We focus on the situation in Mali, where a full withdrawal of French troops fighting Islamist separatists is thought to be imminent. French President Emmanuel Macron has been meeting with African and European counterparts during a dinner in Paris. He is expected to confirm the decision to leave Mali later this week.

The French presidential race has officially started, with the official release of the final list of candidates. Eight men and four women are vying for the top job at the Élysée palace, including incumbent Emmanuel Macron, who held his first campaign event amidst the Ukraine crisis. Our reporter Claire Paccalin followed him on the trail.

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.

We take a look at how the French papers are reacting to President Emmanuel Macron's unveiling of his campaign promises. The press is also praising a viral video by Arnold Schwarzenegger addressed to Russian soldiers. Finally, we hear how one student makes her worries fade away: by singing in the streets.

As we enter the three final weeks of the presidential race, FRANCE 24 reports from Jean-Luc Mélenchon's campaign event in Paris. The charismatic far-left leader hopes to replicate his 2017 performance, coming very close to a second round face-off with Emmanuel Macron. We also take a closer look at the candidate's key proposals regarding immigration as war continues to rage in Ukraine and France prepares to welcome up to 100,000 refugees.

There are just 13 days to go before the first round of the French presidential election. In this edition of the show, we see how the president was called a murderer by some supporters of Eric Zemmour at a rally – and how Macron reacted. We also take a closer look at far-right candidate Marine Le Pen's chaotic visit to the French overseas department of Guadeloupe.

In this edition of the show, we examine the so-called "McKinsey Affair", an issue that French President Emmanuel Macron's opponents have described as a scandal. The incumbent is under fire for paying expensive fees to management consultants for their services in the public sector. Macron's opponents say he should have given precedence to France's highly trained civil servants. Could this issue hurt his presidential campaign?

This week, we start with some good news. Radiation levels are "quite normal" around Chernobyl. The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog confirms that Russian forces have pulled back from the site of Europe's worst-ever nuclear disaster. The IAEA is working with both sides to avoid Chernobyl again becoming a frontline in the war in Ukraine.

Papers focus on the tough choices facing presidential candidates Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Emmanuel Macron as polls show a tighter-than-expected second round run-off with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. French website Mediapart looks at why Ukraine may not be winning the information war outside of the West. Finally, we look at US coverage of Amazon workers in New York making history.

Ahead of the first round of France's presidential election on Sunday, far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon is still trying to channel voters, this time using holograms. On the other side of the political spectrum, the far-right's Marine Le Pen continues to close the gap on incumbent Emmanuel Macron in the polls.

All of a sudden it's neck and neck in the race for the French presidential election. Emmanuel Macron was sitting pretty and on course for a second term. So how has April turned into the cruellest month for the sitting French president? Macron's second term is facing a real threat from far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, as polls show a closing of the gap between the incumbent and his main rival. Could he really lose?

All of a sudden it's neck and neck in the race for the French presidential election. Emmanuel Macron was sitting pretty and on course for a second term. So how has April turned into the cruellest month for the sitting French president? Macron's second term is facing a real threat from far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, as polls show a closing of the gap between the incumbent and his main rival. Could he really lose?