Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space: A new era of defence readiness

Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Moazzam Malik, Chief Executive of Save the Children UK, about operating on the ground in Gaza.They’re one of a number of non-governmental organisations, or NGOs, operating in the Gaza strip amid a backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.On 22 August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), declared that half a million people – around a quarter of Gaza’s population – are suffering from famine. The report was labelled an "outright lie" by Israel, which has denied there is starvation in the territory. You’re going to hear about Save the Children’s work on the ground, the conditions their staff are operating under, how they lobby politicians, and the implications of the situation in Gaza on future international cooperation.The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Jamie Coomarasamy Producers: Tom Gillett and Adele Armstrong Editor: Nick HollandGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

3 Sep 46min

Rahul Tandon speaks to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s former president and first woman to be elected to lead an African country. Born in 1938 in what she describes as a prosperous and ‘unusual family’, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was guided by a deep commitment to education, which she pursued despite financial hardship and the demands of motherhood. Her outspoken criticism of the Liberian government led to her being persecuted and exiled, as the country descended into two civil wars that killed over 250,000 people. She was elected president of Liberia in 2005, when she set about repairing the country’s shattered economy and social fabric, drawing from her successful careers at the World Bank and United Nations. Her efforts led to her being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.Thank you to the Business Daily 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. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producers: Adriana Urbano & Amber Mehmood Editor: Nick HollandGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

31 Aug 22min

John Wilson speaks to Pete Townshend, songwriter and guitarist of British rock band The Who about the band’s farewell tour of the US.Through his powerful stage presence and pioneering use of technology, Townshend transformed The Who from a hobby wedding band to one of the biggest and loudest outfits of the 1960s and 1970s. His artistic approach created tension with singer Roger Daltrey, the band’s only other surviving member. Sixty years after first coming together, the pair completed their farewell tour of Italy earlier this year and are currently saying goodbye to America.Townshend says he is proud of his influence, even if his rock and roll generation put his parents out of work, who were both musicians in more traditional wartime dance bands. He also reveals the inspiration behind his infamous smashing of guitars may have just been one big misunderstanding. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Alex Loftus and Edwina Pitman Editor: Nick Holland Thank you to the This Cultural Life team for helping to make this programme.Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Pete Townshend. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Desert Trip)

28 Aug 22min

Music has the power to uniteMark Savage speaks to Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel about his life and career. Born in the city of Barquisimeto, he’s famous for conducting orchestras all over the world, as well as film credits that include conducting the opening and end titles for Star Wars: the Force Awakens.With a unique ability to communicate joy and his passion for music to mass audiences, Dudamel has become a rare pop culture icon from the world of classical music - affording him mainstream appeal. He’s currently in London, performing concerts alongside the band Coldplay.In this interview, he talks about El Sistema - Venezuela’s unique programme which has helped train thousands of musicians, the highlights of his time as musical director of the LA Philharmonic, and taking over the helm of the New York Philharmonic.Thank you to the Culture 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. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Mark Savage Producers: Bob Howard and Roxanne Panthaki Editor: Nick HollandGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Conductor Gustavo Dudamel performs onstage during weekend 2, day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella)

26 Aug 22min

Algorithms don’t drive the truthAmol Rajan speaks to Eliot Higgins, founder of the open-source investigative organisation Bellingcat, as the world grapples with the growing threat posed by misinformation and conspiracy theories being deliberately spread online. Founded in 2014, Bellingcat is an independent investigative collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists from around the world.The organisation uses open-source research methods, which involve analysing publicly-available data that can be accessed and used without any special permissions or restrictions.It has investigated a variety of subjects of public interest, including the shooting down of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine to police violence in Colombia and the illegal wildlife trade in the UAE. Higgins argues that the need for organisations like Bellingcat has never been more important, as conspiracy theories flood the internet and some people avoid mainstream news outlets altogether. He believes this is partly down to a lack of trust in institutions, which is subsequently leading to a crisis in democracies all over the world.Thank you to the Radical with Amol Rajan 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. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Amol Rajan Producers: Ben Cooper, Lewis Vickers and Izzy Rowley Editor: Nick HollandGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Eliot Higgins. Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

19 Aug 22min

Coffee is a big responsibilityJulia Caesar speaks to Giuseppe Lavazza, chairman of coffee giant Lavazza, about the multiple challenges facing the industry today. Many people around the world say they can’t function without their morning cup of coffee. In fact, global coffee consumption has been steadily rising with around two billion cups of coffee consumed every day. This growth is driven by rising demand in emerging markets like China and India, as well as the popularity of specialty and cold coffee beverages.However, the industry itself is facing major challenges, including an increase in the cost of raw materials due to changing weather patterns, growing concerns over geopolitical instability impacting shipping routes, and economic uncertainty due to tariffs.The coffee market, which was valued at approximately $495.5 billion in 2023, is a far cry from when Lavazza coffee was first established nearly a century ago in Turin, Italy. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Julia Caesar Producers: Lucy Sheppard and Ben Cooper Editor: Nick HollandGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Giuseppe Lavazza. Credit: Jaimi Joy/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

18 Aug 22min

Captain Jim Lovell, commander of the doomed Apollo 13 space mission to the Moon. Jim, who died this month at the age of 97, tells how he helped guide his stricken craft safely back to Earth after it suffered a near catastrophic explosion in an interview first broadcast in April 2020 on the BBC series 13 Minutes to the Moon. He talks to Kevin Fong about the doomed Nasa mission, from the shocking moment of the explosion to the enormous relief of splashdown. Lovell shares the story of the lunar landmark he named in honour of his wife. And he reflects on survival, the global impact of Apollo 13, and what it meant to finally come back to Earth.(Image: Jim Lovell, Credit: Nasa)

15 Aug 26min

World must focus on creating jobsRahul Tandon speaks to Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank.Born in India in 1959, Mr. Banga’s career in business began in the early-1980s, when he started out as a management trainee with the food multinational Nestlé. He then made the move into finance over a decade later, when he joined the Citigroup bank. He quickly rose through the ranks to become the Chief Executive of the bank’s Asia-Pacific business, before then moving onto Mastercard, where he eventually became CEO.During this time, Mr. Banga, who became a US citizen in 2007, also advised a number of senior US politicians - including President Barack Obama and later, Vice-President Kamala Harris. It was Harris’ boss, President Joe Biden, who subsequently nominated him to lead the World Bank in 2023.The World Bank is a group of international organisations, such as the International Development Association and the International Finance Corporation, that provide grants and loans to low and middle-income countries for the purpose of economic development. As some of these countries are considered to be too high-risk by the international financial markets, the World Bank is an important source of financial support.Since the middle of the last century, the group has navigated multiple global political and economic challenges, adapting along the way to ensure that that financial support continues. Going forward, Mr. Banga believes there’s an overriding priority for sustainable development - jobs. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producers: Ben Cooper & Niamh McDermott Editors: Nick Holland & Damon Rose Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

12 Aug 22min