Profile

Becky Milligan profiles Poland's foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, a one-time teenage rebel, Oxford networker, daring reporter - and now a key voice in the Ukraine crisis and an important force in European politics. Producer: Chris Bowlby.

The so-called "fake sheikh" - investigative journalist Mazher Mahmood - hit the headlines this week after singer Tulisa Contostavlos's drugs trial, which was triggered by one of his newspaper investigations, collapsed. The judge told the court he thought prosecution witness Mahmood had lied in giving evidence. Mahmood has long been a controversial figure. His investigations, many for News of the W...

After this week's cabinet reshuffle Mark Coles profiles Nicky Morgan. Who exactly is the new education secretary? Producer: Smita Patel.

Elizabeth Butler-Sloss has been chosen this week to lead a major enquiry into abuse allegations. But the choice has proved controversial, with claims that she is too close to the establishment. A specialist in family law who became a high-ranking judge, she's been involved in many important decisions. Mary-Ann Sieghart looks at her life and career. Producer: Chris Bowlby.

Speculation abounded this week as to whether Elizabeth Warren hopes to be the Democratic candidate in the next US election. Elizabeth Warren has had a rapid rise to prominence since her election as Senator for Massachusetts in 2012. Her interrogation of key figures from the banking sector during the financial crisis earned her nicknames such as the 'Sheriff of Wall Street' and the 'Matriarch of Ma...

London barrister Amal Alamuddin has become engaged to one of the world's most elusive bachelors, Hollywood A-lister George Clooney. But she is an impressive figure in her own right. As a high-flying human rights lawyer she has defended the likes of Julian Assange of Wikileaks, former Ukrainian president Yulia Tymoshenko and the former head of Libyan intelligence Abdallah Al Senussi. She has also b...

The owners of Manchester United find themselves under the spotlight once again following the sacking of manager David Moyes, Alex Ferguson's replacement. American billionaire Malcolm Glazer and his family faced a hostile reaction from many fans when they took over the club in 2005. The Glazers control a large business empire in the US including shopping centres and an American football team, The T...

Mark Coles profiles new Culture Secretary, Sajid Javid. Son of 1960s immigrants from Pakistan, after a stellar banking career he's now in the Cabinet. What's behind his rise? And what kind of Culture Secretary will he be? Producer: Chris Bowlby.

Narendra Modi is tipped to become the next Prime Minister of India but he's a controversial character, both loved and loathed. In this edition of Profile, Ritula Shah travels to India to find out more about the son of a tea seller who has become a formidable politician. She speaks to the brother he left behind and the tailor who gives him his signature style. Producer: Laura Gray Presenter: Ritula...

Sir Alan Ayckbourn is about to turn 75 years old and one of his best-known plays is currently running at the National Theatre in London. Known for his acerbic social observation and exploration of human relationships, his works are as thought provoking as they are funny. But who is the man behind them? Notoriously reticent, he often prefers his written words to speak for him. In this edition of Pr...

Mark Coles profiles Noah. As a new Hollywood movie opens starring Russell Crowe, and as part of a celebration of characters on BBC Radio 4, Mark Coles explores the many sides of a figure we keep returning to.

Edward Stourton profiles Matteo Renzi, the new Italian prime minister. He asks if this former boy scout - nicknamed 'demolition man' for his desire to smash the political establishment - can turn around Italy's fortunes. At 39, he is Italy's youngest-ever PM. He wears jeans and a leather jacket and models himself on Tony Blair. Can he live up to his promises? Producer: Chris Bowlby.

Ahead of the budget Mary Ann Sieghart profiles Rupert Harrison. He's the top economic adviser to George Osborne, and the man some call the 'real Chancellor' and 'the most important man you've never heard of'. Those who know him well and have seen his influence grow describe his career and characteristics. Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Richard Knight.

Russian president Vladimir Putin's motives and aims are at the heart of the Ukraine crisis. In this week's Profile, Mary Ann Sieghart speaks to those who've watched him closely to explore how his life has shaped his view of the world, and Russia's place in it. We hear about his life as KGB agent, his volatile temper, and the role religion now plays in his life and politics. Producer: Chris Bowlby...

Janet Yellen is President Obama's choice to replace Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve when his term ends later this month, making her the most powerful central banker in the world and, arguably, the most powerful woman in the world. But who is she? Mary Ann Sieghart finds out - discovering, among other things, how Janet Yellen reacted when an earthquake shook her office...

After playing Baltimore drug boss Stringer Bell in The Wire, and Detective John Luther on British television, Idris Elba is now appearing in a very different role - Nelson Mandela in Long Walk to Freedom. Chris Bowlby profiles the British actor who some think will one day be the first black James Bond. Producer: Smita Patel.

As the drama of street protests in Ukraine continues, Mark Coles profiles 'Dr Ironfist', the world boxing champion turned opposition political leader Vitali Klitschko. He's the son of a Soviet air force officer, one of two top boxers with a PhD (the other is his brother Vladimir) and he's nice to his mum. But can he make it in the murky world of Ukrainian politics? Producers: Chris Bowlby, Laura G...

Edward Stourton profiles the Michelle Bachelet, the favourite in this weekend's presidential election in Chile. If Bachelet wins as expected, then it will be her second term as president of a country which elected her to office in 2006. Bachelet took 47 per cent of the vote, almost twice as much as her rival, in the first round but it was not enough to secure an outright victory. Bachelet's family...

He was one of the poster boys for London 2012 - a contributor to Team GB's medal haul, admired for his perfect mid-flight somersaults and skimpy swimwear. British Olympic diver Tom Daley has lived his life in the public eye since first attracting attention aged ten, when he became Britain's youngest diver to win the national championships. Tom Daley is in the media spotlight more than ever this we...

With the SNP announcing its plans for an independent Scotland this week, Lesley Curwen profiles Nicola Sturgeon - a figure who may be key to the party's chances of success. She's deputy to Alex Salmond but is central to the party's campaign, and she's playing a major but perhaps under-reported role in negotiating with London too. How did she achieve such a rapid rise to political prominence? And w...

Bill de Blasio, sometime supporter of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, will soon take over as mayor of New York. He's overcome the suicide of his war veteran father, created the most famous multiracial family in the US and now has to persuade Wall Street to fund his radical plans to overcome inequality in the Big Apple. Ed Miliband is said to be watching carefully. Mark Coles profiles a pol...

India means Sachin and Sachin means India. So how did a shy 16-year-old cricketer come to embody a nation and its hopes and dreams? Sachin Tendulkar's career spanned a period of remarkable change in what is now one of the world's biggest developing economies. As he plays his 200th and final test match, Tim Franks looks at how Sachin's progress mirrored and even inspired India's over a quarter of a...

She's been described as the UK's most experienced criminal prosecutor, responsible for bringing some of the most infamous criminals to justice. But she also has a passion for cooking and entertaining. Becky Milligan profiles Alison Saunders, who this week became the new Director of Public Prosecutions. Producer: Ben Crighton.

He is one of a small number of people who has made it to both the North Pole and the South Pole. He runs ultramarathons. He climbs mountains. Oh, and he is a billionaire, one of the country's richest men, who has reluctantly been making the headlines. Jim Ratcliffe, who recently threatened to close the huge Grangemouth petrochemical plant in Scotland - which he owns through his company Ineos - is...

Last year, long-standing Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell was forced to resign his new job as Chief Whip after being accused of calling police officers guarding the Downing Street gates "plebs." The so-called 'Plebgate' saga has hit the headlines once again this week after a committee of MPs summoned three senior police officers to explain their inquiry into the incident. While last year Andrew Mit...