♪ >> fears of an impending nuclear disaster, a u.n. meeting is called to address safety fears at a ukraine plant.

what is necessary to support your fight because it is a fight for your sovereignty, your territorial integrity. our determination has not changed. we are ready to maintain this effort over time. >> this is the scene. the security council in the united nations in new york.

this meeting convened at the request of russia. end at the meeting tomorrow at the request of ukraine to discuss safety. russian soldiers have been operating the largest nuclear site in europe since march. shelling of a nearby town is raising fears of a possible nuclear disaster in the making. ukraine will not agree to any proposal to freeze the current front lines. this conflict in russia in order to calm russia. residence lenski said this at a news conference. he urged to the world not to show fatigue with the war. saying this would pose a big threat to the whole world. our correspondent joined us earlier from new york. >> interestingly enough, this is the second of three meetings that will be held at the security council this week about ukraine. this meeting was called for by russia and they requested the secretary-general of the you -- the you attend the meeting.

he will not be attending to due to scheduling issues he will not the able to attend this meeting should he is attending tomorrow's meeting called for by ukraine. it marks the six-month anniversary of the invasion. the topic of the meeting is the nuclear power plant and dangers and risks to the safety of this area and to the security of this area. russia is saying there are appropriations by the ukrainian side. they are shelling too close to the nuclear power plant, something ukraine denies as well as supporters at the security council. this is not the first meeting russia has called for to discuss this issue. it is being seen by some other members of the security council as abuse by russia of the u.n. to promote its version of events. we will see what happens. we know goodyear as it is not

going to be speaking. we suspect the iaea director general might be speaking and there is the meeting tomorrow will be following and we will see what happens today. >> watching developments for us at the u.n. ukraine's soccer season kicked off this tuesday, a resumption of football but in empty stadiums with players primed to run for cover in the event of an error or artillery attack. the first game to be played. it ended 0-0. >> kicking off a new season in the shadow of war, rival players took to the field in the same uniform. their national flag. head of the match, the players held a minute of silence for those killed and a fighter from the as off battalion performed a ceremonial first cake. with no fans allowed, the stadium was empty but the game was full of symbolism. a sentiment echoed by the donetsk coach. >> football is essential for us.

only for fc schechter but for the entire ukrainian premier league. helps to keep living and shows the world football goes on. >> fc schechter on donetsk had been in first place when the premier league was suspended in february in the wake of the russian invasion. outside kievan's olympic stadium, football fans had mixed feelings about the leak starting again. >> in wartime, our country needs football. it unites people. >> i do not think it is the right time to start the football championship because it is not safe for footballers should it is played without spectators so football is for spectators. >> on the one hand, it is important we show ukraine from different sides even in such a difficult time for us. on the other hand, it is dangerous. >> the games are largely taking place in western and central

ukraine and only in venues equipped with bomb shelters. two teams from cities devastated by russian shelling are skipping the season. >> the euro has dropped to a record though against the dollar. in july, the euro fell below the dollar for the first time in two decades but now it is falling further. eurozone business activity has seen the largest contraction in 18 months. this is raising fears of the whole eurozone falling into recession. the war in ukraine is a key factor. >> this is pretty bad news if you want to export goods from the eurozone to the united states because they are going to be much more expensive for you to expensive to buy goods in the u.s.. if you want to bring them into europe. that is already bad news for exchanges between different countries. on top of that we have this very

large energy crisis with prices of gas going up due to the war in ukraine but many people feeling they are not going to pay their bills this winter. the reason for that is relatively simple. it is supply and demand reason. that is russian gas is used by many countries around europe. 40% of european gas comes from russia. much of that gas is used to power power plants which produce electricity. if the gas is not coming, the electricity is not going to be produced. which is why the two are both together when it comes to price increases. it is worse in some countries than others but generally speaking, it is not just europe facing this difficulty as far as bills are concerned. the difficulty was already there. it has been exacerbated by the war in ukraine and the conflict ongoing for six months. unless governments make

stringent measures possible for the general public to help them pay their bills, we can see in come -- in some countries like the united kingdom the bills are going to increase and increase. it is 1900 pounds per bill at the moment on average. it is supposed to go up at the end of the week with the new cap to be announced at about 3500. it could go as high as 4000 to 5000 after christmas. many people are getting worried they would not have enough to pay the bills. a lot of pressure on governments to come up with some kind of plan to help the public pay the bills. while the war in ukraine is raging and the gas prices are still going up or gas supplies are falling or there is pressure to stop taking russian gas. it is hard to see there will be an end to this anytime soon. >> more illegal migrants than ever tried to cross the english channel over the past 24 hours should over 1002 hundred people

in some 27 boats stopped by u.k. officials in the water. the numbers continue to grow in spite of the much criticized policy of sending illegal migrants to resettle in rwanda. >> making the dangerous journey across the channel from france to the u.k.. thes migrants are taking a giant step in search for a better life. >> many of them have family they want to be with and feel secure with so they want to claim asylum in the u.k. with their family. other people have not been able to get safely into a system elsewhere should if you look at northern france, you can see large numbers of people not able to get into the french system living in squalor absolutely desperate. of course they want to try somewhere where they think they will be safe. >> on monday almost 1300 people made the crossing across the channel setting a new record for a single day. the number of people making the journey so far this year has almost doubled compared to the

equivalent point in 2021. 12,500 last year to 22,600 today. these latest figures come despite increasingly aggressive policies to curb the numbers. in april, the british government launched a controversial program to send asylum-seekers to rwanda where their claims will be processed. the first flight in june was canceled after a ruling by the european court of human rights. the u.k. has funded additional coastal surveillance in france. politicians on both sides of the channel criticized each other for not doing enough to stop the crossings. the british government has said it will continue to push back but for those making these risky journeys, the hope of a better future is strong. >> with elections scheduled in italy, political parties are selling out their stalls.

a far right candidate is already popular in the polls so italy could be set for far right government for the first time since the days of benito mussolini. more from room. -- rome. >> the party has fascist rules so it is seen in that way come a far right party. an interesting character. she is just 45 years old. born here in rome. she comes from a working-class background. she is seen as a fiery voice of the people. very relatable as opposed to those on the left perhaps seen as more radical. in her party, she is known to be an admirer of figures such as drawer bond, the hungarian -- victor or bond, the hungarian national leader. an opponent of gay-rights having traditional conservative views on abortion as well as adoption by gay couples and an anti-immigrant standpoint

wanting a naval blockade on preventing undocumented migrants from entering italy. she has a pro ukraine stance. she is said to be pro-nato and has toned down the anti-e.u. stance as well. she has tried to distance herself from the neofascist groups saying in a speech we heard from recent months about how she sees herself being closer to the u.k. conservatives or the republicans in the united states. trying to distance herself from the connection with mussolini and italy's fascist past. she is young. she is media savvy. perhaps that is why she seems to have gained popularity. a key point to remember is in 2018 at the last election her party only got about 4% of the vote. this time around there close to 25% or so. that is simply because they have

been in opposition over the last night's lecture. very much taking the opposition stance so its easy for people to turn to them in that context. she was not proud of the deck she was not part of the coalition with mario draghi. >> next, argentina's public prosecutor is seeking a 12 year prison sentence for the country's vice president. she is a seat -- he is accused of corruption during her two terms in office as president. she said she is innocent and the charges are politically motivated. >> tensions run high outside the home of argentina's vice president as supporters clash with those who say she is guilty of corruption. the historic left wing figure could face a lifetime ban from holding public office and 12

years behind bars. >> [speaking native language[ >> the vice president stands accused of favoritism when she awarded public work contracts in her stronghold region of patagonia. the -- took place from 2007 to 2015 and the four years before she took over the post from her late husband. >> this is probably the most significant corruption maneuver ever known in the country in which the accud systematically stole funds from the public treasury for private gain. >> president alberto fernandez

has branded the allegations as judicial and media persecution. she insists she is innocent. >> the prosecutors are in open violation of the principle of defense at trial. they have raised issues in their indictment that had never been raised. >> even if found guilty, the vice president is unlikely to go to prison because she currently benefits from parliamentary immunity as an elected senator. it is protection that will be taken away from her if she lost the senate seat or if the supreme court endorsed a possible guilty verdict. the verdict in her case is not expected before the end of the year. >> we are watching all the main news stories for you. stay with us here on france 24. ♪

♪ >> hello and welcome to france 24's culture show. my guest is an award-winning singer and songwriter who counts among her influences free to call out and nina simone. born to an english mother and a zambian father, she grew up in scotland where she began writing songs at age 11. she attended medical school before succumbing to the call of music. she sold millions every three albums, works with the coolest wrappers and pop stars and performed at the white house in front of then-president barack obama. her new album comes out may the sixth. thank you for coming on the france 24 show.

i saw you just arrived in paris and you have been filming one of your new videos here should can you tell us anything about it or is it all top-secret? >> it is the next single. it is called ready to love which is ready to come out before the new album. we thought where better to film a song about love than paris? we hope we capture the beauty of the city. had a great time filming. > your album is out in may. you also changed labels from a big major to in an indy want, >> i had been on virgin records for 10 yards. i enjoyed the three albums i we got to make. in january 2020i left that label and was able to make this album. it happened coincidentally in line with the lockdown. it felt like a new era and a new time of freedom because i can

make this album at home and i can have full creative control. i did not have anybody expecting an album. i did not have anybody to answer to. it felt liberating. >> did you think majors put more pressure? >> in a sense. there is so much finance behind it. it is their money you are spending. being the other way around this time, i thought i am taking the risk so that means i get to enjoy the luxuries that come with the responsibility. it was so nice to make something and be thinking about connection with people because it was the first time i felt i could not perform live. i could not connect in the way i am so used to so that was on my mind all the time. how can i make something that is helpful for others? having studied medicine before, i wanted to be a healing record that could uplift people in a way. >> it is very uplifting. how about we check out one of the latest singles and tracks.

