XINRAN XUE INTERVIEW- Wednesday 30th May, 2007
They
call her, affectionately, "China's first agony aunt", but Xinran Xue is
actually a former teacher, writer, a Sino expert and talkback radio
host, hence that earlier strange label agony aunt. Bookworms out there
may know her better as the author of the bestseller 'The Good Women of
China' based on the harrowing tales she heard from her Chinese
listeners.
read
more...
WILL HUTTON INTERVIEW - Wednesday 23rd May, 2007
China's
meteoric rise as a world economic power is almost
beyond comprehension. So how about a couple of statistics to put it in
perspective? For 25 years now, the Chinese economy has grown at an
astonishing 9.5% per annum. At that rate, by the middle of this
century, the emerging superpower will be the world's largest economy.
So, is this going to be China's century? British economist and
journalist Will Hutton doubts that the Chinese boom can continue and
says the Communist Party must loosen its grip on the state even
further.
read
more...
CLAIRE SHORT INTERVIEW - Wednesday 16th May, 2007
How
do we think history's going to view Tony Blair's 10 years as Britain's
Prime Minister? So far, 'mixed' is probably the best word to describe
the response reasonable achievements on the home front, but getting
involved in Iraq a huge blunder. Blair's decision, along with the US
and Australia, to wage war on Saddam Hussein created an enormous schism
within his New Labour Party and the British public. Along the way, his
then International development Secretary, Clare Short, resigned in
disgust and has remained a thorn in his side ever since. So how does
she feel about him now, as he prepares to leave Number 10? George Negus
spoke with Clare Short from London.
read more...
ALI ALLAWI INTERVIEW - Wednesday 16th May, 2007
For
decades, Ali Allawi was an Iraqi exile who, after the fall of Saddam,
went home and became a leading political player. When he witnessed the
Iraqi disaster unfolded first hand. Harvard-educated, currently, Allawi
is a senior advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, but between 2003 and
2005 he held the posts of minister for finance and interim minister for
defence and trade. His definitive account of the tumultuous events of
the past few years in Iraq - quite a tome hit the bookshops here in
Australia this week.
Read
more...
ANTONIO GUTERRES INTERVIEW - Wednesday 9th May, 2007
Antonio
Guterres is the former prime minister of Portugal. Currently, he's the
United Nation's High Commissioner for Refugees with the overall
responsibility for the Iraqis fleeing the conflict in their battered
homeland. George Negus spoke with him from Geneva earlier this evening.
Read
more...
DAVID MILIBAND INTERVIEW - Wednesday 2nd May, 2007
This morning, Australian business and political leaders woke up to this
full-page ad in the 'Financial Review' placed by five senior private
sector economists. Addressed to all Australian governments, it calls
for "urgent action" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It makes the
point that many other countries already have programs under way - the
implication being that Australia was falling way behind. The advert
didn't mention the UK by name, but it could have. The Blair Government
has already committed to a
60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. Charged with delivering this
ambitious pledge is the UK Environment Secretary, David Miliband, just
41, one of the rising stars of the Labour Party and widely touted as a
future Labour leader. Earlier this evening George Negus asked David
Miliband why such a radical move to storm ahead with legally binding
targets?
Read
more...
Please Note: More interviews will be added as time permits.