OIC Leadership: Mauritania’s Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed was elected new Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, succeeding Hissein Brahim Taha, with the vote framed around renewed regional priorities including Palestine and Jerusalem. Migration & Coast Guard: Mauritania rescued 161 migrants off its coast near Amhijrat after a boat engine failure, including 17 children, with the group expected to be transferred to a Nouakchott reception center. Power & Urban Services: SOMELEC says Eastern and Northern Nouakchott substations (Toujounine and Tevragh Zeina) are back to full operation after repairs following earlier fires, restoring supply to multiple neighborhoods. Development Finance: Mauritania and Germany signed a €35m deal for vocational training, coastal biodiversity protection and blue economy development, including support for training institutions and marine research. Land Restoration & Food Security: UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia highlighted new “World Restoration Flagships,” including a Sahel initiative recognized for restoring degraded land and strengthening resilience across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. Regional Security Context: A wider Sahel security debate continues as coups and shifting foreign partnerships change the security landscape, without yet guaranteeing better outcomes for civilians.