Custody deaths probe: Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has inaugurated an independent 10-member committee to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody in Niger State, with a mandate to identify the deceased, determine immediate and remote causes, check detention legality and facility conditions, and ensure no official is shielded. Accountability pressure: The miners’ union NUMW and a PRP chieftain both want the panel expanded to include labour, medical experts, community and civil society voices, after survivor claims of overcrowding and distress before deaths. On-the-ground reporting under strain: In Niamey, veteran journalist Moussa Kaka of RTS has vanished without trace for weeks, raising fresh alarms about press freedom and safety in Niger. Sahel livelihoods for resilience: Nigerien-linked CSIR-SARI training under LOG Me II is equipping women and youth with soap and pomade production to reduce pressure on restored landscapes. Health security: WHO and KSrelief signed a $5.3m deal to strengthen cholera preparedness and response across the Lake Chad Basin, including Niger. Climate action in lawmaking: ECOWAS Parliament urged stronger climate action as flooding, heat waves and sea-level rise drive displacement and insecurity. Uranium investment: The U.S. DFC approved up to $414m for Niger’s Dasa uranium mine, boosting nuclear fuel supply plans.