Author and explorer - Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Have opposition politicians in Zimbabwe learned the lessons of the violent and disputed elections in 2008 in which Robert Mugabe and his party Zanu-PF outmanoeuvred the Movement for Democratic Change, and held onto power. The MDC has since been in an uneasy power-sharing government, in which its main leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is prime minister. But a breakaway MDC faction led by the Commerce and Industry Minister, Welshman Ncube, is splintering the opposition ahead of fresh elections due by next June. Zeinab Badawi speaks to Welshman Ncube and asks whether the opposition should be united to better oppose Zanu-PF.

21 Sep 201223min

Germany's pivotal role in resolving the Eurozone crisis has sparked fierce international discussion but also deep rifts at home. Katya Adler speaks to Hans-Werner Sinn, one of Germany's most influential and controversial economists, who is at the heart of that debate. Recently he joined forces with more than 100 colleagues to oppose any move towards Germany paying for the bank debts of other countries and appeared in front of the German constitutional court to criticise the EU bailout fund. Is he reflecting genuine public concerns or fuelling Germans worst fears?(Image: German economist Hans-Werner Sinn. Credit: MICHAEL GOTTSCHALK/AFP/Getty Images)

19 Sep 201223min

Chile's economy is booming, growing at a rate which almost echoes that of China. While Chile is the world's largest producer of copper, China the biggest importer - a perfect marriage except that China is losing its appetite. So how will Chile cope? Shaun Ley speaks to the Chilean finance minister, Felipe Larrain, discussing the country's economic future.(Image: Chile Finance Minister Felipe Larrain. Credit: ERIC PIERMONT/AFP/Getty Images)

17 Sep 201223min

To their critics they're publicity hungry blasphemers; to their minds they are feminist punk rockers protesting against what they say is Russian president Vladimir Putin's authoritarianism and sexism. When three members of the Russian band Pussy Riot were jailed in August, there was an international outcry. They were found guilty of hooliganism for staging an illegal performance early this year in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Zeinab Badawi speaks to Pyotr Verzilov, the husband of one of the jailed activists, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. Is Pussy Riot's high media profile the result of their shock tactics rather than real political clout?(Image: Members of the female punk band Pussy Riot (R-L) Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich sit in a glass-walled cage during a court hearing in Moscow. Credit: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Files)

14 Sep 201223min

For years, it's been one of the biggest questions in sport. Did Lance Armstrong - the seven time winner of cycling's greatest race, the Tour de France - dope? Is the man who beat cancer to become one of the greatest sporting figures ever - a cheat? Armstrong has denied wrongdoing. But now a former teammate and roommate of Armstrong's, Tyler Hamilton, has produced the most detailed and wounding set of allegations yet. Is Hamilton self-serving and greedy, as Armstrong insists? Or a shaft of light on a sport that's been mired in murk?(Image: US cyclist Tyler Hamilton. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

12 Sep 201223min

The future of the Gulf state of Bahrain remains uncertain after 18 months of street protests inspired by the Arab Spring. Some of the most outspoken Bahraini critics of the ruling Al Khalifa family are behind bars, violent clashes between police and demonstrators continue. Maryam Al Khawaja is a prominent human rights campaigner, whose father was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to overthrow the government. Who will win the fight for Bahrain's future?

10 Sep 201223min

The 2008 banking crash prompted a prolonged crisis of confidence in the financial institutions and markets that underpin Western capitalism. Governments on both sides of the Atlantic have tried to recalibrate the balance between risk and reward and to encourage genuine wealth creation rather than short term speculation. Xavier Rolet is the CEO of the London Stock Exchange Group. Have financial markets learned the right lessons from recent history?(Image: Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Copyright London Stock Exchange press office handout)

7 Sep 201223min

The grim threat of renewed conflict hangs over the Democratic Republic of Congo. An armed rebellion in the East - on the Rwandan border - has already forced hundreds of thousands to flee. The DRC army is in disarray and the Kinshasa government has been undermined by allegations of electoral fraud and corruption. Stephen Sackur talks to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raymond Tshibanda. What hope is there for the Democratic Republic of Congo?(Image: Democratic Republic of Congo's Minster for Foreign Affairs Raymond Tshibanda. Credit: JUNIOR D.KANNAH/AFP/GettyImages)

5 Sep 201223min