Perspective

In this edition, British photographer Mark Neville, who is based in Kyiv, talks about his passion for the future of Ukraine and his belief that the country will win the war with Russia that started after Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. He has spoken with FRANCE 24 multiple times to share some of the still photographs he has taken in Ukraine – both in major cities like Kyiv and from the frontline. This time, he showed us some of the footage he filmed as he went about taking his pictures.

In this edition, a climatologist talks to FRANCE 24 about our changing weather patterns and their effects on wildfires currently raging across Europe. Dr. Alan Kennedy-Asser, Senior researcher at the University of Bristol, sheds light on the issue against a backdrop of hundreds of French firefighters just managing to contain two fires that have raged across parts of the famous Fontainebleau forest near Paris.

A leading environmentalist is warning that the destruction of the world's biodiversity is one of the defining challenges of our time – and one that deserves far greater public attention. Marc-André Selosse, a professor at the French National Museum of Natural History and the University of Gdańsk, and author of the new book "De la biodiversité comme un humanisme" (Biodiversity as a Form of Humanism), argues that nature should be protected not only for its own sake, but because it is essential to humanity's future. He has also criticised politicians, pointing out that biodiversity accounted for just one percent of the debate during France's 2022 presidential election campaign. He spoke to us on Perspective.

One of the world's leading, multi-award-winning environmentalists has told FRANCE 24 how a childhood passion became a lifelong commitment. Krithi Karanth explained how her father nurtured her love of nature over 17 years, taking her into the jungle from the age of just one. She is now a conservation biologist and CEO of the Centre for Wildlife Studies in India, where she and her team work to protect a wide range of species, from Asian elephants and tigers to honey bees. She spoke to us on Perspective.

The Danish Refugee Council has warned that the latest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is complicating an already strained humanitarian situation. In a recent report, the NGO stressed the response to the health emergency "must not hollow out the aid programming that is holding communities together". Speaking to FRANCE 24, Secretary-General Charlotte Slente lamented a "funding crisis" that had already begun before the Ebola outbreak, adding that with the arrival of the virus, "there's a risk these resources are now turned into a response to Ebola".

For Acantha Lang, soul music is "honest" and "moving". The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter told FRANCE 24 that she believes "when people really connect with soul music, there's a kind of magic that happens". Born in New Orleans, Lang says she was "always around" the sounds of soul, jazz and blues, adding: "no matter where I am, I carry New Orleans in my spirit and in my music".

Independent UN investigators are calling for action after releasing a report detailing what they call “deliberate killing of Palestinian children” by Israel. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry says that since October 7, 2023, the "essence of childhood" has been "destroyed" in Gaza and the West Bank. Speaking with FRANCE 24, Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said that among the vast evidence collected were testimonies from doctors who said children were admitted to their care with "gunshot wounds specifically targeted at the head and the neck to cause maximum damage". 

Her paintings are rich, layered works that feature distorted or warped figures – something that Georgia Semple says represents the "loss of perception" that one experiences throughout one's life. Speaking to FRANCE 24, the London-based artist explains how themes of faith and addiction as well as her Guyanese heritage are expressed in her thought-provoking works. She says she hopes her paintings might prompt viewers to question "their own truths" or "how faith might show up in their lives".

The King of the Paris Voguing scene tells FRANCE 24 how the art form is about your own liberation and freedom. Voguing has been widely championed in France by the LGBTQ+ community. Originating in the 1980s from the 1960s Harlem ballroom scene, the dance combines fashion, posing and self-expression. In Perspective, we speak to the Father of the international House of Revlon, Vinii.

NGOs are accusing the European Union of being "complicit in horrific violations and abuses in Libya". Amnesty International in particular says the EU is effectively cooperating with what it calls a xenophobic and racist country. The accusation comes as Europe has moved to bolster efforts to stem migration and introduced the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum, overhauling how the bloc manages its borders. In Perspective, we spoke to an advocacy officer for migration at Amnesty International France, Diane Fogelman.

As the UK marks a decade since the Brexit vote that took it out of the European Union, our reporter who's been back to gauge the mood in the UK says no one seems happy with the result. To mark the anniversary, FRANCE 24 filmed a special edition of our Revisited programme, talking to some of those most affected by the decision. Clovis Casali says he found that those who voted to remain are still unhappy that the UK is now no longer an EU member, while those who voted to leave say politicians let them down after the referendum and the hard Brexit they wanted never happened. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A male ballet dancer is on a mission to encourage more male dancers to take up the more traditional female role of one who goes up on his or her toes, or en pointe. Kadeem En Pointe has filmed himself for the first time here in Paris dancing in front of the city's major monuments. He spoke to us about his ongoing campaign in Perspective.

A Ukrainian woman who quit her job on Wall Street to return to Ukraine to work as a medic on the front line has told FRANCE 24 she simply couldn't sit on the sidelines. Viktoriia Honcharuk was just starting her career when the war broke out. But she felt that if she had children in the future she wanted to be able to look them in the eyes and say she did everything possible to make sure they had a future. She spoke to us in Perspective.

The CEO of a French group that fights for the rights of women and children in France has hit out at the French government and justice system. Her comments come after the murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna. The prime suspect in the case is a man who had previously been reported to police as a suspected sex offender. Sarah McGrath of Women for Women France says the case of Lyhanna is unfortunately not exceptional, and shows the typical functioning of the French justice system. She spoke to us in Perspective.

The director of a film that shows how the people of Sudan have spent years fighting for their freedom has spoken of its power. Amid the civil war in Sudan that has killed tens of thousands since it broke out in 2023, a film made four years earlier during the 2019 uprising against the dictatorship has become something of a beacon for the Sudanese people. "Sudan, Remember Us" is being shown in Paris at a masterclass that discusses how difficult and important it is to film demonstrations and uprisings so that they can be show in the future. We spoke to director Hind Meddeb in Perspective.

As the World Cup kicks off, many are asking whether the beautiful game is still as beautiful as it once was. The build-up to the tournament has been beset by geopolitical crises, visa problems, environmental concerns, and fears that business interests have taken over. So is a celebration of the sport itself still possible? In Perspective, we spoke to David Webber, Senior Lecturer in Sports Business and Politics at the University Campus of Football Business.

On the day that the new tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona is to be blessed by the pope, a sculptor whose work is to be placed inside the new parts of the famous building has told FRANCE 24 that she's very excited to be a small part of it. French sculptor Béatrice Bizot has lived near Barcelona for over 20 years and has created a statue of the patron saint of pilgrims, Saint Roch, who was born in the French city of Montpellier. She says that seeing human beings capable of such a beautiful thing as the Sagrada Familia is incredible. 

One of the world's leading cancer specialists has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how people need more support to modify their habits to help prevent cancer. Professor Antoine Italiano is just back in France after attending the world's largest cancer conference in Chicago. He told us about new detections and treatments, as well as his own speciality of antibody drugs. He spoke to us in Perspective.

There are real fears that up to 70 percent of girls will soon be in early or forced marriages in Afghanistan. To make matters worse, a new law now means that divorce at any future stage would be totally impossible if the husband were to disagree. Activists say this shameful new law will further place girls and women in a subordinate, legally unequal position to men. Mursal Sayas, a writer, journalist and founder of the NGO Women Beyond Borders told us more in Perspective.

A climate scientist has told FRANCE 24 that we should all watch out and prepare for the strong possibility of an extremely hot summer in the northern hemisphere in the coming months. The World Meteorological Organization is warning that the El Nino phenomenon is set to develop in the Pacific between now and the end of August, increasing the risk of extreme weather events. Climate scientist at the University of Oxford, Chloe Brimicombe, spoke to us in Perspective.

As millions of Lebanese remain displaced from their homes amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah, Elsa Softic, deputy chief of operations at Première Urgence Internationale, told FRANCE 24 how her organisation is helping those affected. She spoke to us in Perspective.

Now that France has finally repealed the so-called Code Noir or Black Code, experts are urging the country to also consider the issue of reparations. The Code Noir was the law that effectively regulated slavery by making people like property, notably in the French colonies – enabling people to be worked, beaten, sold, raped and even killed. It was only repealed last week, even though France abolished slavery back in 1848. In Perspective, we spoke to Olivette Otele, a historian and professor at SOAS in London.

A group formed in Paris but now based in the US have told FRANCE 24 that the move has been like a rebirth for their music. Fleur bleu·e were created by a couple who lived above a bar in Paris, but swapped that life for one in a small town in the woods of Pennsylvania. They sing in both French and English as their aim is to address their music beyond France. Their new album is called "Question Marked Upon the World". Fleur bleu·e spoke to us in Perspective.

A world-renowned Irish journalist and author whose reporting from conflict zones and migration routes has earned international recognition has told FRANCE 24 that in her reporting she sees love every day, and that journalists don't always convey that. Sally Hayden is a winner of the Orwell Prize, and in her new book "This is Also a Love Story" she turns away from the headlines and statistics to focus on love, as well as connection and human resilience in the middle of catastrophe. She spoke to us in Perspective.

The woman whose song was at the heart of the Arab Spring has told FRANCE 24 that even 15 years later she looks back on her role, and the role of the protesters with admiration. Tunisian-American artist Emel Mathlouthi's song Kelmti Horra, or "My Word is Free", became something of an anthem at the time as uprisings against the authorities sprang up in one county after another. This weekend she's in concert here in Paris, and she joined us beforehand in Perspective.

