Sahara

People traffickers dump people in the Sahara desert; others crowd them onto unsafe boats.

Russia has dangled the possibility of building a nuclear power plant in uranium-rich Niger - a vast, arid state on the edge of the Sahara desert that has to import most of its electricity.

Meteorites can fall anywhere on Earth, but because of the favourable climate for preservation and the lack of human disturbance, the Sahara has become a prime spot for their discovery.

The UK has backed Morocco's plan for ending a territorial conflict in Western Sahara, as part of a deal that will secure lucrative investment projects in the 2030 men's football World Cup.

They soured last year when Macron announced France was recognising Moroccan sovereignty of Western Sahara and backed a plan for limited autonomy for the disputed territory.