France in focus

FRANCE 24 English
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France in focus

An in-depth look at the political and social events shaping France. Monday at 3:45pm Paris time.

  1. DEC 16

    The Chauvet cave: Unlocking France's prehistoric past

    This week, France in Focus heads underground to explore the "Sistine Chapel" of prehistory. Thirty years ago, three explorers discovered the Chauvet cave, a site in southeastern France that was cut off from the world for thousands of years. Inside, paintings and engravings dating back 36,000 years decorate the walls. The site is sealed off to the general public, but each year a team of scientists heads inside to try to work out what life was like at the time. FRANCE 24's Jon Walsh and Joanna Cockerell report.

    12 min

  2. DEC 10

    Oysters in hot water: Pollution and poaching threaten production

    For oyster farmers, the year-end holiday period is a vital one as they make around a third to half of their annual sales during this time. But last year was catastrophic for some oyster producing regions in France after sales were banned following a spate of food poisonings in parts of the country. Along with a tarnished image, oyster farmers also have to deal with an uptick in poaching, and rising seawater temperatures which threaten production.

    11 min

  3. DEC 3

    Notre-Dame Cathedral: At the heart of a changing neighbourhood in Paris

    Since the 2019 fire that devastated Notre-Dame, the historic centre of Paris has been affected by extensive renovation works. Now, five years later, the reopening of the cathedral on Saturday, December 7 is bringing hope to locals and businesses that have faced years of disruption, dwindling tourism and financial struggles.

    12 min

  4. NOV 11

    Eurostar: Thirty years of challenges

    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.

    12 min

  5. NOV 5

    Vendée Globe 2024: Conquering the oceans and the seas

    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.

    12 min

  6. OCT 21

    Meeting France's UFO detectives

    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.

    12 min

  7. SEP 30

    French music flexes its muscles abroad

    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.

    12 min

  8. SEP 24

    French maternity care: A postcode lottery?

    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.

    12 min
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4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

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An in-depth look at the political and social events shaping France. Monday at 3:45pm Paris time.

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