French unions are staging a major nationwide strike Thursday, with more than 170 protests calling for salary hikes to deal with the rising cost of living. Rail workers, teachers and other professions are pressuring the government just months ahead of presidential elections.

France says nearly 60 fighters from Islamist militias were killed in the days leading up to the coup. The jihadists were killed by forces involved with Operation Barkhane led by France.

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.

People in Hranitne, the last village on Ukrainian controlled territory before the pro-Russian Donetsk region, is close to the frontline. It has come under fire in the past — people here have been living with war for eight years.

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.

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.

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.

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.