We're less than one month away from the first round of a very unusual presidential election, shadowed by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. FRANCE 24 takes a look at one of voters' top priorities: the cost of living. We also report from the latest climate protests, where French citizens have called for more attention to the environmental crisis.

We're less than one month away from the first round of a very unusual presidential election, shadowed by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. FRANCE 24 takes a look at one of voters' top priorities: the cost of living. We also report from the latest climate protests, where French citizens have called for more attention to the environmental crisis.

Turkey is one of the many countries calling for calm in Ukraine. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his government will relentlessly try to find a long-lasting ceasefire and Turkey has already hosted the first high-level peace talks between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers. But Ankara is walking something of a tightrope because it's traditionally a friend of Ukraine and has been supplying drones to Kyiv. Yet it also depends on Russia for gas. Our Turkey correspondent Jasper Mortimer tells us more.

Inflation in France is set to surpass 4 percent in March, according to the latest estimates from the national statistics institute Insee. The pace of price rises has already hit the highest level since 2008. The rising cost of living has become a central issue in the French presidential election campaign, with promises from candidates to cut taxes and raise wages to tackle it.

We look at reactions from the British press after the government's new budget reveals the worst cost of living crisis in 70 years. Also, Joe Biden is in Brussels for several summits on Ukraine. Meanwhile, a top Vladimir Putin aide quits his government and leaves the country, while The Times of London reports that the threat of a coup against Vladimir Putin is very real. Finally, we look at a crisis of domestic pet obesity in the UK and how the internet may play a role.

A jet full of cocaine in Brazil shows Turkey's increasing role in global drug trafficking. The UN drugs agency says the cocaine is sent via Turkey to EU countries, as well as Eastern European and Middle Eastern nations.

With inflation hitting multi-decade highs, the rising cost of living has become the most pressing issue for French voters. Both centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen have promised to help French consumers. Their proposals range from tripling the amount of a one-time tax-free bonus to scrapping income tax for under-30s. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer takes a closer look at some of the key economic pledges made by the two candidates who are through to the second round.

The past few days have delivered more reports of atrocities committed by the Russian military in Ukraine: women and girls raped, civilians locked up and shot, plus reports of chemical weapons being deployed in Mariupol. Calls continue for more to be done to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the EU, leaders have condemned the Kremlin, decrying the attacks as "war crimes".

The western city of Lviv, until recently seen by many as a safe haven, has taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees since the start of Russia's invasion with Ukraine. Under the looming threat of attacks, life goes on.

Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala has been found guilty of attempting to overthrow the government by an Istanbul court. The rights activist was sentenced to life without possibility of parole.

The Turkish leader will be in Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit where relations "will be reviewed." It will be Erdogan's first visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Marchers around the world have used May Day to hold rallies to voice dissatisfaction with their governments. There were mass arrests in Turkey, as well as violence in the French capital, Paris.