France in focus FRANCE 24 English

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 trapped. But the Allies achieved a strategic victory that changed the course of history. FRANCE 24's Florence Gaillard and Héloïse Mélan report.

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 medical aid in dying and those who are opposed to it.

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 lease of life for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. FRANCE 24 takes you behind the scenes.

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 revolution in 1920s Paris; a statement of intent that was to have repercussions far beyond the French capital in the years that followed.

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 outside. Meanwhile, life has resumed on the Île de la Cité, the island that's home to Notre-Dame in the historical heart of the French capital. The square in front of the cathedral and its surroundings are even set for a makeover. FRANCE 24's team went to meet local residents.