About ten Malagasy journalists took part from 13 to 15 October in training on artificial intelligence and journalistic ethics, which launched preparations for a charter adapted to local media. The organisers, Action Média francophone internationale and Action Média francophone de Madagascar, also plan a guide on the technical, ethical and economic issues surrounding AI, according to Newsmada.
Madagascar’s MPs will resume work on 20 October to examine and adopt the 2027 finance bill. The second ordinary session is mainly devoted to the budget, in accordance with constitutional provisions, Midi Madagasikara reports.
The Business Day held on 15 October at INSCAE in Antananarivo connected students with more than 25 partner companies to help them find internships, jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. The institution aims to bring students closer to recruiters, according to L’Express de Madagascar.
The lack of rain since August in Analamisampy, in Toliara II district, threatens cotton cultivation, the only cotton production still practised in Madagascar’s Atsimo-Andrefana region. Nearly 70 hectares planted by Ludovic Honaly are exposed to the El Niño phenomenon, L’Express de Madagascar reports.
A trader was shot dead at Anosibe market in Madagascar on Wednesday morning, and the assailant was filmed by a surveillance camera. Law enforcement agencies are using the footage, in which his face is reportedly visible despite its poor quality, in an attempt to find him, reports L’Express de Madagascar.
Madagascar celebrated its first Freedom Day on 14 October, marking the proclamation of the First Republic in 1958 and coinciding with the first anniversary of Michaël Randrianirina coming to power. The president travelled to Anahidrano to pay tribute to Philibert Tsiranana, in a commemoration that historian Solofo Randrianja also interprets as an attempt to legitimise the regime, RFI reports.
The Malagasy app Misy offers a free tool to navigate Antananarivo’s taxi-be network. By entering a starting point and destination, users can find the route, stop and connections, Midi Madagasikara reports.
The nephrology department at Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona University Hospital is treating six times as many patients with kidney failure as it was ten years ago. Ageing dialysis machines and difficulties obtaining consumables are putting the department under pressure, according to Lexpress.
A survey of 67 Malgasy communes shows that their own revenue would cover only 34.7% of their actual needs. This dependence on state subsidies weakens funding for local responsibilities, an issue discussed at a Konstitution’naka conference, according to Lexpress.
Around 20 young musicians from Madagascar Orchestra performed works by Rossini and Johann Strauss Sr at the 173rd lunchtime classical concert. The performance took place on Tuesday at the Institut français de Madagascar as part of the ensemble’s training work, according to Lexpress.
Madagascar’s head of state Michaël Randrianirina supports the national consultation led by the Council of Christian Churches in Madagascar. However, he rejects opening political dialogue, saying the country is experiencing a social crisis, not a political crisis, according to his speech in Antsohihy.
Four cases of plague have been confirmed in Madagascar since the end of July, including in the Analamanga region. The Ministry of Public Health is monitoring the situation and conducting awareness-raising activities, according to Lexpress.
Madagascar’s women’s team lost 2-0 to South Africa in the second leg of the second round of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The defeat eliminates the Barea Ladies from the Olympic race, according to Lexpress.
Madagascar’s police confirmed that the curfew was lifted at 6am after several incidents and arrests in some regions overnight. The authorities said activities could resume and roads remained passable, according to a police statement cited by Defimedia.
Residents of several hamlets in the rural commune of Nosivelo, in Farafangana district, are disputing ownership of a 14-hectare plot with a local businesswoman. An agreement reached in 2003 was intended to govern the transfer of the land, while residents are now calling for state intervention, Midi Madagasikara reports.
Three people have died in Andranolalina, in the Midongy Atsimo district, in circumstances probably linked to pneumonic plague. Other suspected cases are being monitored in Midongy Atsimo and Iakora, according to Malagasy health authorities cited by L’Express.
The Soavolo festival showcased Mahafaly traditions and heritage in three communes in Ampanihy-Ouest district, including Ejeda, Madagascar. The event took place from 9 to 11 October in Fotadrevo and two other communes, L’Express reports, also noting Ejeda’s call for administrative autonomy.
Madagascar’s women’s rugby sevens team will compete in Pool C of the Africa Women’s Sevens with a younger squad led notably by Sarindra Sahondramalala. The competition is scheduled for November in Kenya, according to L’Express, which describes the selection as aiming for further progress on the continental stage.
