With less than four weeks to go ahead of the first round of voting in the French presidential election, we check in on the campaign with contemporary history and politics lecturer Andrew Smith. He explains that Emmanuel Macron's choice not to participate in a debate ahead of the first round is right in line with his strategy to stay above the fray. Meanwhile, right-wing candidate Valérie Pécresse and far-right Eric Zemmour face off in a televised debate hoping to revive their flagging campaigns.

As people all around Europe feel the cost of living rise and see their bank balance ever more squeezed amid energy price rises, we're looking into proposals for ensuring meaningful minimum wages are paid to everyone around the European Union.

Engaging with the descendants of Germany's colonial crimes is no easy task. DW's youth magazine show "The 77 Percent" met with young people from the Herero community in Namibia — and apparently broke the ice.

It's one of the cornerstones of French democracy: the presidential debate. Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have vanished from the campaign trail in order to prepare Wednesday night's crunch face-off on live TV. The far-right candidate hopes not to repeat the mistakes she made five years ago.

French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen faces the fight of her political life as she prepares for this Wednesday's TV duel with Emmanuel Macron. We take a look at coverage in the French press. We also see how the British tabloids are reacting to the latest developments in the "partygate" scandal involving Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

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.

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.

Wishma Sandamali, a 33-year-old Sri Lankan woman, died in a Japanese detention centre in March of last year. Her death sparked debate on the treatment of the 1,500 asylum seekers currently in detention in Japan. Many of them claim they are being treated inhumanely. Despite its economic might, Japan takes in few refugees. In 2020, it accepted less than 100 asylum seekers, while France, whose population is half the size of Japan's, took in 24,000. Our correspondents report from the city of Nagoya, where Wishma died.

Colombians will choose between construction magnate Rodolfo Hernandez and former guerilla Gustavo Petro in the upcoming presidential election on June 19. But Hernandez had so far refused to debate Petro.

Voters in Colombia decided between leftist Gustavo Petro and businessman Rodolfo Hernandez, whose sudden rise prompted comparisons with Donald Trump.

In this week's Street Debate, Christine Mhundwa meets young people demanding change in Eswatini. The small southern African country is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world, and some young people believe the king is abusing his powers.