Madagascar Youth Football: A children’s and youth football tournament in Antananarivo brought together 27 clubs, with CFT Tana, Camping Katsoaka, and COSMOS Ilanivato taking top honors across under-8, under-13, and under-15 categories, plus gifts for all teams and plans for a bigger August 2026 event. Education & Culture Ties: Madagascar’s higher education minister met Samara Polytech leadership to discuss engineering cooperation and expanding technical opportunities for Malagasy students, including support for Russian-language learning. Religion & Community Life: Shia communities in Madagascar began Muharram mourning ceremonies and service programs ahead of Tasu’a and Ashura, alongside similar observances in other countries. Biodiversity Spotlight: Lesser Tenrecs—hedgehog-like mammals from Madagascar—were welcomed to a UK zoo, highlighting the island’s unique wildlife and the threats from habitat loss and hunting. Language & Access: Madagascar’s minister says Russian knowledge can help students access scientific and technological knowledge as ties with Russia grow, with plans to consider Russian as an academic subject. Human-Animal Science: A new cross-cultural study finds dogs and humans cooperate in strikingly similar ways across societies including Madagascar, pointing to deep shared social skills.