One of the world's leaders in human rights has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her passion for the subject, her deep desire to help people in need, and her love for the world's institutions, such as the UN, that are designed to help combat human rights abuses. Agnès Callamard is currently secretary general of Amnesty International, and was until 2021 the UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions. She worked, among many others, on the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Her new book is entitled "Une enquêtrice à l'ONU", or "An investigator at the UN". She spoke to us in Perspective.

The US Democratic Party here in Paris is defending its record amid the barrage of news coming from the White House. With the daily announcements from US President Donald Trump flooding the media, many have been asking "Where are the Democrats?". This past weekend, though, "Hands Off!" protests were held across the United States, in the largest nationwide show of opposition since Trump returned to office in January. In Perspective, we spoke to Fred Hoffman, spokesperson and secretary for Democrats Abroad in France.

"If you put a positive message to a beat, everybody will listen to it." That's of the mottos of influential bassist Reggie Washington, who has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his love for music, and his wish to pass its delights on to the rest of the planet. Washington, who is in the middle of a tour of European countries, says that he plays music "from the heart" and that it's medicine to the world. He played a key role in the modern jazz revolution of the 1980s and 1990s, touring and recording with the best. He is also co-founder of the organisation Black Lives. He spoke to us in Perspective.

An author described by the Los Angeles Times as a writer of unique genius has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his new novel "Wild Houses". Colin Barrett, who grew up in the northwest of Ireland, bases his books around a series of characters from the region. "Wild Houses" tells the story of a small-town revenge kidnapping that goes very wrong. He says that as a writer you don't choose the subjects and locations yourself, but they choose you. He spoke to us in Perspective.

The director of a highly controversial film that's accused of criticising the regime in Russia has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the incredible success of the film and the threats he has faced because of it. "The Master and Margarita" was filmed before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but once released after the invasion it took on a new meaning. It has now become one of the highest grossing films ever in Russia. Its director Mikhaïl Lockshin, who is also highly critical of the war in Ukraine, spoke to us in Perspective. 

The UN agency for children UNICEF is warning that the world is facing one of the greatest food and nutrition crises of our time. That as 45 million children around the world suffer from wasting, 150 million children have stunted growth, and every single year maternal malnutrition contributes to 800,000 newborn deaths. Those figures are released as the Nutrition for Growth summit, which is held every four years, is taking place here in Paris. The summit is designed to discuss the major issues and for global leaders to deliver bold political and financial commitments to accelerate progress on nutrition. In Perspective, we spoke to UNICEF’s Executive Director Catherine Russell. "If you invest in children, it's something that pays off forever down the road," she told us.

The world's glaciers are losing an average of 273 billion tonnes of ice per year – that's equivalent to around three Olympic-sized swimming pools per second. They have been doing so since the year 2000, and the problem is accelerating. Those are just some of the findings of a huge international study involving 35 research teams. In Perspective, we spoke to Michael Zemp, director of the World Glacier Monitoring Service.

A Ukrainian NGO is aiming to shine a light on the conditions for Ukrainians living in areas that have been occupied by Russia. It has documented thousands of cases, including arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture and denial of any kind of fair trial. These human rights violations are faced not by captured soldiers, but by ordinary people living in Crimea and the east of Ukraine. In Perspective, we spoke to Lyubov Smachylo from the NGO Media Initiative for Human Rights.

A Russian-American filmmaker has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how her new film captures the last days of resistance to the regime in Russia before the invasion of Ukraine. Julia Loktev, who was born in what was then Leningrad, grew up in the United States. Her film "My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow" follows the staff of the television channel TV Rain, which aims to tell the truth about the Russian regime. Since the documentary was filmed, TV Rain has been forced to close in Russia and has set up home in Amsterdam, from where it now broadcasts. She spoke to us in Perspective.

In Perspective, Oliver Farry speaks to American author Alice Austen about her new novel "33 Place Brugmann". The book tells the stories of 14 characters in a Brussels apartment building on the eve of World War II, a building that Austen herself once lived in.