It's one of the untold stories of World War II: how France whitewashed its colonial troops during the liberation from Nazi rule. On August 15, 1944, experienced fighters who came from all corners of the French empire landed in southern France and won key battles to liberate the nation. But because of the colour of their skin, up to 20,000 African r…

A pilot, writer and illustrator, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry penned "The Little Prince", which has been translated into nearly 600 languages. The Frenchman disappeared 80 years ago during a World War II reconnaissance flight. His death long remained a mystery. FRANCE 24's Aurore Cloé Dupuis, Natacha Vesnitch and Sonia Baritello explore the thousand li…

The Paralympics kick off this Wednesday in Paris and to mark the opening of the Games, our reporters went to meet the French athletes who have brought home gold medals from previous editions of the event. They tell us about the challenges they faced, the obstacles they overcame and their hopes for the 2024 Paralympics. FRANCE 24's David Gilberg and…

On June 9, French President Emmanuel Macron took France by surprise. He dissolved the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, sending the French to the ballot boxes for snap parliamentary elections. After his party's poor showing in the first round of voting, the president could find himself in a scenario known as "cohabitation", where th…

In this week's show, we retrace the turbulent life of 19th-century French writer Alexandre Dumas. The wildly successful mixed-race author faced racism, financial ruin and ghostwriter allegations during his lifetime. It was only 132 years after his death that his remains were laid to rest at the Pantheon mausoleum, in 2002. We retell the story of ho…

Only a few dozen French nationals have gone down in history as Olympic champions. Pole vaulter Jean Galfione, judoka Emilie Andéol and swimmer Alain Bernard tell FRANCE 24 about the day that changed their lives. From their preparation, to their emotions during the competition, to their subsequent careers, this is the story of three gold medallists …

Between the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 and the liberation of Paris on August 25 lies the Battle of Normandy. For three months, the Allied forces fought fiercely against the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany. From heavily bombed towns, to relentless artillery fire and hand-to-hand combat in the "Falaise pocket", Normandy was ravaged and civilians were t…

In this week's show we take a deep dive into the Seine, to find out how Paris's river is preparing for the 2024 Olympics. We see how authorities are racing against time to boost security, curb pollution and keep visitors entertained. With just a few weeks to go before the opening ceremony, one question remains: Will the Seine actually be swimmable?…

French lawmakers are set to debate a new text on assisted dying in France, a parliamentary marathon that could last until the summer of 2025. France currently allows deep sedation but medically-assisted suicide remains illegal. It is a topic that is deeply divisive in France; to find out why, we went to meet patients and caregivers who campaign for…

It's a colossus of glass, metal, and stone with a location that makes all the other Paris monuments envious. Located between the Seine and the Champs-Élysées, the Grand Palais was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle world fair to showcase French art. Closed three years ago for its first complete renovation in history, it's getting a second le…

In 1924, French poet André Breton wrote a short text with fellow poet and compatriot Louis Aragon that was to send ripples through the world of art and literature, providing a blueprint for the avant-garde movements of the 20th century. One century later, we take a look at how the Surrealist Manifesto prompted an intellectual and artistic revolutio…

Exactly five years ago, the world watched in horror as Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral was ravaged by flames. Today, carpenters and artisans are hammering away to meet a December 8 deadline for the Gothic landmark's grand reopening. Spectators attending the Paris Olympics this summer will already be able to admire the renovated structure from the outs…

Nearly three quarters of French people eat chocolate once a week, consuming an average of 7 kilos per year. But what seems a simple indulgence has a dark side: cacao farming has resulted in massive deforestation. Reports of child labour and farmers who are often unfairly paid have tarnished the industry. Despite all this, chocolate has been conside…

The race for accommodation in Paris could be an Olympic sport in itself. The number of rentals available is plummeting while prices are soaring, yet real estate agents are overwhelmed with demand. From short-term rentals to efficiency upgrades, prospective tenants are paying the price for the ongoing crisis. We take a closer look. Léandre is 27. He…

Text, code, speech, image and even video: you can now create anything in a flash thanks to generative artificial intelligence. This world-changing innovation presents an opportunity for France, which hasn’t been a leader in tech since the dawn of the internet. The French government is currently investing 1.5 billion euros into AI, and has champione…

His life was worthy of a novel. An Armenian orphan who arrived in France as a stateless refugee and became a poet and Communist activist, Missak Manouchian was a figure of the French Resistance during World War II. Exactly 80 years to the day after his execution by the Nazis, Manouchian is taking his place in the Panthéon mausoleum alongside France…

It's an annual celebration of ruckus and revelry: carnival season has kicked off in France, bringing an explosion of colour to the grey months of winter. From the Latin "carne vale" meaning "farewell to meat", the ancient festival has evolved into a collective moment of excess ahead of the Christian period of Lent. From overseas in Guadeloupe, to d…

Paris is preparing to hold the Olympics this summer, but did you know that the last time the French capital hosted the Games was exactly 100 years ago? Much has been forgotten about the 1924 Olympics, but records were broken, champions were made and more women athletes took part than ever before. FRANCE 24's Stéphanie Trouillard and Claire Paccalin…

Located in the heart of the French Caribbean, Guadeloupe is best known for its beaches, rivers and waterfalls. But beyond the postcard image, more than 70 percent of wastewater treatment plants in the island are out of order – or nearly – despite significant funding, particularly from the European Union. The result is a health and environmental cat…

It's a pastry that's synonymous with the month of January in France. At the start of every year the "galette des rois", or king cake, fills bakeries across the country and there's one to suit everyone's taste. In this show, we find out more about the origins of this French culinary tradition which, contrary to popular belief, doesn't date back to t…

Since the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel's crushing response in the Gaza Strip, more than 1,500 anti-Semitic acts have been recorded in France – three times as many as in the whole of 2022. For many French Jews, this outpouring of hatred has awakened a feeling of vulnerability. We went to meet Rachel Jedinak, a survivor of the World War II Vel d…

France in Focus shines a light on how Paris went from utter darkness to the illuminated city of today. The team meets a passionate group of electricity enthusiasts to discover some of the most famous lamps that have lit up the French capital. They also speak to the granddaughter of Fernand Jacopozzi, the engineer who famously illuminated the Eiffel…