France under lockdown: Love in the time of coronavirus and getting back to school

Jeff Woodke, an American aid worker who was held hostage by militants in Niger for more than six years, has been released, along with French journalist Olivier Dubois, who was kidnapped by militants in 2021 in neighboring Mali. Woodke and Dubois appeared together before reporters in Niger's capital Niamey on Monday.

Once important seats of Christian worship, and now treasures of the country's heritage, French abbeys often have surprising histories. That’s the case of Fontevraud abbey, in the former duchy of Anjou. Run by a woman during its heyday, the abbey was turned into a prison after the French Revolution.

To mark French Language and La Francophonie Week, we head across the Atlantic to New Orleans in Louisiana. Located on the banks of the Mississippi, it's the most French of American cities. Some want to preserve New Orleans' rich colonial heritage.

Viral videos on social media claim to show law enforcement officials in France lowering their helmet, allegedly in sign of support of pension reform demonstrators. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

French financial prosecutors on Tuesday raided several of France's biggest banks, including Société Générale and BNP Paribas, as part of a multicountry investigation into what authorities say is one of Europe's biggest tax thefts.

The French Caribbean overseas department of Martinique has a large agricultural sector, with banana and sugar plantations stretching as far as the eye can see. But the island also relies heavily on food imports.

Russian lawmakers move to make it virtually impossible for eligible citizens to flee conscription, with new penalties and an electronic tracking system. In other news: French actor Gérard Depardieu is accused of sexual violence by multiple women and Libération issues a warning about insect populations being decimated.

We take you to discover rare French firms where master craftspeople with a golden touch keep alive traditional know-how to create the wonders of today. Tours, in the Loire Valley, is home to the Offard workshop, where printers design exceptional new wallpapers and recreate those from the past. Meanwhile, the Auto Classique Touraine garage specialises in restoring the most prestigious pre-war cars by hand.

An internal investigation by French security forces has cleared two police officers who fired rubber bullets at environmental protesters last month, saying the officers acted in self-defence. In recent years, there has been increased scrutiny of police tactics in France, particularly the use of rubber bullets that can break limbs and even cause blindness.

Emmanuel Macron's comments on Taiwan caused a stir. They also drew attention to EU strategic autonomy, a pet project he has promoted for years. But how realistic is it?

France's President Macron has won the day after the Constitutional Council gave him the go-ahead for the key points of his pension reform. But he might struggle to win back French hearts, analysts say.

The law was published in France's official journal after the Constitutional Council endorsed key provisions in the reforms. The controversial increase in the age of retirement triggered months of nationwide protests.