Africa and France: An unfulfilled dream of independence?

More than 20 years ago, a community of men and women in the French region of Burgundy set themselves a massive challenge: to build a castle using the techniques of the Middle Ages. The site in the town of Guédelon is open to visitors, offering them an immersion into the 13th century. Today, nearly 40 people work every day on this medieval construction site. Stone quarrying is the first step in building a castle. And to transport the stones to the site, modern machines are banned: everything is done like in the 13th century, with horsepower.

Tax revenues could make a vital contribution to the development of African countries. But the untapped informal sector, also known as the shadow economy, and inadequate collection of taxes stand in the way.

We take a look at how the press is covering the French, German and Italian leaders' visit to Kyiv. Meanwhile, French papers are largely divided over the country's upcoming legislative elections on Sunday. Also, Thailand gets closer to same-sex marriage legislation, while Saudi Arabia confiscates rainbow-coloured toys. Finally, the Washington Post debates whether QR code menus in restaurants should stay or go.

Executives at France's state-backed utility EDF say they're confident the troubled nuclear reactor at their Flamanville plant will be able to go online by the end of 2023. Under construction since 2007, the new EPR project has been plagued by cost overruns and repeated delays. We take a closer look. Plus, on the sidelines of the VivaTech trade fair in Paris, India's IT minister tells FRANCE 24 how the country is looking to bring its technology to Europe and beyond.

Forest fires have broken out both in Spain and France as a record early heat wave moves northward through Europe. And humans are not the only ones to suffer in the extreme temperatures.

An Italian energy firm says the Russian company is slashing its deliveries by 50%. France's gas operator says it has not received any natural gas from Russia via its pipeline from Germany for more than a month.

Flexible hours, a four-day working week and a sense of purpose are just some of the things that employees are looking for in a job. And if they feel like they're not appreciated, they might just jump ship. A recent survey found that one in four people in France are looking to quit their jobs in the next two years, as they seek better pay and better benefits. We take a closer look.

The second round of France's legislative elections takes place on Sunday. A left-wing alliance led by Jean-Luc Melenchon is trying to dislodge President Emmanuel Macron's bloc, but pollsters doubt that this will happen.

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing difficult negotiations after his centrist bloc lost its absolute majority in parliament. The conservatives have already ruled out forming a coalition.

A new deal paves the way for the development of the first African-owned Covid-19 vaccines. Cape Town-based Afrigen is working with a Belgian biotech company to develop mRNA shots. Also, Kenya has no reproductive health legislation but the public is going to give its input on a regional bill that could make a big difference to sexual health services. Finally, in football news, Senegal's Sadio Mané moves to Bayern Munich.

A new deal paves the way for the development of the first African-owned Covid-19 vaccines. Cape Town-based Afrigen is working with a Belgian biotech company to develop mRNA shots. Also, Kenya has no reproductive health legislation but the public is going to give its input on a regional bill that could make a big difference to sexual health services. Finally, in football news, Senegal's Sadio Mané is moving from Liverpool to Bayern Munich.

French prosecutors said on Wednesday they were investigating a junior minister in President Emmanuel Macron's government after two allegations of rape were brought against her.