This week, we explore the upcoming French legislative elections, the so-called "third round" of the presidential race. This time, French voters are electing 577 MPs to the Assemblée nationale, the lower house of parliament. Though arguably just as important as the race for the Élysée Palace, turnout tends to be lower. So do these elections work? We tell you more in this edition of French Connections.

Emmanuel Macron's alliance is in a tight race with the new left-wing union NUPES according to initial projections. Macron is predicted to win a greater number of districts which could grant him a parliamentary majority.

A new left-wing coalition wants to win a majority in France's upcoming legislative elections and challenge Emmanuel Macron's hold on parliamentary power. Their chances are slim but not impossible.

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.

After choosing between the familiar faces on offer in April's presidential vote, the French legislative election campaign that followed seemed to many like a seven-week snoozefest. That was until Sunday night. Now, with the first round's ballots counted, Emmanuel Macron has just one week to convince voters to return a centrist majority to parliament for his second term as president. We break down the odds for next week's run-offs.

We take a look at the pressure facing Emmanuel Macron’s party as he tries to hold on to a parliamentary majority. US papers are discussing the second day of congressional hearings on the January 6, 2021 siege of the US Capitol. We also see how the British papers are tackling their top two stories: Rwanda immigration flights and changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol. Finally, we discuss the sexy side of cultural relics in Pompeii.

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.