It’s one of the most iconic motor races in the world. The "24 hours of Le Mans" race marks a centenary this year. Seven auto manufacturers will be fighting for overall victory with 16 teams represented. The unique race tests its participants' reliability and endurance and encourages innovation. The 13,626km track attracts hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world every year. The endurance classic is both a physical and mental challenge for the drivers; the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours wins.

2022 was the most devastating year ever for wildfires in France. The Bordeaux region in the country’s south west was especially hard hit. This as the climate emergency seen globally is increasingly making its presence felt in temperate zones. So, how is France now preparing for the summer ahead? Have lessons been learned from last year?

France counts approximately 150,000 online influencers. Their work can include product placement, tutorials and even promoting cosmetic surgery. While most influencers struggle to make a living from their craft, some have made it a lucrative business. But sometimes, scams can lurk behind the products being peddled by influencers. French lawmakers are currently examining a bill aimed at regulating the industry. We meet one of the MPs behind the bill and speak to a man who fell victim to a scam promoted by an influencer. We also meet a French content creator who no longer wants to be called an influencer.

According to figures from the French Ministry of Gender Equality, every year in France, 94,000 women report being victims of rape or attempted rape. But in 2021, barely 1 percent of the reported assaults resulted in a conviction. In addition to the emotional and psychological trauma, rape victims also have to deal with an unyielding administrative system and stereotypes, which often affect procedures and verdicts. FRANCE 24's Marie Schuster and James Mulholland report.

As the UK prepares to celebrate King Charles III's coronation, we focus on the love affair between the British royal family and Paris, which has been both long and reciprocal. A series of landmarks are dedicated to British monarchs in the capital, such as Avenue Victoria – named after Queen Victoria, who in 1855 made the first state visit to Paris in over 400 years. In 1918, George V Avenue was renamed in honour of the British king for recognition of his role as monarch during World War I.

For years, autism was underdiagnosed in France because of a lack of medical training for professionals. Now adults, thousands of people on the autism spectrum have had to spend years waiting for a diagnosis and try to adapt to life without one. They spoke to Sonia Baritello and Jonathan Walsh about their long, uphill battle.

In France, mothers face a nightmare battle to protect their children after they accuse the father of incest. While police and social services investigate, these mothers are forced to respect custody arrangements or face fines and even prison sentences. They are undermined and labelled as "over-protective", "manipulative" and desperate to gain exclusive custody, while their children have to spend weekends and holidays with their accused perpetrators. Some end up breaking the law to protect their children.

In March 2020, Paris emptied as the first Covid-19 lockdown was announced. City dwellers fled and sought refuge in the countryside. Three years later, what has become of those Parisians who embarked on a new way of life? And how has the arrival of these "neo-rurals" affected the local landscape? Our team went looking for the answers in the Perche regional park in north-western France, an area where many Parisians have settled.

Since January, millions of people have taken to the streets across France in protest at the government's pension reform plans. Women have been unmissable and essential to the demonstrations. Indeed, retirement reflects one's career, but it also reveals a lifetime of inequality: in France, women's pensions are 40 percent lower than those of men. How does this happen? When is the die cast for French women? FRANCE 24's Catherine Viette and Julie Chouteau take a closer look in this special edition of France in Focus.

This week, we're focusing on those who brave the stage in the hope that we'll be left rolling in the aisles. French comedy clubs are frequently full for one-man shows, and there's an Anglophone pack of stand-uppers eager to make France titter and giggle. We went to meet two of them.