The Interview

Hind Kabawat, Syrian minister for Social Affairs and Labour and former opposition leader and women's empowerment activist, speaks about running ministries amid war-torn recovery. She discusses funding shortfalls, returning refugees and reconstruction, practical support like vocational training and cash aid. She also reflects on being the only woman in cabinet and pushing for greater female representation.

Vitali Klitschko, former world heavyweight boxing champion turned Kyiv mayor, leads the city through war and reconstruction. He discusses Kyiv as a primary Russian target, nightly attacks and civilian strain, decisions on evacuations and elections during conflict, relations with national leaders, and his vision for a greener, rebuilt Kyiv once peace returns.

Helen Thompson, Cambridge political economist who studies globalisation and the geopolitics of energy. She traces US expansionism back to the 19th century. She connects modern power struggles to control of oil and rare earths. She explores China’s growing resource reach in Latin America and the constraints facing Europe’s strategic autonomy.

Nicholas Opiyo, a Ugandan human rights lawyer who has represented high-profile opposition figures and litigated landmark rights cases, speaks about politics and rule of law in Uganda. He discusses watching elections from exile. He reflects on the effects of 40 years of one leader, youth impatience for change, repression of opposition, and the need to devolve power for healing.

‘It's so far from your reality because I didn't know anybody and I was an immigrant’Anita Rani speaks to the Beijing-born director Chloé Zhao about her career and her latest film, Hamnet.Zhao made history in 2021 when, at the age of just 39, she became the first woman of colour - and, at the time, only the second woman ever - to win the best director award at the Oscars.Now, just five years after her Oscars triumph for Nomadland, Zhao is making headlines once again as the director of the critically-acclaimed movie Hamnet, a dramatisation about the son of the English playwright William Shakespeare. It won two Golden Globe awards, including one for ‘Best Drama Movie’, and has recently been nominated for 8 Academy Awards too.Thank you to the Woman’s Hour team for their 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 Indian author Twinkle Khanna, former US Vice President Kamala Harris, and Hollywood legend Sir Anthony Hopkins. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Anita Rani Producers: Emma Pearce, Ben Cooper and Lucy Sheppard Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Chloé Zhao. Credit: Emma McIntyre/WireImage)

In this engaging conversation, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General since 2017, discusses urgent threats to international law from the law of power. He emphasizes the need for reform in the UN Security Council to maintain its legitimacy amid global challenges. Guterres highlights the rise of geopolitical impunity and declining humanitarian efforts, urging for multilateral cooperation. He also addresses the situation in Gaza and the importance of adapting the UN to a multipolar world, while expressing hope for future international collaboration.

Karol Nawrocki, the newly elected Polish president and former historian, discusses Europe's lost focus on security amidst ideological distractions like climate policy. He sees Putin as a looming threat and argues that Donald Trump is the best candidate to negotiate with Russia. Nawrocki criticizes the EU's priority on migration over defense and emphasizes the need for increased NATO solidarity. He also touches on Poland’s defense commitments and a rising conservative movement in Europe, urging a return to foundational values to combat transient ideologies.

Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first left-wing president and former guerrilla fighter, discusses pressing issues facing his nation. He shares concerns about the real threat of US military action, sparked by comments from Donald Trump. Petro highlights the need for a fundamental shift in US diplomacy and warns against imperial behaviors. He reflects on failed negotiations with Venezuela and criticizes covert operations linked to foreign intelligence. Additionally, Petro underscores his strategy of combining dialogue with military action to combat narco-trafficking.

Baroness Arminka Helic, a former Bosnian refugee and member of the House of Lords, shares her powerful journey from victim to advocate. She highlights the use of sexual violence as a weapon in conflict and the challenge of bringing justice to survivors. Baroness Helic reflects on her crucial work launching the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and discusses the ongoing stigma that silences victims. She also addresses the urgent plight of asylum seekers and the devastating impact of starvation as a weapon of war.

Gabriel Zuchtreigel, Director of Pompeii and a passionate advocate for archaeology, shares his insights on the democratic nature of history through material evidence. He discusses uncovering the lives of everyday people, including the marginalized, and emphasizes addressing issues like looting and the ethics of museum practices. Zuchtreigel recounts the thrill of unexpected discoveries, such as ancient frescoes, and reflects on the emotional impact of human casts. His nocturnal walks around Pompeii reveal a haunting connection to the past.