In France, around 2,000 babies are born every single day, helped along by an army of some 25,000 registered midwives. But it's a profession in crisis. From difficult working conditions and low pay, to complaints about inadequate training, French midwives are sounding the alarm and are increasingly getting organised. We meet Chantal Birman, who was a midwife for five decades. She's the protagonist of a new documentary about her long career working with mothers and babies.

A key part of the global fight to tackle global warming is the idea of carbon neutrality – a state of net zero carbon dioxide emissions. Like many countries and institutions around the world, France has committed to going carbon neutral by 2050. So how exactly is the country planning to get there and, crucially, how is it going so far?

This week, we’re focusing on how France is handling screen addiction in kids. According to the latest figures, over 70 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds in France are in possession of a personal cellphone, the main culprit when it comes to screen dependency. For more on the workings and possible responses to "screen dependency disorder", we meet paediatrician Sylvie Dieu Osika, who is part of a collective of doctors fighting for the issue to become a priority for French authorities.

This week marks 60 years since some 200 Algerians were murdered in central Paris by French police. At the height of the Algerian War of Independence, thousands of people, most of them Algerians living in the suburbs of Paris, descended on the capital demanding an end to French colonial rule in Algeria. The state's response was brutal, and those responsible for the massacre enjoyed protection for many years. We look back at the terrible events of October 17, 1961 and hear from a 92-year-old eyewitness.

It's been exactly 40 years since France's then Socialist government made good on one of François Mitterrand's campaign promises and abolished capital punishment. It was Justice Minister Robert Badinter who spearheaded the push for the death penalty to be scrapped after nearly two centuries of debate. We take a closer look at this chapter in French history. We're also joined by Sandrine Ageorges-Skinner, a French woman who's married to Hank Skinner, a man on death row in Texas. She's long been a campaigner against the death penalty and tells us more about her activism.

This week, we’re focusing on noise pollution in France, in the wake of a new report. For many people living in Paris and other French cities, learning to live with a constant din has become an everyday challenge. To find out more about the medical and financial cost of noise pollution, we talk to Bruitparif director Fanny Mietlicki, who heads the health and environment committee at the National Council for Noise.

According to the latest figures, obesity levels are on the rise, especially among France's youngsters. They're up by at least 75 percent, with 34 percent of 2 to 7-year-olds currently considered overweight or obese. But what actually qualifies as childhood obesity, what stigma does it carry and how does it affect children and their health? We speak to Professor Patrick Tounian, an advisor to the Anti-Obesity League.

On November 13, 2015, gunmen and suicide bombers targeted France's national stadium, a string of Paris bars and restaurants and a packed concert venue, leaving 130 people dead. On September 8 of this year, the trial of 20 people accused of playing a part in those terror attacks is due to begin at a specially built courtroom in Paris. Close to 1,800 civil plaintiffs have been allotted five weeks to give their evidence.

According to the latest figures, just 13 percent of 18-24 year olds turned out to vote in the 2021 municipal elections in France. Yet, rather than a sign of apathy, this lack of engagement seems more akin to an act of defiance. Especially when it comes to addressing their primary concern – the environment. To hear more about it, we meet activist and entrepreneur, Flora Ghebali, who’s released an essay entitled “My generation will change the world”.

With nightclubs finally reopening across France, we're focusing on the recovery of Paris's nightlife from Covid-19. With the coronavirus still in circulation, revellers now have to prove themselves Covid-free before even reaching the dance floor and indoor venues are limited to 75 percent capacity. But Parisians have found other ways to party. Among those who helped beat the pandemic blues is cabaret-style drag act Très Mixity, who staged a nightly show from the windows of a Montmartre building. We went to meet them.