Dr Vivek Murthy: loneliness is public health risk

‘There are real consequences to our physical and mental health’Katty Kay speaks to Dr Vivek Murthy, former US Surgeon-General about the challenge posed by loneliness and isolation in the modern world. Dr. Murthy, the first person of Indian descent in the post, was appointed during the second Obama administration. He then returned in 2021, serving until the beginning of this year.The Surgeon-General’s job is to provide the American public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury. They also oversee the country’s 6,000 public health professionals who respond to national health threats and public health crises.It was during his second term, under the Biden administration, that Dr. Murthy first started expressing concern about the impact of social media on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. He described the loneliness epidemic of social isolation as a risk to public health akin to smoking and diabetes.In this interview, he examines the scale of the challenge posed by loneliness and how artificial intelligence, or AI, on the one hand is being used to tackle it, but may also be simultaneously adding to the problem. 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: Katty Kay Producers: Ben Cooper, Aiden Johnson and Ilyas Kirmani Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

I am worried about the global economySimon Jack, BBC Business Editor speaks to global financial titan Jamie Dimon. He’s the Chief Executive and Chairman of JP Morgan Chase, America’s largest bank, and one of the biggest banks in the world. He oversees more than $4 trillion of assets, and has the ear of world leaders.He believes we are living in a time of uncertainty, and is concerned about the impact on the global economy. The risk of a serious fall in the US stock market within the next two years is being underestimated, he claims, adding he is far more worried about this than others. But he still puts his faith in the American economy, saying it is the best in the world. And while he says the United States is now a “less reliable” international partner, it is thanks to the actions of President Trump that other NATO members have stepped up their spending on defence. Such investment he believes is essential, in a world more dangerous since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Jamie Dimon has been at the helm of JP Morgan Chase for nearly twenty years. Now he has been tipped as a potential US Treasury Secretary, something he says is not on the cards.Thank you to the Big Boss Interview 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: Simon Jack Producers: Oliver Smith, Lucy Sheppard Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

I was 15 years old and I did not know who I wasMadina Maishanu speaks to Malala Yousafzai, the global education activist, about the public life that has defined her, and her search for her own identity. In a deeply personal interview, Malala Yousafzai reveals the legacy of her teenage years - as the spirited girl who took on the Taliban and nearly lost her life, then the Nobel Prize-winning advocate for girls everywhere to go to school. People think they know you, she says, but I did not know who I was. Now, aged 28, she reveals the lasting impact on her mental health and how she’s been helped by therapy and by friendship, putting the loneliness of her teens behind her.For Malala Yousafzai, the mission of her life remains ensuring every girl has the right to go to school, a goal that has driven her since she was a child growing up in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. Critical of the ruling Taliban, she survived an assassination attempt at their hands before fleeing to England to continue her education, ultimately at Oxford University. Thank you to Madina Maishanu and Yousef Eldin 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: Madina Maishanu Producers: Yousef Eldin, Lucy Sheppard and Farhana Haider Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media(Image: Malala Yousafzai Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for IMDb)

The world will have to listen to AfricaWaihiga Mwaura speaks to Botswana’s President Duma Boko about his plans to reinvigorate the economy, taking greater control of the country’s diamond reserves, but also diversifying its mining and other sectors. Currently facing hefty tariffs from the US, he claims to be close to securing a tariff-free deal for Botswana’s diamonds at least. But President Boko also has a vision of a reinvigorated Africa, a continent that works together to become a formidable economic force, where its own people reap the benefits of its rich resources. Africa, he says, is rising. Duma Boko, a human rights lawyer who was educated at Harvard, helped to create the party he leads, the Umbrella for Democratic Change. His victory in the 2024 presidential election, at his third attempt, finally ousted the Botswana Democratic Party from power after almost 60 years. Thank you to Waihiga Mwaura, Kasra Karimi and Priscilla Ng’ethe Koinange 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: Waihiga Mwaura Producer(s): Lucy Sheppard, Kasra Karimi and Priscilla Ng’ethe Koinange Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Botswana's President Duma Gideon Boko addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S, Credit: Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters)

Born in 1956 in the Swedish capital, Borg’s lifelong association with tennis began when his father won a full-size racket at a local table tennis tournament, which he gave to the young Borg.By the age of 14, he had joined the professional tennis circuit, and just a few years later, had won the Italian Open at 17 and the French Open at just 18. Having risen to international prominence in 1975 when he helped Sweden win its first David Cup, Borg became a household name in the years that followed for his distinctive playing style that helped him win Wimbledon five times in a row.At the peak of his playing career, his on-court rivalry with the American John McEnroe became the stuff of legend, with the pair’s 1980 Wimbledon final considered by many to be one of the greatest matches ever played. This was later immortalised in a 2017 movie.After unexpectedly retiring in 1983, Borg struggled with life after tennis, battling alcohol and drug abuse. He subsequently returned to the sport in the early 1990s for a couple of years before hanging up his professional tennis racket for good.He tells Tim Muffett about his journey to the very top of the sport, the challenges of stepping away, and his recent battle with prostate cancer.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: Tim Muffett Producers: Ben Cooper, Nadia Dahabiyeh and Nick Smith Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Björn Borg of Sweden prepares to present the trophies on Court Philippe-Chatrie, Credit: Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

