Hardtalk

“Sometimes we confuse activity with impact. And here I think the way we measure results should be different. How many lives has the UN saved? How many people has the UN helped to live out of poverty? How many people have we prevented from conflict? How many people were we able to support?” The BBC’s Anne Soy speaks to María Fernanda Espinosa, Ecuador’s former foreign minister and a candidate to become the first woman secretary general of the United Nations. She is seeking the role at a time when the UN faces severe financial pressure, falling international aid budgets and questions about its influence over major conflicts. Espinosa believes the organisation remains essential, but warns that it could become irrelevant unless it changes how it works. She describes the choice facing the UN as “reform, transform or die”. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Russia’s nuclear envoy Mikhail Uly

“I think Pac was actually traumatised by the poverty. You know, poverty can be very, very traumatic. Having no lights, having no food from time to time, having no clothes while you’re going to school, and bumming clothes. Them stories, it was real. That really happened to Pac. Pac was sensitive, so he felt things deeply.” The BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil speaks to Mopreme Shakur, step-brother of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur. Tupac was shot dead in Las Vegas in 1996, and now, almost 30 years later, Duane “Keffe D” Davis is on trial in connection with his murder. He has pleaded not guilty. Through music exploring poverty, racism and injustice, Tupac became one of hip-hop’s most loved and influential figures, selling more than 75 million records worldwide. Mopreme recalls growing up with Tupac and explains why he believes poverty and politics shaped his brother and the music he went on to make. He talks about Tupac's mother having been the section leader of the Harlem chapter of the Black Panther Party, and links

“Was it good for our Constitution? Was it good for the American people? Was it good for my dad's legacy? No, on all counts. It was not. All I know is that I'm grateful that he did it for me.” BBC Newsnight presenter Paddy O’Connell speaks to Hunter Biden, son of former president Joe Biden, about his father’s controversial decision to give him a presidential pardon at the end of his one term in office. The unconditional pardon was issued in December 2024, as Hunter faced sentencing for two criminal cases. In a statement at the time, the president said his son had been "singled out" and called the cases "a miscarriage of justice." In an interview for BBC Newsnight, Hunter Biden also talks about the depths of his drug and alcohol addictions, and the toll it took on his family. He talks about the deteriorating health of his father and reveals whether he has presidential ambitions of his own. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews

“[This weather] is a new norm, and we need to make sure that we are prepared to deal with that…these extreme wildfires put more responsibility onto improving our forecasting tools to support the brigades, to support communities.”Victoria Gill speaks to Professor Celeste Saulo, head of the World Meteorological Organisation, about the extreme weather events making headlines in recent months. She says the wildfires, heatwaves, droughts and flooding are the new normal and the ability to forecast these events are more important than ever.The WMO helps countries build resilience to weather, climate and water related hazards by monitoring conditions, improving forecasts and the global sharing of data and information.Saulo took office in 2024, becoming the first woman and South American to lead the UN agency. She explains how climate change is one of the biggest threats facing the world today. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the B

"There are repressions, political repressions, against freedom of speech, against elections, against the rights of citizens to hold mass events. To such an extent that we don't know what the real public mood is.”The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg meets Dmitry Muratov one of Russia’s most prominent independent journalists.For more than 30 years, he has been one of Russia’s staunchest defenders of independent journalism, and one of the Kremlin’s most outspoken critics. Dmitry Muratov co-founded Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper known for exposing corruption and human rights abuses - work that has come at a cost, with several of its journalists murdered.In 2021, Muratov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts “to safeguard freedom of expression.” Since then, Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought an even greater crackdown on dissent and independent media.In this exclusive interview, he talks about journalism under Putin, the war in Ukraine and the fight to keep telling the truth. The Interview brings yo

“I just knew that I wanted to be a mega superstar and I didn't know how…I feel like Africa chose me before I even chose Africa, and I feel music chose me before I chose music.”Nkechi Ogbonna speaks to Nigerian singer and songwriter Yemi Alade about becoming one of Africa's biggest music stars and a trailblazer who has helped take Afrobeats to the world.Alade has collaborated with artists including Beyoncé and became the first female African Afrobeats artist to surpass 100 million views on a single music video. She's now touring the continent to promote her latest album. Alade reflects on the challenges women face in Africa’s music industry, myths around success and some of the difficulties she’s faced touring on a Nigerian passport.Thank you to the Focus on Africa team for its help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Gugu Zuma-Ncube and Thuli Zuma, executive producer

“This movement was by young people who had hardly anything to lose. We had no fear and that's what spread across the country and today people are raising their voices. This time it stopped at the education ministry, but if this continues, I think the younger generation may not stop at just education.” Rajini Vaidyanathan speaks to Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose 26-day hunger strike made him a central figure in youth-led protests over leaked exam papers. The anger about leaks broadened into frustration over limited opportunities for young people, and the demonstrations became one of the biggest public displays of dissent against Narendra Modi’s BJP government. Sonam ended his fast after receiving assurances on education reform. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan later resigned, one of the key demands from the protestors. He explains his belief that non-violent protest can influence those in power, the physical risk you take if you stage a hunger strike, and why the movement may not stop at e

“It's very important that we expose this work early on, so that people from different cultures see ballet as a way of a career. But in the 1990s or 2000s, it was pretty much closed, we didn't have - even in school - a lot of black ballet dancers from which to choose from. But now, obviously, things have moved on. Now, diversity is at the top of every director's agenda… it's great that we’ve seen a big shift and we see the right kind of representation of the world as we have it today, on stage.”Michael Berkeley speaks to ballet star Carlos Acosta about his life and career.Born in 1973, Acosta grew up in a poor part of Havana, where he was the 11th child in a very large family.He began training at the National Ballet School of Cuba at 9 years old, and quickly rose to prominence. At 18, he became the youngest principal dancer at the English National Ballet.After gaining further international experience, Acosta joined the Royal Ballet in 1998 - making it his home for nearly two decades, and performing every major

‘When it comes to humanitarian crisis, we should not allow children's future to be subject to geopolitics. We can't say that there are politically compulsions as a result of which we are allowing children to die of starvation. We can't say there are political compulsions because of which we are allowing children to die of want of medical aid. So the request before the Security Council was this. Cannot all countries agree on the minimum norms of humanitarian aid?’Jugal Purohit speaks to Srinivasan Muralidhar, a lawyer turned judge in India for over four decades, in November 2025, he was appointed by the UN to lead an independent International Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.The commission examined alleged Israeli violations against Palestinian children from the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023 to October 2025. In June 2026 it published its 94-page report. Israel did not cooperate or provide information to the commission. It reje

“The time has come for the international community to be honest, not to be hypocritical, not be selective, not engage in erasure, but to admit that the gravest crime against humanity took place and it took place on this continent. And that the time to repair what was broken, what undermines our collective humanity, what is a scar on our collective conscience, the time and the only way to repair that is now.”Aleem Maqbool speaks to Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, about his country leading a global campaign for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. Earlier this year, the United Nations adopted an historic resolution that declared the transatlantic slave trade "the gravest crime against humanity", although every European nation chose to abstain in the vote. Meanwhile, the US was one of three countries to vote against.Between the 16th and 19th centuries, it’s estimated that around 12 million people were forcibly trafficked from Africa to European colonies in the Americas, although some

Leanna Byrne speaks to Sumant Sinha, the founder of ReNew, one of India's largest renewable energy companies about why he thinks green and clean energy will win out.Sinha began his career in finance, working in New York and London, before walking away from the corporate world to make a bet on renewable energy. He founded his company in India, which is one of the world’s most polluted countries. It also imports around 85% fossil fuels.Sinha says that moving as quickly as possible to clean energy will also help ensure the country’s energy security.Thank you to the Business Daily team for its help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, US journalist Maggie Haberman, and Jim Continenza CEO of Kodak. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can lis

“This is a legitimate concern of South Africans, where there’s illegal foreigners, people with no paperwork. No country in the world allows that to happen. Why should we? Our message is very simple. We say, South Africa is open for our brothers on the continent, but come here legitimately. Come here like a civilised human being that wants to come and contribute towards our country.”Waihiga Mwaura speaks to Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture and leader of the Patriotic Alliance, a party that has built much of its support on a hardline stance on illegal migration.As South Africa is gripped by protests, violence and political division over immigration, McKenzie responds to criticism that his views betray Nelson Mandela’s legacy of humanity, social justice and freedom. He rejects accusations that he’s blaming migrants for South Africa’s wider problems and argues his approach reflects the concerns of many South Africans.The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our

‘Their love was so innocent, so sweet, so organic and we just wanted them to end up together because even they knew that some of the queer films always end in tragedy and they were worried that something like that's going to happen but that didn't happen and so people were really happy with it.’ Nikki Bedi speaks to Rohan Kanawade, the acclaimed director whose debut feature Cactus Pears or Sabar Bonda, made history as the first Marathi-language film to premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. It also became the first Indian drama to win the festival's International Grand Jury Prize. Set in Kanawade’s home state of Maharashtra, Cactus Pears is a groundbreaking Marathi-language love story between two men. Drawing on his experience of mourning his father, he reveals how grief, memory and identity found their way into his film. He also talks about growing up in a poor area of Mumbai with parents who accepted and supported his sexuality.Thank you to the Arts Hour team for their help in making

