Niger junta closes airspace as deadline to reinstate ousted president passes

US sending senior officials to Niger to discuss troop exit

Border opens, trade resumes between Niger and Nigeria

US, Niger begin talks on exit of American troops

Russian air defence system, trainers arrive in Niger

Niger clamps down on illegal mining

Diphtheria currently seeing a historic resurgence in West Africa

Climate change-induced extreme heat grips West Africa

Canary Islands sees surge of migrant arrivals via West African route

The number of people making the often treacherous boat trip from Africa to the Spanish archipelago has been breaking record after record for months.

Climate change and gold mining threaten West Africa's cocoa production

Cost of Easter Eggs Rises As Climate Change Affects Crops

Cost of Easter Eggs Rises , As Climate Change Affects Crops. Most of the cocoa that is used to make chocolate is grown in West Africa where a heat wave has damaged crops and cut yields, BBC reports. This has caused the cost of some Easter eggs to increase by 50% or more. According to the World Weather Attribution group, the high temperatures in West Africa "were made 10 times more likely" by human-induced climate change. According to the World Weather Attribution group, the high temperatures in West Africa "were made 10 times more likely" by human-induced climate change. The group's study determined that West Africa will experience severe heat waves close to every two years if action is not taken. . El Niño was also found to have played a role, although "global warming is exacerbating those changes," BBC reports. . Increasingly, climate change driven by fossil fuel use is multiplying this natural challenge in many regions. It fuels more extreme conditions, devastates harvests, and makes food costs higher for all. , Ben Clarke, an expert on extreme weather at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College, via BBC. Intense rains have also plagued West Africa, leading to a fungal infection that rots cocoa beans. . Intense rains have also plagued West Africa, leading to a fungal infection that rots cocoa beans. . The cost of chocolate is starting to be affected in shops. . Lots of players who have already announced price increases. We are also part of that group, Martin Hug, of chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli, via BBC