2020 NBA Conference without Governor El-rufai

With the second round of voting in the French presidential election just days away, we explore the latest twists and turns in the campaign trail with Andrew Smith, a professor of contemporary French history at Chichester University. He unpicks President Emmanuel Macron's last-gasp bid to convince supporters of defeated leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon to vote for him, if only to keep the far right out of the Élysée Palace. We also discuss Marine Le Pen's pledge to ban the Muslim hijab in public. Smith tells us it's an attempt to fire up her base – but does it risk alienating more moderate voters?

Helicopters and sniffer dogs joined search and rescue teams on the ground, looking for bodies after heavy rains caused flooding , close to Durban in South Africa on Tuesday

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is hosting allies at Ramstein Air Base to discuss Ukraine's security needs. Germany pledged to send anti-aircraft tanks to Kyiv at the start of talks.

Washington has invited some 40 countries to its air base in Ramstein to for a conference on the defense of Ukraine. Germany announced a major shift in policy at the event, saying it would send tanks to the country.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.

The French military left a remote base in northern Mali before dawn for the last time last week, with 100 vehicles forming a miles-long convoy across the barren desert terrain. Helicopters whirred above as air support for hundreds of troops in trucks and armoured cars leaving the camp near the town of Gossi.

In a decision that was long time coming, Malian ruling junta pulled the plug on a number of military accords with France. French soldiers and European partners are on track to leave Mali by the end of summer.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, says he has not taken the decision to run for the Office of President of Nigeria in the 2023 general elections.

The Nigerian Entertainment Conference recently took place in Lagos, at the Landmark Centre. It was filled with amazing sessions that centred on African content creators and entertainers. GuardianTV’s Sunny Jacob was at the venue of this year’s star-studded NEC and filed this report.

Five House Republicans are said to have information relevant the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. However, they all have refused to cooperate with the special investigation.

Guardian Nigeria's Political Editor, Muyiwa Adeyemi speaks to GuardianTV on the leading candidates in a fierce battle to succeed Governor Kayode Fayemi in the 2022 Ekiti governorship election.

Papers in Spain brace for the first visit of former king Juan Carlos since he went into exile amid investigations of tax evasion. In France, a parliamentary candidate from Emmanuel Macron's party who was convicted of domestic violence has been forced to withdraw after the controversy overwhelmed the party. Papers in the US hail the landmark equal pay deal agreed between the men's and women's football teams. Plus, should elephants be considered human?