Space wars: Meet the French soldiers scanning the skies

The recent passing of Jane Birkin was a reminder of just how attached French people are to la chanson française, which literally translates to "French songs" but is much more than that. Chanson française is a very distinct genre of music and is intertwined with French culture and history. Several styles of chanson française have emerged over the years, but the defining feature that ties them all together is that it's all about the words. In this episode of French Connections we take you on a musical tour of la chanson française.

A 72-year-old man linked to those involved in the overdose death of actor Michael K Williams has been sentenced to 30 months in prison. Williams, who starred in films and series like 'The Wire' and 'Boardwalk Empire', overdosed in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment in September 2021.

A hundred years ago, painters, sculptors, writers and musicians battled for gold, silver and bronze at the Olympics. To mark a year until the Paris Games, we're looking at the artistic side of the world's biggest sporting event with an exclusive interview with highly acclaimed theatre director Thomas Jolly, who's in charge of the opening and closing ceremonies.

Presidential guards were holding Niger President Mohamed Bazoum inside his palace in the capital Niamey on Wednesday , security sources said, but the presidency said the guards had started an "anti-republican" movement "in vain" and that Bazoum was well.

Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been removed from power, according to a group of soldiers who appeared on the West African nation's national television late on Wednesday, hours after the president was held in the presidential palace.

Bruno Le Maire has said cutting all economic ties with China, as some in the West have proposed, is "an illusion." Germany is among the countries seeking to reduce what it sees as a perilous reliance on the Asian giant.

Saudi Arabian border guards have killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants, including women and children, who attempted to enter the kingdom along its mountainous border with Yemen, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday.

"We cannot give Marine Le Pen an inexorable path to power," French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin warned, as speculation grows that he might be vying to succeed Emmanuel Macron.

Niger's military junta on Friday announced ordered French ambassador Sylvian Itte to leave the country within 48 hours. Macron reiterated Paris' support for ousted President Mohammed Bazoum.

France says it will not budge in its refusal to engage with Niger's coup leaders. A month after their takeover, they issued a Monday deadline to the French ambassador to leave their country, but Paris has insisted its envoy will stay put. Also, Africa sets its own stage in Kenya for conversations about its experience of the ravages of climate change. With the first ever Africa climate summit now a week away, we speak to its CEO about the existential stakes faced by the continent.

This week we're at the 2023 annual MEDEF meeting, where the largest employers' federation in France gets leaders of the country's business community together to discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead – one of them being the transition to a green economy. A world leader when it comes to waste treatment and solutions is French group Veolia. Its CEO Estelle Brachlianoff told FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin about the solutions that waste can provide when it comes to energy.