. Youth Leadership: A student leadership conference in Eswatini urges young leaders to take campus lessons into communities and workplaces.