A a former hotel driver stands accused of driving Hutus who massacred Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994. In the late 1990s he moved to France, tried and failed to obtain asylum but became a French citizen in 2010.

The response to the tragic drownings on the English Channel has spiraled into a political spat between France and the UK, delaying proactive solutions to prevent future tragedies.

American-born entertainer-turned-resistance fighter and civil rights activist Josephine Baker is the latest to get the ultimate recognition from the French state: entombment in the Pantheon. That begs the questions: what does it take to be a national hero in France?

This week, we take you behind the scenes of one of Paris’ most beautiful landmarks: the Pantheon. A symbol of France’s values and collective memory, the mausoleum houses the remains of some of the country’s most esteemed men and women. On November 30, the Franco-American performer Josephine Baker will be reinterred there. But this selection requires more than just excellence. The choice is at the discretion of the President, and the reasons behind it are very political. FRANCE 24 explains.

Ghana's digital innovation week brings together pacesetters, entrepreneurs and investors all seeking to use technology for real social change.

The hotel chain Marriott has said bookings at its South African locations have been hit by new Covid-19 travel restrictions, but that they have "not seen a huge number of cancellations as yet". President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticised the travel bans imposed on his country and its neighbours after the Omicron variant was first identified there. Marriott's EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) President, Satya Anand, told FRANCE 24 that the company is hopeful the effects will merely be temporary.

French fashion businesses here in France tend to go one of two ways: either they fail, or they thrive, before being bought up by a powerful luxury group. But some companies do manage to resist that fate – weathering economic crises, the challenges of a globalised economy and now the pandemic, all on their own. So how exactly do they do it and what makes them tick? We went to meet independent shoemakers Arche in the Loire Valley and Paris-based Weston to find out.

In this edition, we take you to the South Pacific and the French territory of New Caledonia, which is gearing up for a high-stakes vote on independence on December 12. While other overseas territories are fully integrated into France, New Caledonia stands apart because it is still considered a colony. The reasons for that are rooted in its history – we take a closer look. To fully understand what's at stake, we speak to anthropologist and historian Benoît Trépied.

France is home to some of the biggest luxury brands in the world. While many everyday businesses have struggled to bounce back from the health crisis, it’s been just the opposite for the most exclusive French labels. Jean-Noël Kapferer, professor emeritus of marketing, talks us through the success of luxury brands bouncing back from the pandemic. We also see how the luxury sector is making its way into the second-hand market, bringing in a whole new clientele.

In the south of France, the rocky inlets known as "Les Calanques" become popular as soon as spring arrives. Whether it's in Figuerolles, Cassis, Port-Miou or Marseille, these little coves are only accessible by sea. With their turquoise waters, they are small havens of peace. FRANCE 24 takes you to meet the people who live there all year round, guardians of this stunning natural beauty.

Nine years after Timbuktu welcomed them as liberators, French troops are withdrawing from their final outpost in Mali's far north. There's no unruliness here, but also no cries of mission accomplished: the jihadist radicals who scattered when French-led forces intervened have long since morphed into a low-intensity insurgency with raids as far away as the far north of Benin. With the summer's chaos in Afghanistan still fresh in memories, when is the right time to end military intervention?

Nine years after Timbuktu welcomed them as liberators, French troops are withdrawing from their final outpost in Mali's far north. There's no unruliness here, but also no cries of mission accomplished: the jihadist radicals who scattered when French-led forces intervened have long since morphed into a low-intensity insurgency with raids as far away as the far north of Benin. With the summer's chaos in Afghanistan still fresh in memories, when is the right time to end military intervention?