Macron snap election leaves rivals stunned after EU vote

France's political leaders are scrambling to prepare for snap elections after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament in response to a stinging European vote defeat by the far-right National Rally. These snap legislative elections could be a turning point for Macron's presidency. If the RN wins an absolute majority of seats in the National Assembly, it could provide France's next prime minister.

Also in the programme: a military aircraft in Malawi carrying the country's vice president has been reported missing; and wildfires are raging across the world's largest tropical wetland: the Pantanal, in Brazil.

(Photo: Emmanuel Macron after voting in European Elections Credit: Hannah McKay/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK)