Perspective

A world-renowned political and social economist, who is in Paris to receive a new international award for his work, has told FRANCE 24 how economists have forgotten a vitally important fact. James K. Boyce says that what matters is "not simply the total size of the economic pie, but also how it's distributed". Boyce is now applying the problem of inequality to the environment and the economic issues surrounding it. He spoke to us in Perspective.

As the war in Gaza continues, France's former ambassador to Israel has told FRANCE 24 how Israel has "shifted to the right, even to the far right" since he was in post. Gérard Araud, who also served as envoy to the US and UN, says he is not surprised by where Israel is today, having watched the gradual political drift. He also spoke of how difficult the situation is for US President Joe Biden ahead of the presidential election, and how he believes that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will soon "stab Biden in the back" as he wishes to see Donald Trump return. Araud's new book is called "Israël : le piège de l'histoire", which translates as "Israel: The trap of history". He joined us for Perspective.

As part of our coverage of International Women’s Day, FRANCE 24 spoke to Düzen Tekkal who is the founder of the NGO HÁWAR, which aims to empower women, children and minorities who are subject to religious, ethnic or gender based persecution or discrimination. Journalist turned activist, Tekkal told us about her origins and the plight of Yazidi women forced to flee from Iraq into Iraqi Kurdistan with the rise of the Islamic State Group in 2014.

President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump romped through more than a dozen states on Super Tuesday, all but cementing a November rematch. According to the head of the Paris office of the European Council of Foreign Relations, Célia Belin, Europe is already beginning to put in place new rhetoric and even new structures to cope with a potential reduction or withdrawal of military support from the US, in the event that Trump wins the presidential election. Belin says the potential doubt over Trump's full military support for Europe means that nations have no choice but to reassess their defence, as well as Ukraine's defence, should Trump abandon Kyiv. She spoke to us in the wake of Super Tuesday for Perspective.

A respected and passionate author has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her desire to ensure democracy, rights and freedoms and to speak up for women. Lola Shoneyin is a Nigerian author and poet. One of her latest projects is a stunning poem entitled "A Fragile State". It's part of a project undertaken by the Financial Times, centered on the theme of "Democracy 2024". She joined us for Perspective.

A respected French journalist, who was Jerusalem correspondent for French daily Libération in the 1990s, has told FRANCE 24 how he hopes a temporary peace deal between Israel and Hamas can be achieved, but that longer term both sides need to try to see the situation from the other's point of view. Pierre Haski spoke to us about his time covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the signing of the Oslo accords and the famous handshake between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. He also told us about his new book "Une terre doublement promise. Israël-Palestine : un siècle de conflit, which translates roughly as "A land doubly promised. Israel-Palestine: a century of conflict". He joined us for Perspective.

In this edition of Perspective, we take a closer look at India as a political force in the world. How does the planet's most populous country operate as a geopolitical player, especially amid the conflict in Ukraine? And how does India interact with superpowers, particularly the US? Dr Ashley Tellis, a former senior advisor to the US ambassador to India, describes the relationship between New Delhi and Washington as one of close friends, but not "full allies". He spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee in Perspective.

A Ukrainian man who was one of the first to experience Russia's full-scale invasion of his country has told FRANCE 24 of his harrowing experience, and asked us never to forget about what is happening in Ukraine. Until two years ago, Oleksandr Mykhed lived just north of the capital Kyiv with his wife and their pet dog. But his life was turned upside down as he heard the explosions on the first day of the Russian invasion. He has since joined the Ukrainian army, but still manages to find time for his real passion of writing. He spoke to us in Perspective.

An award-winning Indian filmmaker tells FRANCE 24’s Perspective show that the fear of something happening to her clouds her life. Nausheen Khan’s film “Land of My Dreams” documents the protests in India against the country’s Citizenship Amendment Act.  The bill provides an accelerated pathway for citizenship for many illegal migrants, but crucially, it does not mention Muslims. The film follows Khan's journey as she discovers more about her identity as a Muslim woman amid the protests. She now says she is who she is today thanks to the female demonstrators she met while making the film.

Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to ensure his country remains in a permanent state of war. That's the premise of a new book, published by a French political scientist as the world has been marking the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Marie Mendras is an expert on Russian and post-Soviet studies at the CNRS in Paris, and a professor at Sciences Po University's Paris School of International Affairs. She says Putin does not think rationally like the rest of us and "has the logic of a paranoid leader".