What Ahmed Lawan said after meeting Buhari on Senate Presidency

Paris hopes to use its six months at the head of the Council of the EU to tackle the bloc's "economic, educational, migration and military challenges." French President Macron will do it while facing an election at home.

When Emmanuel Macron first ran for president five years ago, he touted himself as a disruptor; a leader who could reform France from outside the box of the traditional political parties. It turns out the reformer can sometimes be a loose cannon. We ask our panel about the incumbent's latest shock statement that's got the chattering classes going in Paris.

France has never had a woman as president. With a number of female candidates in the election race this time, could that finally change? Challenges range from a #MeToo campaign to an "invisible" barrier to the top job.

This week, we start with some good news. Radiation levels are "quite normal" around Chernobyl. The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog confirms that Russian forces have pulled back from the site of Europe's worst-ever nuclear disaster. The IAEA is working with both sides to avoid Chernobyl again becoming a frontline in the war in Ukraine.

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

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

Marcos Jr. is the son of ex-President Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the country for decades under a brutal autocratic regime. Mending frayed EU-Philippine relations will be a challenge for the new leader.

The US Senate has voted 51 to 49 against proceeding with the Women's Health Protection Act. The bill sought to ensure access to abortions nationwide.

Former Somali leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud won the presidency again on Sunday in a vote by parliamentarians behind blast walls in an airport hangar as a popular election remains impossible in the conflict-wracked nation.

Police in the US town of Uvalde, Texas are facing questions over why it took an hour to neutralise the gunman who murdered 19 small children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. The tragedy comes amid increasing calls for greater gun control measures. Among the demands of campaigners are a ban on assault weapon sales, as well as universal background checks and so-called red flag laws. Pastor Mike McBride, director of the LIVE FREE gun violence prevention campaign with the Faith in Action network, joined us on Perspective to tell us more.

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

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