Amid surging inflation, the two remaining French presidential candidates are promising to help voters make a better living. Incumbent Emmanuel Macron is promising to triple the amount of a special tax-free bonus that employers can give workers. Meanwhile, far-right hopeful Marine Le Pen wants to give tax incentives to companies to raise the basic salary. Both proposals would come at a cost; we take a closer look. Plus, Elon Musk is offering to buy up all of the remaining shares in Twitter at a premium, saying the social media giant needs to go private to see effective changes.

The two candidates vying to be the next French president have defended their position on Muslim headscarves. The covering is already outlawed in schools and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen wants a nationwide ban.

The two candidates vying to be the next French president have defended their position on Muslim headscarves. The covering is already outlawed in schools and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen wants a nationwide ban.

No, French President Emmanuel Macron did not say that 60 million African and Middle Eastern refugees would coverge on Europe over the next 20 years and the BBC did not tweet such a quote either. We take a look at the forensics of a fake news story. Plus, a quote from an old interview with defeated French leftist candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon is taken out of context.

What if the French left stays home next Sunday? Two-thirds of those who actively support Jean-Luc Mélenchon see no reason to choose centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron over the far-right's Marine Le Pen in the presidential run-off. In a nation where the president enjoys outsized powers, this is the election that matters. Why are so many of his supporters unfazed by the prospect of Le Pen beating Macron? She's the leader of a party whose roots go back to Vichy France and the 1961 attempted coup to keep Algeria French.

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?

Days ahead of France's presidential run-off, the president causes a stir by baring more than many voters had bargained for. We also bring you the latest on the campaign, as French papers focus on the economic policies of Emmanuel Macron and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen. But first, we take a look at the situation in Ukraine, with the battle for the Donbas now under way.

Can she erase the memory of meltdown in 2017? Trailing in the polls, Marine Le Pen has got ground to make up when she squares off with Emmanuel Macron in the one and only French presidential election candidates' debate. It is an exercise that matters in a nation that takes its politics seriously.

French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen face off in their only debate ahead of Sunday's presidential run-off. For Le Pen, who lags behind Macron in voter surveys, the confrontation is a chance to persuade voters that she has the stature to be president and that they should not fear seeing the far right in power.

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have outlined differing visions for the French economy ahead of Sunday's election. The presidential candidates want to tackle the top issue for French voters: the rising cost of living. Daniela Ordonez, Chief French Economist at Oxford Economics, breaks down the different proposals and what they would cost the French state.

With three days to go before the second and final round of the French presidential election, it's time for our final show. We focus on the traditional highlight of the campaign: the fiery debate between the finalists. The incumbent was anxious not to appear condescending, while Marine Le Pen tried to reassure voters that she could be presidential. Our reporters followed both candidates on their last stops of the campaign trail. Plus, FRANCE 24's Karina Chabour explores what heartbroken left-wing voters might decide to do on Sunday.

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have outlined differing visions for the French economy ahead of Sunday's election. The presidential candidates want to tackle the top issue for French voters: the rising cost of living. Daniela Ordonez, Chief French Economist at Oxford Economics, breaks down the different proposals and what they would cost the French state.