Landslide majority in sight for Macron as France elects parliament

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.

The French military left a remote base in northern Mali before dawn for the last time last week, with 100 vehicles forming a miles-long convoy across the barren desert terrain. Helicopters whirred above as air support for hundreds of troops in trucks and armoured cars leaving the camp near the town of Gossi.

A Roman Catholic priest has begun documenting the stories of those whose lives have been devastated by the war in Ukraine. Father Patrick Desbois is a former head of the Church's Commission for Relations with Judaism and spent years documenting the murder of 1.5 million Jews by the Nazis in Ukraine. He has now turned his attention to the present day, gathering eyewitness accounts from victims of what he says are war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russian troops. He joined us for Perspective.

Russia's decision to cut off gas to Poland and Bulgaria continues to dominate the papers as fears grow that Moscow could make similar moves against other European countries like Germany. Meanwhile in India, the bulldozer has become a symbol of PM Narendra Modi's repression against Muslims. Finally, as Emmanuel Macron thwarts a cherry tomato attack while visiting a Parisian food market, we explore a long-standing French tradition of president-heckling.

French voters have re-elected Emmanuel Macron for another five-year term, handing him victory over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen for the second time in a row. So what's next for the French economy and the number one issue for voters, the cost of living crisis? Kate Moody asks Frederik Ducrozet, senior European Economist at Pictet Wealth Management.

In one of the final televised debates before the first round of the French presidential election, the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon claimed that if he were elected, he would become the head of the European Union for six months. FRANCE 24's Georgina Robertson and Sophie Samaille look at what it actually means to be at the helm of the Presidency of the Council of the EU and how long the French presidency will last.

World number one Novak Djokovic says Spanish teenager and newly-crowned Madrid Open champion Carlos Alcaraz is a favorite to win the French Open this year.

Elisabeth Borne has been appointed France's new prime minister. The former transport, ecology and labour minister faces numerous challenges, with the most pressing priority being helping French households with the soaring cost of living. She will also need to tackle the thorny issue of pension reform as well as steer the country through a major energy transition. Plus, Moscow residents display mixed feelings after US fast food giant McDonald's announces it's pulling out of Russia for good.

After becoming the first French president in two decades to win re-election, Emmanuel Macron now has to convince enough voters to once again give him a mandate in next month's legislative elections. A centrist who this time has to face an unusually united left, Macron has to persuade the electorate to stick with free-market reform, while shedding his "too clever for his own good" image.

Some 300 million pairs of socks are sold in France every year. Although most are made in China, some small French firms are carving out a market with their "made in France" offerings. One of them is Broussaud. For three generations, this family-run business based in the Limousin region has been constantly innovating, with increasingly complex designs. FRANCE 24 went to find out the secret of its success.

We look at reactions from the European and Russian papers as the EU agrees to a deal to ban up to 90 percent of Russian oil imports by the end of the year. Also, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin is slammed for blaming the Champions League final fiasco on fake tickets. Plus, we look ahead to a "night of giants" as Rafael Nadal takes on Novak Djokovic in the highly-anticipated quarter finals at the French Open.

Like the poverty threshold, France's Inequality Observatory has published a report defining who is considered financially wealthy in the country. But first, we see how Saudi Arabia could step in to boost global oil production. Also, we take a look at Sheryl Sandberg's legacy following her decision to step down from her role as COO of Facebook's parent company Meta. Finally, we discuss the economic impact of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.