The Interview

Stevie Wonder was born in 1950 in the industrial city of Saginaw, Michigan, USA. Even from a young age, he displayed a great love of music - first with a church choir, and then teaching himself how to play a range of instruments, including the harmonica, piano and drums, all before the age of 10. He was just 11 years old when he was discovered and signed by the legendary Motown record label - and the rest is history. Across a career that’s spanned seven decades, he has sold over 100 million records worldwide, won numerous awards - including multiple Grammys, a Golden Globe and even an Oscar, and received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom too. Over the years, Stevie has also used his platform to campaign on social issues close to his heart. He’s long-advocated for greater rights for disabled people around the world, and he successfully spearheaded a movement to create a national holiday in the US to recognise the birthday of the civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was also a vocal critic of apartheid in South Africa and called for the release of Nelson Mandela. In this wide-ranging interview, Stevie discusses his journey to stardom, where he gets his creative spark, and speaking out against injustice. Thank you to the Sidetracked 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: Annie Macmanus Producers: Ben Cooper and Gráinne Morrison Editor: Justine Lang Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Stevie Wonder Credit: Savion Washington/Getty Images)

‘I'm very confident that someday soon we're going to have government as good as our people again’ Paddy O’Connell speaks to former US Vice President Mike Pence about President Trump’s second term in office. Pence, whose political career began a quarter of a century ago, first rose to international prominence when he was selected by Donald Trump to be his running mate for the 2016 US Presidential election. When the insurgent billionaire shocked the world by defeating Hillary Clinton, Pence found himself at the centre of an administration beset by multiple controversies from the very beginning, including having to navigate impeachment proceedings against his boss. The pair, however, weren’t always aligned in their worldviews, and the relationship became increasingly frayed behind closed doors. Formal ties were severed when Pence resisted efforts by Trump to overturn his election defeat to Joe Biden in 2020. After leaving the post of Vice-President, Pence remained active in politics in the years that followed, eventually running for the Republican nomination for the 2024 Presidential election. This was, of course, won by his old boss - but Pence refused to endorse him the second time around. Despite the turbulent four years in office, he remains proud of what he and Trump achieved in that time. However, he can now speak more freely about his former boss, who is back in the White House for a second term. His experience at the very top of American politics also gives him unique insight into events both at home and abroad. In this wide-ranging interview, he discusses many pressing issues including vaccine scepticism, global tariffs and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Thank you to the Newsnight 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: Paddy O’Connell Producers: Ben Cooper, Samuel Kerr, Pascale Puthod and Liz Rawlings Editor: Justine Lang Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Mike Pence. Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images)

John Wilson speaks to British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason about his obsession with music, adjusting to fame and how he’s faced racist abuse. While still a student, he performed to an audience of more than one billion people at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, instantly becoming one of the most recognisable classical performers in the world. Now, still just 26 years old, he explains the unique joy of performing with his family. Kanneh-Mason is one of seven siblings, all are talented musicians and regularly play together. Of Antiguan decent, he was the first black person to win BBC Young Musician of the Year. He’s also used his profile to join calls for dropping ‘Rule, Britannia!’ from the Last Night of the Proms, explaining how difficult it is for someone whose ancestors were enslaved to hear imperial songs sung with such determination. Thank you to the This Cultural Life team for helping to make 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: John Wilson Producers: Alex Loftus, Ben Cooper and Edwina Pittman Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Photo by Ian West - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Paddy O’Connell speaks to Professor Francis Fukuyama about the threats to liberal democracies around the world. The American political economist and international relations scholar, who is currently a senior fellow at Stanford University, has written widely on issues about development and international politics. He is best-known for his 1992 book ‘The End of History and the Last Man’. He argued that the end of the Cold War, marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, represented the end point of mankind’s ideological evolution, and the universalisation of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government. But three decades on, Western liberal democracy appears to be struggling to adapt to the many challenges of the 21st century. Amid geopolitical instability, its future does not appear as universal as Fukuyama once proposed, even in the US. 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: Paddy O’Connell Producer: Ben Cooper Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Professor Francis Fukuyama. Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

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 Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

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 Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

Music has the power to unite Mark 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 Holland Get 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)

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)

Algorithms don’t drive the truth Amol 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 Holland Get 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)

Coffee is a big responsibility Julia 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 Holland Get 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)

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)

World must focus on creating jobs Rahul 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.

We have a purpose to help people survive Jewel Kiriungi speaks to Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of Shoprite, South Africa’s largest supermarket chain, who is trying to keep prices low despite economic challenges across the continent. Shoprite employs 163,000 people, more than any other in the country’s private sector. Engelbrecht stresses the importance of keeping food affordable, with a quarter of South African children not receiving enough protein. He explains that food security in the country is the worst it has been in 10 years, with insufficient ports and railroads making it difficult for the country to join the global supply chain. Shoprite is trying to expand throughout Africa, but Engelbrecht says this is difficult due to corruption, high inflation and devaluing currencies. Despite continued success in South Africa, the chain has closed its operations in Nigeria and Kenya. Thank you to the World Business Report team for helping to make 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: Jewel Kiriungi Producer: Bob Howard Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Pieter Engelbrecht, Credit: Getty Images/Bloomberg)

Suranjana Tewari speaks to John Denton, Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), about the impact of global tariffs. Based in Paris, the ICC represents 45 million businesses, large and small, from across 170 different countries. These businesses were amongst the first to feel the effects of Trump’s tariffs, which have been implemented for various reasons by the US President. Mr. Denton believes that the uncertainty is hurting businesses who worry about making a decision today, only for the rules to be changed tomorrow. Mr. Denton also reveals how new markets that are forming away from the US and its tariffs, with South East Asia transitioning from an export-based economy to one of consumption. And despite all the chaos, he points out the World Trade Organisation, and other economic architecture, has actually continued to function. He praises those who have not issued retaliatory tariffs. 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: Suranjana Tewari Producers: Ben Cooper and Olivia Lace-Evans Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: John Denton. Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images North America)

“Russia cannot stand economic pressure” Maria Jevstafjeva speaks to Czech President, Petr Pavel about ending the war between Ukraine and Russia. Mr. Pavel was elected to the role in 2023, having retired from a military career that began with serving in the military of communist Czechoslovakia during the Cold War in the 1980s and ended three decades later after chairing NATO’s Military Committee. The first military officer from the former Eastern Bloc to hold the post, he oversaw the Alliance's responses to a number of crises - including the fallout from Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine. As Russia’s war on Ukraine continues into its third year, Western leaders are renewing efforts to bring an end to the bloodshed and implement a ceasefire. Mr. Pavel, who was elected on a platform of closer ties with the EU and NATO, believes the only way to do this is by getting Putin to the negotiating table - even if that means allowing Russia to occupy parts of Ukraine, but without recognising Moscow’s claim to them. Thank you to Maria Jevstafjeva and Tatina Preobrazhenskaya 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, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Maria Jevstafjeva Producers: Ben Cooper and Tatina Preobrazhenskaya Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Petr Pavel. Credit: Martin Divíšek/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

We face a special challenge in America. James Naughtie speaks to veteran US politician John Kerry about the state of American politics and his long career at the top of global affairs. As well as standing for president himself as the Democratic candidate in 2004, he served as Secretary of State in the Obama administration and as Joe Biden’s climate envoy. Secretary Kerry was at the centre of some of the most significant global crises in recent history from Iraq to Iran and Syria. He still believes America’s greatest foreign policy mistake was invading Iraq in 2003 without first seeking formal approval from the US Congress. He is forthright in his views on America today, saying he has never seen anything like what the country is living through. He describes politics as defined by greed and insensitivity, and guided by the lowest aspirations. For his Democratic party to return to power once more, he challenges them to face and address the issues the American people care about, including immigration. Thank you to the Politically 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. 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, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: James Naughtie Producers: Lucy Sheppard, Giles Edwards Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: John Kerry. Credit: Reuters)

“Belarus will be free” Sarah Rainsford speaks to Belarussian opposition activist Sergei Tikhanovsky about his imprisonment after challenging the country’s authoritarian leader, President Lukashenko. He spent five years of solitary confinement in a high security prison in Belarus before being unexpectedly released this year, following a meeting between Lukashenko and an American special envoy. Tikhanovsky had planned to run against the Belarussian leader in the 2020 presidential election, but was detained before the vote. A year later, he was sentenced to serve 18 years in prison, convicted on charges of organising mass protests against President Lukashenko. His trial was condemned as a sham by international observers. Tikhanovsky’s wife, Svetlana, stood in for him in the 2020 election. But the day after Lukashenko claimed a disputed victory, she fled to Lithuania with her children fearing for her safety. In her absence, she was convicted by a Belarussian court on charges including high-treason and conspiracy to seize power. Tikhanovsky is now reunited with his family in Lithuania, where is he living in enforced exile following his release from prison. Thank you to Sarah Rainsford, Davide Ghiglione and Franceso Tosto 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, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Sarah Rainsford Producers: Lucy Sheppard, Ben Cooper and Arsenii Sokolov Editor: Damon Rose Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Sergei Tikhanovsky. Credit: Valda Kalnina/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

“We were outsiders” Edward Stourton, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Sunday programme, speaks to Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani about her Persian identity and her faith. Bishop Guli is currently the Bishop of Chelmsford, a city in England, but it’s also being reported that she’s one of the leading candidates to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury - the most senior bishop in the Church of England. Although she is keen not to add to any media speculation, if selected, Bishop Guli would be a remarkable choice. Not only would she be the first woman to hold the position in the Church’s long history, but she’d also become the first person of Middle Eastern heritage to hold the position too. Born in Iran, her family came to the UK as refugees after her brother was murdered in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Thank you to the Sunday 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, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Edward Stourton Producers: Ben Cooper, Katy Davis and Lucy Sheppard Editor: Damon Rose Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani. Credit: BBC Radio 4/PA)

Europe was free-riding on US Nick Robinson speaks to Friedrich Merz, the new German Chancellor, about the future of Europe’s defence amid the growing threat posed by Russia. Merz, the leader of the centre-right Christian Democrat party, was elected as Chancellor earlier this year at the second attempt, following chaotic scenes in the German Bundestag that saw him lose the first parliamentary vote. He’s been in the UK to sign the first-ever friendship treaty between the two countries - it’s a wide-ranging agreement covering everything from migration to energy, and business to defence. Unlike his predecessors who, in the shadow of World War Two, were keen to reassure the world that German military strength was not a priority, Chancellor Merz has decided to invest heavily in defence. He says that a strong army is now essential, thanks to the grave threat Russia poses to European peace and stability - and that Germany must be able to protect itself, and not rely on America. Chancellor Merz also talks about his good relations with US President Donald Trump and the rise of the far right AFD (Alternative für Deutschland) party in his country, which is now the official opposition. Thank you to the Today programme 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, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Nick Robinson Producers: Lucy Sheppard, Ben Cooper and Kirsty McKenzie Sound: Dave O’Neill Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Friedrich Merz. Credit: Reuters)

“I'm just disappointed in him, but I'm not done with him” The BBC’s Chief North America Correspondent, Gary O’Donoghue, speaks to US President Donald Trump in a wide-ranging telephone interview from the Oval Office. The call with the president came just hours after he announced plans to send weapons to Ukraine and warned of severe tariffs on Russia if there was no ceasefire deal within 50 days. Mr. Trump, who celebrated his 79th birthday last month, was inaugurated for a second term in the White House at the start of this year. It’s safe to say that the 47th president of the United States has wasted little time in picking up where he left off four years earlier, upending the status quo both at home and abroad. In the conversation, he reflects on the failed attempt on his life at an election campaign rally last July in Butler, Pennsylvania. He also discusses the ongoing war in Ukraine, US immigration policy, and hopes for his legacy. Thank you to Gary O’Donoghue and Iona Hampson 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, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Gary O’Donoghue Producers: Iona Hampson and Ben Cooper Sound: Dave O’Neill Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: President Trump. Credit: Reuters)