Perspective

"Killing the journalist won't kill the story." That's the message from the organisation Forbidden Stories. The group's mission is to take over investigations from journalists who can no longer carry on, either because of extreme intimidation or because they have actually been killed over their stories. Much of the group's work these days is linked to environmental issues. In Perspective, we spoke to Laurent Richard, journalist and founder of Forbidden Stories.

A doctor who spent over 700 days working in hospitals in Gaza during Israel's war there has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the horrors he witnessed, and his hopes for a real ceasefire in the future. Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaiseeb is deputy medical coordinator for MSF's operations and left Gaza back in September. He told us how medical staff had to do operations on the floor without anaesthetic, while at the same time trying to survive in a war zone. He spoke to us in Perspective.

One of the world's leading peace campaigners has told FRANCE 24 that the cycle of impunity for Russian troops must be broken to bring justice in Ukraine and prevent the "next Russian attack" on another nation. Oleksandra Matviichuk is head of the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties, one of the laureates of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. She works tirelessly to document war crimes in Ukraine, campaign for the release of illegally detained people in Russia and occupied Ukraine, and push for democratic reforms inside Ukraine. She spoke to us in Perspective.

Cédric Villani is one of France's top mathematicians, working across several fields of the discipline. He's won a number of titles and awards for his work. A professor at Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University and member of France's Académie des sciences, Villani is also the author of the new book "Leçons de mathématique joyeuse" – literally "Lessons in joyful mathematics". He spoke to us in Perspective.

A leading French journalist who covered the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria a year ago has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the immense challenges the country faces. Arthur Sarradin is a regular contributor to Libération newspaper and Radio France, amongst others. He says the first thing he noticed when he arrived after the fall of Assad was the silence. He also says that after the fall of a dictatorship, there remains the heritage of that dictatorship, which will take years to get over. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A renowned author has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how she's fascinated by the way people exist in our minds, and the ideas we have about those people. Claire-Louise Bennett's new book "Big Kiss, Bye-Bye" follows the narrator as she moves from the city to the countryside. The move leads her to confront her different memories and think about the people who have come in and out of her life. The author spoke to us in Perspective.

One of the world's most renowned experts on Venezuela has told FRANCE 24 that the calculation for Nicolas Maduro is whether he can survive the current crisis, as US President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on the Venezuelan leader to go – even offering him safe passage out of the country. Christopher Sabatini is Senior Research Fellow for Latin America, the US and the Americas Programme at Chatham House. He said there will come a point when Trump has to move on from verbal threats if Maduro doesn't step down. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A Ukrainian philosopher has spoken to FRANCE 24 about daily life in Ukraine, and how outside support helps to lift the mood of people living under Russian bombs and drones. He spoke as France is holding the event "Le voyage en Ukraine" – or journey to Ukraine, which aims to enable the French cultural world to support Ukraine's artistic community. Four months of events are kicking off with support from artists in France for their Ukrainian counterparts and all the people of Ukraine. Volodymyr Yermolenko, philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of the cultural and human rights organisation PEN Ukraine, spoke to us in Perspective.

An uncounted number of extra people have died, and 2.5 million have lost access to medicine to block the spread of HIV and AIDS. That's because of huge cuts to global aid programmes since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. UNAIDS warns that unless the situation improves, the funding cuts will mean an extra 3.3 million people will be infected by HIV over the next five years. On World AIDS Day, we spoke in Perspective to Christine Stegling, Deputy Executive Director of the Policy, Advocacy and Knowledge Branch of UNAIDS.

A world-renowned American chef and blogger who now lives in Paris has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his love for the genre, and the difference between desserts in the English-speaking world and here in France. David Lebovitz has just revised his ninth book "Ready for Dessert", which includes both US and French-style desserts and puddings. He says that the pastry world is nowadays very global, but he still likes to share recipes that people can make at home. He spoke to us in Perspective.