France in focus

On November 14, 1994, the rail operator Eurostar launched its high-speed services through the Channel Tunnel. A historic day that saw Paris and London connected in record time but the 30-year journey hasn't always run smoothly. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look.

In its early days, the cross-Channel route was a success: each year, Eurostar transported around 10 million passengers without any major incidents. Travelling to London became as easy as heading to Lyon or another major regional city.

However, the last few years have brought significant challenges, starting with Brexit and the reintroduction of customs between the UK and the European Union. This came as a shock for many travellers, who were used to crossing borders freely, almost forgetting the separation of sea between the island and the continent. Then came the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which nearly spelled the end for Eurostar. Due to health restrictions, only a couple of trains were allowed to run each day, with very few passengers on board.

Eurostar was forced to adapt. It merged with the service connecting Paris to Brussels, previously known as Thalys. Now, Eurostar is looking to expand to major European cities like Amsterdam and Cologne. The brand also appeals to travellers from other continents who are keen to explore Europe by train.

Despite soaring ticket prices and numerous obstacles, Eurostar is determined to stay on the right track.

The Vendée Globe, the greatest sailing race in the world, is often called the Everest of the Seas. It’s extreme and it’s all about resilience and high technology. Every four years, skippers set out to conquer the most hostile oceans. This solo, non-stop, unassisted race around the planet that lasts nearly three months is a dangerous yet thrilling adventure. Ahead of this year's edition, FRANCE 24's Aurore Cloé Dupuis and Cédric Ferreira take a deep dive into the world of yacht racing and discover how sailors prepare for challenges at sea.

Is there anybody out there? In France, an organisation exists whose sole role is to answer this question. The GEIPAN, part of the French space agency, decodes dozens of cases each year. They try to find rational reasons to seemingly impossible sightings. In most cases they succeed, but a total of 99 phenomena remain unexplained to this day. Our reporters Joanna Cockerell and Sylvain Rousseau went to meet the detectives to see how they work and to understand why there is currently increased interest in UFOs.  

French-language music took centre stage during the Paris Olympics, with giant karaokés, star-studded ceremonies and a medley of styles and sounds. Boosted also by TV series, online streaming and a 30 percent increase in French music exports, Francophone songs are on a roll. In this week’s France in Focus, we take a deep dive into the French music scene and look at whether it can keep up the momentum, as well as what it means for the French language.

For several decades now, France has been struggling with doctors leaving rural areas and people there not being able to access medical care. Maternity wards are also part of this trend, with 30 percent of them shutting down over the past 20 years. The health ministry wants to pool resources into larger, better-equipped maternity wards to protect patients’ safety, but medical teams and patients are worried. What consequences do mothers-to-be face when you have to drive an hour to give birth? And what health risks does this situation pose for newborns? FRANCE 24’s Claire Paccalin and Pauline Godart went to investigate for France in Focus.

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 riflemen were replaced by untrained, White members of the Resistance. As the country celebrates 80 years since the end of the Nazi occupation, FRANCE 24 pays tribute to these long-forgotten soldiers and highlights their key role in the Provence landings. 

In 1944, France was keen to take part in its own liberation, along with its British and American allies. But in a bid to create the Second Armoured Division, General Leclerc needed resources and equipment from the US. At the time, segregation was imposed by the US Army; Black and White soldiers didn't fight together. For the US, allowing Black troops to liberate Paris was out of the question. On August 25, 1944, when French soldiers paraded down the Champs-Élysées, not a single Black soldier took part in the celebrations. 

Colonial troops suffered further humiliation despite the success of the Provence landings. In September 1944, the military command decided to pull up to 20,000 African riflemen out of the French army. The aim was to "whiten" the ranks. These highly trained soldiers were forced to spend winter in transit camps while white, inexperienced members of the Resistance took their place on the frontlines. 

FRANCE 24's Aurore Cloé Dupuis, Florence Gaillard and Jonathan Walsh tell us more about the other D-Day, in this new episode of "France in Focus". 

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 lives of Saint-Exupéry.

With thanks to: Le Scribe Paris Opéra hotel

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 Aurore Dupuis report.

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 the president and prime minister come from different parties. France has known three periods of cohabitation since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958. From arm wrestling to compromise, what lessons can be drawn from the past? FRANCE 24's Sonia Baritello and Claire Paccalin take a closer look in this edition of France in Focus.

Special thanks to Agathe Le Mouroux, hôtel Mercure Paris Tour Eiffel Pont Mirabeau

Le Littré Hotel

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 how the man behind "The Count of Monte Cristo" defied all the odds to become one of France's greatest and much-loved writers.