Paris Match cover re imagines height of a former first couple

When she was only a teenager, Valerie Ka graced catwalks across the African continent as a model and muse. As her political consciousness grew, she became a flagbearer for contemporary African fashion around the world. Today, in a boutique hotel in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, she is overseeing the very first edition of her latest project: Share Africa.

Statues, thrones, and ceremonial hatchets are among the 26 artefacts on display at the Quai Branly museum in Paris. The week-long exhibition offers visitors the chance to see the treasures looted from the Kingdom of Dahomey before they return to Benin after 130 years in France. We learn more about the political pressure and cultural policies that brought about this historic restitution.

When you picture the French capital, you probably think of beautiful monuments, romantic cafés and pretty parks. But for many tourists in Paris, the city is just too dirty. Whether it’s the urine-soaked streets, ubiquitous dog poop or countless cigarette butts, the reality of everyday Paris is often at odds with the postcard version. Paris authorities pump a lot of money and manpower into keeping the city clean. So what's the problem? Could it be Parisians themselves? In this episode of French Connections Plus, Florence Villeminot and Genie Godula investigate the capital's filthy reputation.

This Tuesday marks the start of a new phase in the November 2015 terror attacks trial in Paris. After weeks of testimony from survivors and relatives of victims, the court will hear from the defendants. Among them is Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving member of the terrorist commando. French terrorism researcher Kevin Jackson has co-authored a graphic novel exploring the backgrounds of the attackers and the events leading up to the atrocities. He joined us for Perspective.

At Thoiry park, in the Yvelines region outside Paris, there are many surprises in store. Thoiry is not a typical zoo, since the animals live in semi-freedom. The safari is the main attraction. Visitors get around in their own cars or on board a so-called bush truck to discover 180 different species of animals up close, including lions and elephants. FRANCE 24 takes you behind the scenes of the park, which attracts half a million visitors a year.

Carbon consumption by the world's richest individuals is set to continue driving high carbon emissions, according to a new Oxfam report.

Stories of courage, specifically about women, are the theme of a special festival organised this weekend by Amnesty International in Paris. For three days, the curtain will go up on the 12th Cinema and Human Rights Festival. The event invites moviegoers and activists to watch a series of short and longer films and then debate their content. In Perspective, we spoke to coordinator Ievgeniia Sokova.

The French press discusses the new Covid-19 rules and policy changes in President Emmanuel Macron's address to the nation. We also see how French papers are covering the Paris visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris. Finally, the British and Pakistani press are celebrating Malala's happy news.

The Empire State building was lit up with the colours of the French flag this week, in honour of the American-French performer Josephine Baker, who was inducted into France's Panthéon mausoleum on Tuesday. In the US, Josephine Baker is just as beloved as she is in France, and nowhere more so than in Harlem, in New York City. Our correspondents Jessica Le Masurier, Yves Schaeffner and Fanny Chauvin met with New Yorkers to explore Baker's legacy.

France is hosting an international conference to help Libya prepare for elections at the end of 2021. The oil-rich nation is ruled by a fragile unity government put in place after nearly a decade of civil war. European leaders are especially keen to stabilize the country.

For Parisians, the metro ticket is a familiar feature, but one that's gradually disappearing. Public transport authorities in the French capital have started withdrawing the books of 10 cardboard metro tickets known as "le carnet". While the physical paper metro ticket that many Parisians are attached to will not vanish overnight, it's a shift towards a more modern and eco-friendly paperless future. It's not the first time the ticket has evolved. In many ways, the history of the metro ticket mirrors evolutions in French history. We take a closer look in this edition of French Connections.

Archery is becoming one of the interesting, competitive games and recreational activities in the country. Introduced officially in Nigeria in 1997 after the Nigerian Archery Federation was founded, it got affiliated to the World Archery in the same year. Since then, professional archers and team coaches in Nigeria have been training new archers in order to get the country represented at international championships. Currently, the organisation has its eye set on the 2024 Olympics game in Paris.