Niger’s LGBTQ crackdown: Niger’s military junta has recriminalized consensual same-sex relations in a new penal code, with penalties of 5 to 10 years in prison and fines, effective June 11. Exiled opposition stripped of nationality: On June 11, junta leader Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani provisionally stripped opposition figure Mariama Djibrine of Nigerien nationality, citing a terrorism database used to target dissent. Security and justice pressures: Niger also faces wider regional instability as Nigeria reports ongoing mass terrorism trials in Abuja, underscoring how insecurity and legal crackdowns keep tightening across the Sahel. Food prices squeeze households: Nigeria’s inflation story is worsening for the region’s consumers too—food inflation rose to 16.96% in May and headline inflation to 15.93%, driven by staples like onions, maize, tomatoes and ginger. Power infrastructure hit in Niger State: TCN warns vandalism has destroyed 14 spans of a 132kV line in Lambata, threatening electricity supply and raising repair costs. Public health watch: Niger State stepped up surveillance after new polio and diphtheria cases, holding town halls with community and religious leaders.