Mozambique records first cholera cases after Cyclone Kenneth.

Reports about faulty preparations, coordination mishaps and photos of unfinished facilities for the Southeast Asian Games have raised questions about the mismanagement of the $146-million (€132-million) budget.

One day the coronavirus may well be remembered as a driver for messaging and digital conferencing services. But the sensitive nature of information makes using them a game of trade-offs in which security isn't absolute.

A "plague" of the world's most venomous spiders could swarm Sydney after torrential rain and flooding, the Australian Reptile Park said Wednesday, warning that the deadly arachnids could seek refuge in homes as they escape the deluge.

Farmers are fighting a catastrophic months-long mouse plague in eastern Australia, amid fears the rodents will survive winter and boom again in warmer months.

The war in Ukraine may be keeping Emmanuel Macron off the campaign trail, but the benefit to the French president has been clear: for the first time, a poll over the weekend saw him getting more than 30 percent of votes in the first round. The conflict has given Macron an opportunity to demonstrate his leadership. Meanwhile, candidates from far-right Marine Le Pen to far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon have been stuck defending their past sympathies for Vladimir Putin and their calls to withdraw France from NATO. Andrew Smith, a senior lecturer in contemporary history and politics at the University of Chichester, tells us "it’s going to be a strange campaign".

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.

The French presidential election is just around the corner. With the official campaign period in full swing, we explore a particularity of the French electoral system: a candidate's access to mass media. France has a very egalitarian view when it comes to a candidate's access to TV and radio. The idea is for candidates, big or small, to have an equal playing field and for voters to have access to a wide range of ideas. But is this complex system still in step with modern politics?

Presidential elections happen all over the world, but France has its own, unique way of doing things. While there's always some suspense around who will end up in the Élysée Palace, there are some pretty clear rules about getting there: whether it's campaign financing, how much media access the candidates get and how the vote happens on election day. In this episode of French Connections Plus, Florence Villeminot and Genie Godula take a closer look at the protocol governing the French presidential election.

Two weeks from now, France will know who is into the second round of the presidential election. The candidates will then enter a crucial final two-week period when the gloves are expected to come off in the battle to win votes. This weekend saw a last-ditch attempt by far-right pundit Eric Zemmour to win back support after losing momentum. Meanwhile, the far left’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon is rising in the polls but incumbent Emmanuel Macron, the favourite to win, remains well ahead. Andrew Smith of Chichester University spoke to us about where the campaign stands.

Just over a week before the first round of voting, candidates for France's presidential election are campaigning on marketplaces across France. The so-called smaller candidates are trying to close the gap with the top contenders. FRANCE 24's Campaign Commentator Philip Turle tells us why Marine Le Pen has been eating into Emmanuel Macron's lead in the polls. Plus, our reporters dive into the world of French Trotskyists.

Just over a week before the first round of voting, candidates for France's presidential election are campaigning on marketplaces across France. The so-called smaller candidates are trying to close the gap with the top contenders. FRANCE 24's Campaign Commentator Philip Turle tells us why Marine Le Pen has been eating into Emmanuel Macron's lead in the polls. Plus, our reporters dive into the world of French Trotskyists.