Justin Rowlatt speaks to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright about his belief that the threat from climate change is exaggerated. It is a view shared by the American President, Donald Trump, and one that has seen subsidies to the renewable energy industry, worth billions of dollars, cut by the US administration. Secretary Wright is highly critical of the transition to sustainable power, describing it as unsuccessful and costly, and instead believes the solution to emissions lies in nuclear fusion. He has drawn the wrath of the international scientific community with his controversial challenge to climate orthodoxy, including his claims that there have been no increases in extreme weather events across the globe. Chris Wright was nominated by President Trump as his Energy Secretary in November 2024 after a career in the energy industry and is an outspoken opponent of global efforts to combat the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. The US President has described climate change “as the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” 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: Justin Rowlatt Producer: James Bryant, Miho Tanaka and Lucy Sheppard Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Photo: Chris Wright. Credit: Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock)

Somalia has a serious security challengePaul Njie speaks to Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia, about ongoing efforts to achieve security and stability in his country. While he says much progress has been made in tackling terror, he acknowledges that the insurgent groups al-Qaeda and, in particular, al-Shabab still pose a serious challenge. However, he refutes the American charge that Somalia is a safe haven for terrorists - a charge that has led to a US travel ban for Somali nationals. He also stands firm in the face of pressure to allow the secession of Somaliland, the self-declared republic in the north of Somalia. The country’s unity, he says, is sacrosanct. Long-running tensions with neighbouring Ethiopia are downplayed, and instead he gives his support to working together in both countries’ interests. President Mohamud first came to power in 2012, at the head of an internationally backed Government that brought a degree of stability to a country riven by civil war for decades. Re-elected for a second time in 2022, he is now attempting to change the country’s constitution to allow direct voting for all citizens rather than through clan elders. He believes this is necessary to continue Somalia’s journey to democracy. Thank you to Paul Njie, Hassan Lali and Gladys Kigo 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: Paul Njie Producers: Hassan Lali and Lucy Sheppard Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud poses for a photo in his office. Credit: Ed Ram/Getty Images)

‘Peace seems to be a word, a five-letter word, that is losing its value.’Waihiga Mwaura speaks to Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, in a broad-ranging interview about the the UN at 80, and the state of the world today. The UN is currently hosting its annual General Assembly at its headquarters in New York. Leaders, senior politicians and diplomats from all over the world are meeting there to discuss and resolve a variety of the planet’s most pressing issues.This is the General Assembly’s 80th such gathering since the United Nations was formed. This year’s theme is ‘Better together’, and sees a renewed urgency on delivering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: 17 interconnected global goals, first adopted by all UN member states in 2015, covering areas including ending poverty, improving health and education, and tackling climate change.Before becoming the UN’s 5th Deputy Secretary-General, a role Ms. Mohammed took up in 2017, the Nigerian-British diplomat and politician previously served as Nigeria’s Minister for the Environment.In this interview, she also reflects on the ‘price’ of war and how it diverts vital global attention and resources away from international development, as well as discussing the need for the UN’s Security Council to be more accountable amid growing calls to increase its size to include more member states.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: Waihiga Mwaura Producers: Ben Cooper, Priscilla Ng’ethe and Lucy Sheppard Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General Credit: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Ione Wells speaks to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview.He sets out his anger not only at the hefty trade tariffs imposed on his country by President Trump, but also at the lack of communication or negotiation from the US administration. Now, he says, he has no relationship with the American president.President Lula da Silva does not want to celebrate the recent guilty verdict and lengthy sentence handed down to his predecessor Jair Bolsanaro for plotting a coup against him. But while he hopes Mr Bolsanaro continues to defend himself, for now, he says, he is guilty. The President also attacks what he views as the outdated and unrepresentative nature of the United Nations, and claims the conflict in Ukraine would not have happened if the UN was more effective. He describes the war in Gaza as genocide. President Lula da Silva has been in office since 2023, and also led Brazil between 2003 and 2011. He’s been a figurehead of the left in the country for many decades, having risen through the trade union movement into politics.Thank you to Ione Wells and Jessica Cruz 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: Ione Wells Producer(s): Ben Cooper, Jessica Cruz and Lucy Sheppard Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Credit: Andre Borges/EPA/Shutterstock)

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 [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Photo: Moazzam Malik. Credit: Feisal Omar/Reuters)