Clean Cooking Finance: Africa’s clean cooking push is getting a boost from carbon credit financing, with nearly 1 billion people still using charcoal or firewood and household air pollution linked to about 850,000 deaths a year. Madagascar Digital ID Security: Madagascar is strengthening its national digital ID with new cybercrime bills, aiming to build trust and security as enrollment scales, including plans for a Digital Protection and Investigation Unit. Women in Digital Finance: AXIAN and AfDB launched a digital finance programme for 34,000 women-led businesses across Africa, with training and products reaching Madagascar among other countries. Biodiversity Discovery: Scientists identified seven new diamond frog species in Madagascar, bringing known Rhombophryne species to 27 and highlighting how much diversity still hides in leaf litter. Conservation Tech Training: A drone-and-tech training push for protected area technicians is drawing participants from across Africa, including Madagascar, to improve anti-poaching and wildlife monitoring. Higher Education Links: Madagascar plans to deepen cooperation with Moscow in higher education and scientific research, exploring university partnerships. Climate Watch: A “supersized” El Niño is expected to intensify, raising risks of floods, droughts, and extreme heat into 2027.