Perspective

It's a story of ambition, mutiny, heroism and survival; a voyage that swiftly descended into a nightmare at sea; a grueling test of endurance that lasted 13 months, pushing the crew of the Belgica whaling ship to the depths of despair and even madness. But the 1897 Belgian Antarctic expedition would also serve as an example for subsequent missions to the South Pole. Julian Sancton, writer, journalist and author of "Madhouse at the End of the Earth", joined us on Perspective to tell us more about the expedition.

"Business and sustainability can go hand-in-hand," says a Nigerian-born business expert who is working to ensure businesses – notably in Africa – do their bit to ensure a limited impact on the environment. Kenneth Amaeshi is Professor of Sustainable Finance and Governance at the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute in Florence. He told us in Perspective about the importance of reducing the negative impact of a business to make it sustainable.

There is reason to be optimistic that the latest ceasefire will hold in Sudan, according to Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King's College London. He says that this time around there is a clear framework in place for the ceasefire, which comes into effect this evening, with an international oversight committee to oversee it. However, he warns that if the truce holds, it is for humanitarian reasons only, and it does not provide as yet any concrete basis for longer-term peace talks. He spoke to us in Perspective.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been shunned internationally for over a decade, due to the brutal repression of anti-government protesters and the use of chemical weapons by his regime during the country's civil war. Despite numerous reported atrocities, the leader has clung onto power with the sole support of two major powers: Iran and Russia. Now though, he's slowly being welcomed back into the diplomatic fold by returning as a member of the Arab League, where he's received the red-carpet treatment for a summit in Saudi Arabia. He's also been invited to this year's COP28 climate summit in Abu Dhabi.

It's been ten years since the start of the conflict in the Central African Republic opposing the Seleka and anti-Balaka militias. What quickly turned into a third civil war has left thousands of people dead and over half a million displaced. Behind the staggering numbers are countless civilians forced to make radical decisions to continue their lives in unimaginable circumstances. In partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Canadian photographer Adrienne Surprenant put faces to these stories for her photodocumentary "The Events". She joined us for Perspective.

In a push evocative of the Soviet Union's efforts to bring Africa into its sphere of influence, the Kremlin has stepped up its presence across the African continent in recent years. From military campaigns to involvement in domestic politics, few African nations have been spared Moscow's interest. Russia claims it's fighting Western neocolonialism, but to what extent is it mirroring the methods it criticises? Samuel Ramani, author of "Russia in Africa: Resurgent Great Power or Bellicose Pretender?" joined us on Perspective to share his insight.

The cinema industry in Nigeria, known as Nollywood, is the second-largest on the planet in terms of films produced, after Bollywood. Over the next few days, the best TV and films from across Africa are being showcased in Paris for the tenth edition of Nollywood Week. The festival celebrates the newest voices on the scene, highlights the best that African cinema has to offer and brings it to a French public. This year, it features South African sci-fi, a security guard's story in Nairobi and a brotherly tale of fighting for survival on the streets of Lagos. Nadira Shakur, the co-founder of Nolywood Week, told Gavin Lee what to expect.

Deja Foxx, 23, has just been awarded the Global Citizen Prize for her activism on women's reproductive rights. Deja first came to prominence at just 15 years old, when she challenged a Republican senator in Arizona over the right for women to have free access to birth control pills. Since then, she has worked as the youngest ever strategist and influencer on the election campaign of US Vice President Kamala Harris. She's also founded an organisation championing young women called GenZ Girl Gang, models for Ford Models and is planning on becoming a future US president. Deja has achieved all this after growing up in poverty. She joined us for Perspective.

The severe poverty and climate crisis the world is suffering should be a moment for us to completely reassess the way our political and social structure is formed. That's the view of Daniel Chandler, an economist and philosopher based at the London School of Economics. His new book "Free and Equal:  What Would a Fair Society Look Like?" makes the case for a new progressive liberalism with suggestions such as free childcare for all, no fee-paying elitist schools and higher taxes to spread wealth more evenly. The author spoke to us in Perspective.

Wildlife photography is about making people care. That's the hope of one of the world's top photographers, whose work has taken him across the planet with the aim of capturing the best images he can. Graeme Green says his aim is to get people thinking about habitat loss, poaching and climate change as they look at his pictures. He's put together a collection of more than 200 stunning wildlife photos by some of the world's leading photographers for a book called "The New Big 5", which is a celebration of wildlife photography. He joined us for Perspective to tell us more.