Budget & Growth Agenda: President Hakainde Hichilema chaired his first Cabinet meeting of the renewed term, approving the 2027 Budget framework and the 2027–2029 Medium Term Budget Plan, with a shift from stabilisation to growth under the “Grow Zambia Agenda”, including jobs, single-digit inflation and a stable exchange rate, plus plans to broaden the tax base and boost efficiency through digital tax systems. Diplomacy: Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe met the US Chargé d’Affaires in Lusaka to discuss cooperation across health, trade, agriculture and security, while the Netherlands announced it will close its Harare embassy as part of wider diplomatic restructuring affecting Zambia and Malawi. Wildlife & Conservation: Zambia’s conservation story made headlines as three endangered wild dog brothers recorded the longest single mammal journey in Africa, travelling over 2,500 miles across Zambia, and satellite-tracked vultures revealed cross-border corridors spanning Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola and Zambia. Sports & Youth: Junior Chipolopolo arrived in Mozambique for the COSAFA U20 qualifier, drawn in Group C with Malawi, Comoros and Botswana, while FAZ youth representative Zephaniah Mwanza defended Zambia’s youth development approach after criticism from former winger Clifford Mulenga. Business & Markets: The Lusaka Securities Exchange is set to list its first gold ETF before end-October, giving investors direct gold exposure, as foreign demand for bonds and equities reportedly picked up after the August election.