Top U.S. general says no sign soldiers in Niger took too many risks

At least 25 primary school children were killed when their thatched-roof classrooms caught fire in southern Niger on Monday the council of ministers said in a statement. Fourteen more children were injured, including five in a critical condition, the statement said. The school is in the town of Maradi, more than 600 km (370 miles) east of the capital Niamey. Classes have been suspended and three days of mourning declared in Maradi.

A long line people form at the New York airport on the day the United States eased restrictions.

In Zinder, Niger, industrial bakeries are taking over, leaving artisanal bakeries fighting for survival. These smaller bakeries now have to be strategic when it comes to supplying customers and boosting profits.

French armed forces have said they killed a senior "Islamic State" member believed to have been involved in a 2020 attack that left six French aid workers dead.

The United States reported nearly 1 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, the highest daily tally of any country in the world and nearly double the previous U.S. peak set a week ago as the spread of the Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.

An oil production and storage vessel exploded off the coast of Nigeria early on Wednesday (February 2) with 10 crew members on board though it was unclear if there were any casualties or how much crude might have spilled into the sea.

San Francisco-born Eileen Gu, who lifted the host country to the top of the medals table at the Beijing Olympics with a freeski Big Air gold on Tuesday, remained evasive on whether she was still holding an American passport.

President Mohamed Bazoum says Niger will welcome foreign special forces to secure the region. He said threats from the militant groups would likely rise as France pulls its troops out of Mali.

Oil from the Niger Delta region has brought Nigeria great wealth as well as devastating pollution. Spills from oil pipelines have damaged the environment, the livelihoods and the health of the residents. DW’s Fred Muvunyi reports from Ogoniland.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.

A Honduran judge authorized on Wednesday the extradition of former president Juan Orlando Hernandez to the United States on drug-trafficking and firearms charges, a decision his defense said it will appeal.

In Niger’s capital, environmental activist Abdel Aziz Mounkaila wants to see Niamey put on a "green" path which would include getting more trees planted and using more sustainable construction methods.