Mali Mining & Infrastructure: Mali says its revised mining framework can fund major energy, water and transport projects, with an Energy/Water/Transport Infrastructure Development Fund raising about 109.14 billion CFA francs between Jan 2025 and Jun 2026 and targeting much larger financing by leveraging predictable mining contributions. Mali Mining & Finance: The same push is tied to the state’s drive to turn higher mining take into infrastructure, including rail upgrades, roads, vessels and support for Mali Airlines. Regional SME Lending: EBID approved €80 million to Coris Holding to expand lending to SMEs/SMIs across West Africa, including Mali, with focus on agriculture, agribusiness and energy value chains. Mali Security & Defence: Open-source investigators report Shahed-136-type drone strikes in northern Mali near the Algerian border, underscoring the battlefield’s risks for civilians. Mali Humanitarian Accountability: Human Rights Watch condemns a Russia-linked Africa Corps airstrike in central Mali that killed eight civilians, saying it may violate international humanitarian law. Cyber & Payments Risk: INTERPOL warns AI now drives over half of Africa’s cybercrime, while Mali’s business environment also faces fraud pressure tied to mobile money scams and AI-driven sextortion. Circular Chemicals: BioBTX begins building a commercial plant to convert plastic waste into renewable aromatics, a model for industrial recycling that could inspire regional waste-to-value projects.