Large numbers of French people are voting in the second round of parliamentary elections. Turnout at midday was the highest in over forty years. Attention is focused on whether the far- right National Rally can win an absolute majority.

Also in the programme: Reports quoting Hamas sources say the militant group has accepted Washington’s proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages; and for how much longer can Joe Biden resist pressure to stand aside as the Democratic party's presidential candidate?

(Photo: A woman exits a voting booth with her ballot in hand in the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, at a polling station in Paris, France, July 7, 2024. REUTERS/Yara Nardi)