The Interview

Arthur Dénouveaux was at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on November 13, 2015 and survived the terrorist attack in which 90 people were killed during an evening of carnage in and around Paris. For the past four years, he has been president of the victims' group "Life for Paris". In an interview with FRANCE 24's James André, he reflects on the events of that fateful evening and shares his expectations ahead of Wednesday's opening of the landmark trial into the attacks.

The Afghan crisis has led to the EU warning about a new flow of migrants trying to reach Europe. FRANCE 24's Armen Georgian speaks to the head of Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, to find out how the EU's border and coast guard agency is preparing for "increased migratory pressure" because of Taliban rule. Leggeri also addresses allegations that Frontex failed to follow up effectively on credible reports of human rights violations in EU member states.

At the age of just 26, Zarifa Ghafari became the first female mayor of the Afghan province of Maidan Wardak. She fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took power earlier this month. Now in safety in Germany, she explains that she left her country in order to avoid endangering her family. "I have always been at the top of the Taliban's blacklist," says Ghafari, whose father was assassinated last year. She tells FRANCE 24 how she plans to continue her fight for women's rights in Afghanistan. The young woman also calls for pressure on the Taliban leaders to negotiate.

The Pegasus scandal has raised eyebrows over the health of the world's largest democracy. The Indian government continues to dodge questions over whether it is a client of NSO Group, the Israeli company behind the Pegasus software. Shashi Tharoor, an Indian MP and chair of the parliamentary panel on IT, is calling for an investigation. In an interview with FRANCE 24’s Delano D’Souza, he said: “It’s good to point to India as a viable democratic alternative to China, but that’s why India should be held to those democratic standards.”

In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24, former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said his country is paying the price for current president Jair Bolsonaro's "incompetence" in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis and that "he is responsible for a part of all these Brazilians who have lost their lives".

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet granted an exclusive interview to FRANCE 24 and RFI from the International Space Station. He told us more about his current mission, his latest spacewalk and the arrival of a new module inside the ISS. He also hailed the success of the European Space Agency's recruitment drive, but regretted a lack of female candidates.

Nora AlMatrooshi is making history: at just 28 years old, she is the first ever female Emirati astronaut. It's a childhood dream come true that she also sees as a "huge responsibility" as she'll be representing her country and her people. She tells us how she was selected from more than 4,000 applicants in the UAE and is now training at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre's base.

Burmese opposition figure Dr Zaw Wai Soe is a surgeon who serves as minister of health, labour and education in Myanmar's self-proclaimed National Unity Government. He has been charged with treason by the ruling junta. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Dr Zaw said the opposition feels "helpless" and that the people of Myanmar are left with no other choice than to defend themselves. According to the UN, the junta has killed 883 unarmed civilians since the February 1 coup.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis played down tensions with neighbouring Turkey ahead of a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at next week's NATO summit. Asked about the issue of migrant arrivals, he said: "It is our job to defend our borders". Finally, the Greek leader encouraged tourists to come to Greece this summer, calling it "a safe country" and saying that Greece has "managed the pandemic better than many other European countries".

In an interview with FRANCE 24 ahead of next week's NATO summit, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg discussed the worsening security situation in Africa's Sahel region, as well as NATO's withdrawal from Afghanistan. He also welcomed the Biden administration's commitment to the Alliance after the turbulent Trump years.