Perspective

A Rohingya refugee who fled Myanmar as a child with her family has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how heartbreaking it is to see what has happened to her people since. She and her siblings have all made successful careers for themselves outside of Myanmar, but she spoke to us about her life as a child feeling extremely afraid, hiding from police in the jungles of Malaysia and having no access to education. Noor Azizah is now co-founder of the Rohingya Maiyafuinor Collaborative Network. She spoke to us in Perspective from Sydney.

Large swathes of Asia continue to swelter though a dramatic heatwave that has topped temperature records all the way from India to the Philippines. Bangladesh has faced the hottest April on record, with temperatures forcing millions of children to stay home from school and making working in the scorching heat difficult for millions. The heatwave is also leading to water shortages. But that term is one that water supply expert Isha Ray from the University of California, Berkeley does not like. She has been speaking at a conference in Paris called "Facing Environmental Crisis in South Asia" and told us in Perspective why she thinks the term is misleading.

An internationally renowned photographer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how he's been able to use his profession to help support causes he's become passionate about. Gwenn Dubourthoumieu began his professional life working for humanitarian NGOs in Africa. He soon developed a love for photography as he visited beautiful but often difficult places. He now considers himself a photographer activist. His latest project illustrates the state of the rainforest in DR Congo. He spoke to us in Perspective.

China dominates the market across Africa in the search for raw materials, but other regions such as countries in Europe can offer more mutually beneficial alternatives for the continent. That's the view of economics consultant and political risk analyst Theo Acheampong. In a new report for the European Council on Foreign Relations, he explains how Europe can work alongside African governments to try to ensure both sides mutually benefit from mineral extraction that's crucial for the green transition. He spoke to us in Perspective.

Thousands of people in Portugal are marking the fiftieth anniversary of the country's Carnation Revolution – a military coup that put an end to Europe's longest dictatorship and to 13 years of colonial wars in Africa. The 1974 revolt, which was led by a group of idealist left-leaning young military captains, quickly turned into a popular uprising as the troops were joined by jubilant crowds. It was nicknamed the Carnation Revolution after the flowers that protesters placed in the soldiers' guns and tanks, in a rare example of a military coup being staged to install democracy. Yves Léonard, a professor and researcher at Paris's Sciences Po University, is the author of numerous books on Portugal's modern history. He spoke to us in Perspective.

Amnesty International is accusing Israel of a flagrant disregard for international law during its offensive in Gaza. The organisation's annual report says the situation is being compounded by the failures of Israel's allies to stop the indescribable civilian bloodshed being seen in the Palestinian enclave. It is one of the main criticisms in the report, which says the world is seeing a near-breakdown of international law, amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and massive human rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar. In Perspective, we spoke to one of the researchers on the report who worked specifically on the Middle East. Palestinian writer Budour Hassan reiterated Amnesty's call for Israel to allow to human rights investigators and journalists "unfettered access" to Gaza.

Africa's Sahel region now accounts for almost half of all deaths from terrorism worldwide. That was the stark warning heard at a high-level summit in Nigeria that aims to counter terrorism across Africa. It comes as the threat of Islamist extremist attacks is on the rise. International troops, notably French forces, have been forced to leave Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger after a series of coups. In Perspective, we spoke to Stig Jarle Hansen, a professor of international relations at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the author of "Horn, Sahel and Rift: Fault-lines of the African Jihad". He told us that the withdrawal of French troops has inevitably led to the spread of Islamist militant attacks, and that a "Cold War" is playing out amid increased Russian influence in the region.

Indians begin voting on Friday in what will be the world's biggest-ever election, with nearly a billion registered voters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP is seen as the favourite, but faces a challenge from a huge centre-left opposition coalition. We speak to Louise Tillin of the King's College India Institute about what's at stake. She says that at the heart of these elections lies a battle for the future of India's democracy, amid concerns about unequal media coverage, election financing and the arrest of opposition leaders at the start of the campaign.

Exactly five years after the fire that destroyed the roof and badly damaged the rest of Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of those who worked on the project has spoken of the camaraderie of the team reconstructing the edifice and the skill of their achievement. Valentin Pontarollo is a carpenter who finished working on the roof just a few weeks ago. The carpentry of the structure is now complete. In Perspective, he told us of his joy at what the team has achieved, five years after tons of 13th-century oak either caught fire or was sent crashing down into the nave below. 

A 21-year-old bird watcher or birder, who is quickly becoming one of the world's leading lights on environmental issues, has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her passion for birds and the environment. Mya-Rose Craig talked about her early introduction to birding and how magical she found the creatures to be. It has led her to become a major campaigner to ensure their habitats survive, something that has grown into other campaigns to help the environment. She is also the creator of the charity Black2Nature, which aims to help Black and minority ethnic children see and understand nature. Her book "Birdgirl" has now been published in French. She joined us for Perspective.