Perspective

Ordinary life in Gaza is suspended. The Palestinian enclave of 2.4 million people, roughly the size of Malta, is under siege with constant Israeli air bombardment and the looming prospect of a ground offensive. Health authorities say dozens of children have died in the air strikes over the past 72 hours. In Perspective, we focus on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza for children, and what is being done to help them during the crisis. Jason Lee is Save the Children's Country Director for the Palestinian Territories. He's been speaking to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.

In this edition of Perspective, we look at the developing situation in Israel and Gaza to understand some of the deeper underlying issues behind the unprecedented weekend incursion by Hamas. Why did the offensive happen now? What triggered the attack, and how much of a factor was the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, when Syria and Egypt launched a surprise attack on Israel? Dr HA Hellyer is a Middle Eastern Affairs analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He's been talking to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.

The energy and transport sectors are widely seen as the most harmful for the planet. But for some, the agriculture industry is even more destructive. It's responsible for as much as 30 percent of the world's greenhouse gases. Yet its role in global warming attracts much less attention. George Monbiot is a journalist and the author of "Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet". He joined us on Perspective for more on why the industry is so destructive and some of the controversial solutions he proposes.

Australians are currently voting in a rare referendum that, if successful, would see Indigenous Australians formally recognised in the constitution. Supporters say it's a much-needed move to ensure Indigenous communities are consulted properly in decision-making processes that directly affect them. Detractors say the proposals are divisive and unfair, or simply a distraction from more pressing concerns. In Perspective, we spoke to Sana Nakata, Principal Research Fellow at the Indigenous Education and Research Centre at James Cook University in North Queensland.

The Transat Jacques Vabre is a major international sailing competition that will see some 60 teams of two leave the town of Le Havre in mainland France and head across the Atlantic to Fort-de-France in the French Caribbean. Kicking off on October 29, it's set to be an extraordinary spectacle and a chance for some of the world's best sailors to try out new cutting-edge boats and equipment before embarking on the Vendée Globe round-the-world race next year. Among those setting sail are our Perspective guests, Yoann Richomme and Yann Eliès. They told us more about their passion.

When it comes to building complex artificial intelligence (AI) models, received wisdom has always favoured bigger datasets. After all, the more data an AI model is exposed to, the more it can "learn". But Abeba Birhane, a cognitive scientist and Senior Fellow in Trustworthy AI at the Mozilla Foundation, warns against this approach. She says that by casting the net as wide as possible, data invariably contains content from parts of the internet we'd rather not be exposed to, in turn creating AI models that become racist, sexist and otherwise biased. She joined us for Perspective to tell us more.

They're probably the biggest symbol of the importance of protecting the planet, and they also play a huge role in stopping climate change. But trees are more than just a tool to help the human species survive. They're living beings themselves, with some even arguing they're capable of communicating, nurturing, learning and maybe even showing tribal loyalties. Peter Wohlleben, forester and author of "The Hidden Life of Trees", joined us on Perspective to tell us more.

A year on from the controversial US Supreme Court decision to end the constitutional right to an abortion, one expert on medical law believes there are reasons to be hopeful on a global scale for pro-choice campaigners. Despite the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there has been a "Green Wave" in Latin American countries. In the last two years, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia have either decriminalised or fully legalised the procedure. Ruth Fletcher is a senior lecturer in medical law at Queen Mary University of London and has been promoting women's rights for many years. She spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee in Perspective.

A well-known French comedian who is also a journalist has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how he combines the two. David Castello-Lopes is embarking on a tour of France and Switzerland with his stand-up show "Authentique", or Authentic. He challenges what is authentic and what is not, both as part of his stand-up show and with video clips to illustrate his points. His roots as a journalist are evident as he performs. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A legend in the world of sailing speaks to FRANCE 24 about her love of the sport and the incredibly tough moments it brings. Kirsten Neuschäfer was the overall winner of the 2022 Golden Globe race, beating all of her male competitors in the process. The race entailed almost eight months on her own at sea, without electronic navigation equipment, travelling 30,000 nautical miles around the planet. She spoke to us for Perspective.