i have been listening to it obsessively. it is called it is not much. ♪ taken from the soon to be released 16 track record. he wrote this song with naughty boy and shaq a few years ago. you often keep songs tucked away for a few years? >> sometimes i feel like songs are little psychic because i write something.

this one was about four years ago. it always comes at the right time. i am a little bit impatient so i always want to release it as soon as we have written it. i have learned the right time will come. everything with this song came in sync to the video, the meaning of the song. working with naughty boy and shaq was wonderful. every song has its right time. as i grow older as a woman, the lyrics seem to have a deeper meaning to me and i think sometimes maybe subconsciously i knew what i was writing about the builder i get, i am like that is deeper than i initially thought. >> what would you say it is about? >> this one is about i think we kind of fall into the solution we need these things around us or we can fill this need for love by materialism. i have learned without love everything falls and crumbles. there is not much without love.

>> the mainstream artistry, also up-and-coming, more urban acts. with that quite difficult to do? -- was that quite difficult to do? >> i have always kind of been allowed to do what i want artistically. for me, definitely with this album, i felt the music has to be the priority. i'm not into the notion of you have to work with the big superstar producers or the superstar artists. there is so much magic going on. as long as the music speaks, i think that is the most important thing. >> i also would like to talk about your trump family which talks about family but not just in the biological sense. there is more than that. >> this one -- this is was the first single for me. it really felt like a global family or like losing my connection with the fans in the sense of not being able to be on stage. it made me think we are a family. we are emus -- a musical family

and i can't wait to get back there again. this was like a statement for the whole new era stepping into. now i know who i am. my family is good good my personal life is nice. i feel confident within myself. i have the sorted and the red light can stop me. >> check out the video for family. ♪ really fun video with lots of dancing. you are of mixed heritage.

how much does your zambian background influenced your music and your video making? >> a lot. i mean, when i was growing up, it was something that was very natural. i always wondered i am this -- the only brown kid in aberdeenshire and i love gospel music. i had this natural affinity towards soul music. it was like within my soul and my dna. it was not until i was 204i got to go to zambia and meet all of my family over there. everybody was a musician. everybody could do these amazing intricate harmonies. everybody would sing as part of their day-to-day routine. it definitely made me realize it is deeper. it is definitely within my blood. my dad would play so much zambian music on long car journeys to england. the rhythm is within me and the soul is within me as well. >> also interesting fact in recent weeks, the media has made a big deal about the fact you are in a relationship with a woman.

how surprising do you find the attention given to your sexuality which on the global spectrum is a country open to sexual diversity? is that not weird? >> i kind of have just taken the positive and thought i am so lucky to be in a country that embraces it and it was a positive response. i hope the more noise that is made about it can inspire other people to live within their freedom. i did not know what to expect. it was not an announcement i planned. i was not trying to make a big announcement. it came out in an interview. you want to share the love of your life with the world. it is something i am proud of and want to shout off the rooftops. it was a bit surprising the attention but i am happy it was a positive response. it feels very liberating. >> you have always been a strong activist as well. between aids and ebola, you tried to create awareness. in birmingham at this concert for ukraine, can you tell us

about it? >> there was a fundraiser to help the people of ukraine. it was wonderful to be involved especially because live music has been banned for a while. to be reminded the power of music and humidity. we should be doing this for every crisis. it was an honor to be involved. we raised so much money. it shows what art can be. it is not something that can be pushed aside and we are told it is not important. it is a powerful force. >> you're going to be embarking on your european tour soon which has a couple days in paris. one on the first of june and then you do a big arena a week later. can you tell us about the shows? >> on this tour, we are going to be doing in each city, two shows. one with a full band and one with myself, just a piano. but bit daunting to face the

crowd naked like that but i wanted to do it that way because this album has a mix of genres. i want people to have the opportunity to experience the sounds with the full band but also it is a very deep album lyrically, musically sam hoping they can get to the depths of it at the end of shows. they can come to one or the other or they can come to both. >> your new record comes out on the sixth of may. thank you for the coming -- thank you for coming on the culture show. what are you into at the moment? any artist in particular? >> in the huge fan of kanye west, particularly his production i find so refreshing. i love the new documentary about him on netflix. it was for me it really incredible to get proper insight into his journey. i knew of him when through the wire came up. see whahe had to go through, self belief he had to haveve together. his mother's influence. i was touched by it. i was crying when his mom passed away.

it is such a beautiful relationship. i would recommend it to any artist trying to get into the business. >> thank you very much for coming on the france 24 encore show. france 24's latest news bulletin is up in just a few minutes. you can catch our culture via france 24.com and encore f 24 on social media. here is kanye west with heaven and hell in the video for which he like emily filmed in paris. ♪

>> from north to south africa, from bamako to nairobi, from accra to mogadishu, bringing you all the political, economic, cultural and social news from africa. for a better insight into an ever-changing content >> across africa psented by georja calvin-smith on france 24 and france 24.com. ♪

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