Weather & Disaster Readiness: China donates meteorological and information tech equipment to Madagascar to boost forecasting, climate monitoring and early warning for natural disasters. Food Security & El Niño Risk: FAO and WFP launch a $202m anticipatory action appeal to protect about 8.8m people across 22 high-risk countries, with Madagascar listed among the most vulnerable as El Niño threatens droughts and floods. Roads & Construction Costs: Madagascar’s bitumen supply shock is pushing asphalt costs up 40–50% as shipments shift from Gulf sources to longer European routes, delaying projects and straining contractors’ finances. Agriculture & Capacity Building: A China-Africa cooperation feature highlights Chinese hybrid rice support in Madagascar and elsewhere, focusing on irrigation rehabilitation, training and higher yields to raise farmer incomes. Ocean Governance for Fisheries: At the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Madagascar is linked to new moves on fisheries transparency and vessel tracking to curb illegal fishing and protect coastal livelihoods. Energy Finance: AXIAN Energy secures a $60m financing facility (via Mauritius Commercial Bank) to expand renewable power projects across Africa, with Madagascar-relevant regional clean-energy momentum. Diplomacy & Infrastructure: Russia and Madagascar foreign ministers meet in Moscow, with cooperation flagged across energy, agriculture, infrastructure, mining and education, plus discussion of independent payment systems. Engineering Education: Madagascar’s higher education minister meets Samara Polytech leadership to expand engineering collaboration in energy, ecology and water supply.