“Due to geopolitical divides, countries are having second thoughts about non-proliferation or their non-proliferation obligations, in the sense that many countries were relying or are still relying on nuclear umbrellas which they might feel are not so protective as they used to be in the past… Without wishing to exaggerate things, there is a perception that the nuclear factor is back on the table and it is growing in its relevance in terms of decision making, in terms of what nations do.”Rob Young speaks to Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.The IAEA was founded in 1957, and is an autonomous international organisation within the UN system. Its job is to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology, and to check that nuclear material is not used for military purposes, including nuclear weapons. Grossi, a former Argentinian diplomat, was appointed in 2019 and has steered the IAEA through multiple challenges. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, concerns

“We all need to be speaking up about it. Not just the survivors. And we put so much burden on the people who've actually suffered the most, the most vulnerable among us.”Naga Munchetty speaks to Amy Wallace, co-author of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir Nobody's Girl. Giuffre accused the then Prince Andrew, and late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, of sexual abuse. The former prince, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, told Newsnight in 2019 that he did not remember meeting Giuffre, and he has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Virginia Giuffre's father has also denied all allegations of abuse.The memoir, published six months after Giuffre took her own life, describes her encounters with Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Amy Wallace says she expected to be a ghostwriter in the shadows, but after Giuffre’s death, she decided to step forward and speak up for her.This episode discusses rape and sexual abuse.If this episode has affected you there are people who can give you support. If you’re in the UK sea

“One of the things that’s fascinating about him simply as a historical study is the recognition that shamelessness is a superpower, and he refuses to be shamed in almost any action that he takes. He also realised that he doesn’t have to abide by the US system, which is primarily norms and not laws. He is testing them in a way they have never been tested before.” Paddy O’Connell speaks to Maggie Haberman, White House correspondent for The New York Times and co-author of Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. Maggie gives her take on Trump’s second administration, from the influence of Elon Musk to his increasingly fraught dealings with world leaders. She also explains her belief Trump’s second presidency is fundamentally different from his first, and how he is testing the limits of presidential power. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews coming from the BBC, including episodes with Google CEO Sundar Pi

“The biggest risk in motion pictures is to not take a risk. You have to be putting it out there and offering people something new, and that's what will get them out of their houses.”Katie Razzall speaks to Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan. The 55-year-old, whose directing credits include Inception, Interstellar and Oppenheimer, is widely considered one of the 21st century’s most influential filmmakers.Born in London in 1970, his career began in the mid-1990s, when he would proofread scripts, operate cameras and direct for corporate information films. Barely a decade later, he was chosen to direct Christian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight trilogy, setting a new standard for how superheroes were portrayed on screen.A string of blockbusters followed, making him one of the highest-grossing directors of all time, and was later knighted in 2024 for his services to film.He’s now releasing his latest project, The Odyssey - an ambitious adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek story, starring a Hollywood A-List

“We were losing about $160 million a year. We burned through our cash and we had to make some changes. I don’t mean a financial restructuring. I mean transformation of the business. It’s a skill and an art. I asked, ‘What does Kodak do today?’ and I couldn’t get an answer. And I thought we had to get our identity back. What are our skills? What do we do?”Leanna Byrne speaks to Jim Continenza, chief executive of Kodak, the company that once dominated photography and became one of the world’s most recognisable brands.The rise of digital photography helped trigger one of the most dramatic corporate collapses of its era, leading to Kodak filing for bankruptcy in 2012.Jim joined the company’s board during the bankruptcy process, after building a career as a turnaround specialist. He had served on more than 30 boards, often stepping in when struggling businesses needed to be reconstructed.He discusses how he helped to give the company a new identity, rebuild itself as an industrial manufacturer and brought the busi

“As there is more drone warfare, more artificial intelligence in the decision making, we’re going to have to completely reimagine how we cover [war]”Business presenter Felicity Hannah speaks to Patrick Tiernan, who runs the 337-year-old insurance marketplace, Lloyds of London. He says that autonomous weapons and AI-driven decision-making could change how conflict risk is calculated and insured, because traditional assumptions about how wars escalate may no longer hold. He says the current risk environment is unlike anything in his company’s long history, and that a major state-backed cyber-attack remains one of their realistic disaster scenarios.Thank you to the BBC Big Boss team its help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, head of the commonwealth games Katie Sadleir and astronaut Victor Glover. You can listen on the BBC

“It's a subject that I know I've lived, I've seen up close…That includes watching my father. That includes the relationships that I saw him have.” Presenter Anne Soy speaks to Gugu Zuma-Ncube and Thuli Zuma, executive producers of The Polygamist, one of Netflix’s biggest new dramas which takes on the topic of polygamy - the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time. They are also the daughters of former South African president Jacob Zuma - a proud polygamist who is greatly respected by his supporters for upholding his cultural and traditional Zulu beliefs. The Zulu language drama was an instant hit, attracting two million views in the first week and becoming number four on Netflix's top 10 list for non-English series globally. Thank you to the Newsday team for its help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Kenyan businesswoman Jennifer Riria, ast