A world-renowned philosopher has told FRANCE 24 she's still shocked that 20 years after she coined the phrase "epistemic injustice", she is still talking about it. Miranda Fricker is now Julius Silver Professor of Philosophy at New York University and co-director of the New York Institute of Philosophy. She's also a fellow of the British Academy and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She's in Paris for a two-day conference at Sciences Po University on discursive practices, that is the way people use language, symbols, stories and the media to influence political events. In Perspective, she spoke to us about the latest theories and how they relate to the fake news environment of today.

A Palestinian charity says its daily work to provide food for Gazans by bicycle delivery is a form of resistance. The Gaza Sunbirds are a team of people, often athletes, who are dedicated to bringing food to those who need it most. They deliver food across the war-torn enclave by bicycle, working alongside other charities. We spoke to one of the co-founders, Karim Ali, in Perspective.

An up-and-coming soul star has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her love for music, and her new collaboration with the megastar Elton John. Nectar Woode was raised in the UK by British Ghanaian parents, and is already becoming a huge star with a series of releases, her latest called "Naturally". She also gave us the exclusive news that her next track due out in June has Elton John playing keyboards. She spoke to us in Perspective.

A vaccination and epidemic response adviser who is about to fly out to DR Congo to try to help in the fight against Ebola has told FRANCE 24 that the signs are the current outbreak will be a serious one. Already more than 130 people have been killed, with over 500 more cases detected. John Johnson is vaccination and epidemic response advisor at MSF and is due to fly to DR Congo on Thursday. He explained that part of the problem is that tests had been carried out for a more common strain of Ebola, so they were coming back negative. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A Palestinian and Israeli who have both lost family members in the conflict in the Middle East spoke to Perspective about their message of hope for the world. Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian whose brother was killed by the Israeli military, and Maoz Inon an Israeli whose parents were killed by Hamas in October of 2023.  It was after their deaths, that Aziz reached out to Maoz, and from that moment grew their book “The future of Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land”, which is also now being launched in French as “La Paix est notre Avenir”.

A British photographer who lives in Kyiv has told FRANCE 24 how he doesn't believe the war in Ukraine is coming to an end. Mark Neville takes his photographs to tell the real stories of the Ukrainian people as they fight for their country against the Russian invasion. Amid the latest more positive news from the front line and further signs that Ukraine is finding new ways of fighting back, he says it is best to take things one day at a time. He also says that while Russian leader Vladimir Putin is obviously under pressure, that does not necessarily mean the end of the conflict is around the corner. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A photographer and filmmaker who's published a book of incredible photographs from the six countries that span the Congo Basin has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his love for the rainforest. Thomas Nicolon used to be FRANCE 24's correspondent in Kinshasa, and says he's been very fortunate to build a career out of his childhood dreams. His book "Kongo" takes us on a journey through the world's second-largest tropical rainforest of nearly 4 million square kilometres. He spoke to us in Perspective.

An international award-winning documentary maker has told FRANCE 24 that his expulsion from Hong Kong proves that the city is no longer what it was. Antoine Védeilhé has been covering Hong Kong for years and was aiming to make a documentary about how life has changed there under Chinese rule. The authorities, though, detained him at the airport and forced him to leave.

Every single second, two pieces of child sexual abuse material are shared online. Now, an international group that fights to address the causes and effects of sexual violence against children and adolescents is singling out France for particular criticism. The NGO Cameleon says that France, and the rest of Europe as well, is becoming a haven for online child sexual abuse content.

Black journalists remain underrepresented in French media and for those who do break in, the barriers don't end there. From elite journalism schools to newsroom hiring, many describe a system shaped by exclusion, stereotypes and unequal opportunity. So how deep does the problem go, and what needs to change? Those questions are at the heart of a round table here in Paris this Thursday on the experiences of Black journalists. Journalist Estelle Ndjandjo is the host. She spoke to us in Perspective.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing his biggest test yet as the UK heads to the polls on Thursday for local elections. Voters in England will be charged with picking their local councillors, while in Scotland and Wales, representatives of the devolved parliaments will be elected. Polls are already predicting the ruling Labour Party will suffer its worst results in decades, with Reform UK and the Green Party expected to make gains. We look ahead to the vote with Colm Murphy, senior lecturer in British politics at Queen Mary University. 

The 13th edition of the NollywoodWeek Film Festival is back in Paris, with a theme of "Voyage", taking audiences to Nigeria and beyond. It's an industry worth over $6 billion and growing fast, but it's also at a turning point, caught between global expansion and the pressures of streaming, technology and who gets to tell its stories. Serge Noukoué, co-founder of the NollywoodWeek Film Festival, spoke to us in Perspective.

He's spent more than two decades documenting the realities of war, including years working alongside US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. But photographer Peter van Agtmael's work goes beyond the battlefield. He's equally interested in how those wars echo back home, and that's the focus of his photo book "Look at the U.S.A.: A Diary of War and Home". By pairing images of conflict with jarring snapshots of everyday American life in the post-9/11 era, he draws a stark connection between distant conflicts and their lasting impact on life in the United States. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A Beirut-based filmmaker whose debut feature film has been described as an ode to the collective courage of the Lebanese people has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the film and her love for the city. Lana Daher has spent years working in Beirut and the last six years delving through thousands of hours of footage from Lebanon. That work comes together in her film "Do You Love Me". She spoke to us in Perspective.

One of the world's leading historians on the Palestinian people has told FRANCE 24 about how there is a future basis for peace in the region. Rashid Khalidi has spent years writing a series of books on the region and its conflicts, often through the eyes of his own family. He says that millions of people are not going to leave their land, so there's a basis for the two peoples to figure something out. Khalidi is in Paris for several appearances, including at the Arab World Institute. He spoke to us in Perspective.

"Far-right France" is the title of a panel discussion being held this Tuesday at the American Library in Paris. The panel will talk about the past, present and future of France's far-right movements, exactly one year head of crucial French presidential elections for which the far right is riding high in the polls. But can it actually go all the way and win? We put that question to one of the panelists, Victor Mallet, who is senior editor at the Financial Times and author of "Far-right France: Le Pen, Bardella and the Future of Europe".

A French makeup artist who has worked regularly at the White House, including at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner itself, has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her experience and the security surrounding the US president. Audrey Lefèvre has made up Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, as well as more recently Ivanka Trump and other members of the Trump family. She says the gunman at the dinner on Saturday only breached the first of many levels of security.

Lebanon's country director for the charity CARE has told FRANCE 24 that life for the Lebanese is a perpetual challenge that people have to overcome. Michael Adams says the ceasefire there is very fragile, and the constant infractions mean people don't have confidence in it. He told us about how many people have to live either in the streets, or in cars, parks or stadiums, and how so many of them are traumatised by the conflict. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A risk management analyst has spoken to FRANCE 24 about what it means, amid the ceasefire, if the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. Paymon Azmoudeh is a senior consultant with the risk and compliance practice at Forward Global. He says he thinks the calculation on all sides is that going back to war is not in anyone's interest. He explained to us in Perspective what it means if the status quo continues with the ceasefire largely holding, but the economic impasse ongoing.

A former US Poet Laureate has told FRANCE 24 how we should stop making poems feel like puzzles, and instead embrace them as a way to help us in our perilous times. Tracy K. Smith is now a Harvard professor and the author of five poetry collections, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Life on Mars". Her book "Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times", is being discussed here in Paris this Tuesday. She spoke to us in Perspective.

Less than a week after a fragile ceasefire was announced in Lebanon, a senior Anglophone journalist in the country has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the devastation people are seeing as they start to return home. Thousands of homes have been destroyed in the conflict, and more than a million people displaced. Iva Kovic-Chahine, the head of L'Orient Today, also told us how people are closely following the peace process between Iran and the US, as Lebanon has become something of a card played by Tehran. She spoke to us in Perspective.

A woman who came to the world's attention at the age of just 16 has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how helping women has been an honour for her. Now 22, as a teenager Bohlale Mphahlele invented what she calls the Alerting Earpiece, designed to help protect women against sexual predators. She spoke to us in Perspective about how she continues to fight for women today.

On the third anniversary of the start of the war in Sudan, which has killed tens of thousands of people, an aid worker from one of the main NGOs still there has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the starvation of the people. She also spoke about the incredible way the Sudanese come together to try to help each other. 

An intimacy coordinator has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how their role is to ensure that everyone's humanity is respected on a film or television set. Paloma Garcia Martens has made a career working on some of Europe's top film and television shows, giving advice primarily to actors and actresses about how to achieve the perfect love scene with someone you probably don't want to be with, while being watched by potentially hundreds of crew. Her book is entitled "L'intimité sur un plateau", or "Intimacy on set". She spoke to us in Perspective.

Reactions have been pouring in after the election of Peter Magyar as Hungary's next prime minister, defeating Viktor Orban after 16 years in power. In Perspective, we spoke to Financial Times South-East Europe correspondent Marton Dunai, who said Magyar's two-thirds majority gives him a powerful mandate and makes real change in Hungary now feasible.

The Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative told FRANCE 24 how chaos erupted during Israel's attacks on Beirut. Nadim Houry was on the phone with colleagues as Israel struck around a hundred targets in just ten minutes. He said the attacks on Lebanon could stop immediately if Donald Trump called Benjamin Netanyahu to make clear that the US would no longer supply Israel with weapons. He spoke to us in Perspective.