Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana’s Foreign Minister: Slavery scars our collective conscience

“There's a toxic narrative around displacement which has been politicised and part of the fund is to re-humanise and make the connection because those people who have the great fortune to be housed, to be in nations that are free of conflict at the moment, we're being asked to be displaced from our humanity. And so art, the foundation of art is to allow people to make pathways of connection to remind us that we have more in common with people who are displaced than we realise.” Katie Razzall speaks to double Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett. The 57-year-old Australian, best-known for her roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as Elizabeth, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, has long used her public profile to champion humanitarian causes around the world. A decade ago, Blanchett was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency. Two years later, she addressed the UN Security Council drawing attention to Rohingya refugees fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar. Last year, Blanchett helped launch the Displacement Film Fund, an initiative supporting filmmakers who have experienced displacement, as well as films exploring the lives of those forced to flee their homes. Five filmmakers were awarded grants through the fund, each telling individual stories of displacement from places including Ukraine, Somalia and Iran. One of the filmmakers, Hasan Kattan, joined Blanchett for this interview to talk about his experience of fleeing Syria. Thank you to the Newsnight team for their help in making this programme.

“Diplomacy is about talking to lots of people with whom you don't agree. And that's what diplomats do. And I think we would do that... The Vatican has always had very little difficulty, perhaps too little difficulty, in dealing with all sorts of political actors, all sorts regimes, all sorts of political systems.” Julie Etchingham speaks to Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations and one of the Catholic Church’s more senior diplomats. The 72 year old, who was born and brought up in Liverpool, was appointed to the post in 2014 by Pope Francis and is frequently referred to as the Vatican's foreign minister. Although a tiny city state, the Vatican has significant reach and influence on the world stage, being a permanent observer at the United Nations and having diplomatic relations with 184 countries. Its diplomats pursue a policy of ‘positive neutrality’ - supposedly an impartial moral authority which allows it to dialogue with all sides. With no signs of various geopolitical tensions subsiding, the Archbishop’s role in navigating these instabilities on behalf of the more than 1.4 billion Catholics around the world has arguably never been more important. Thank you to the Sunday team for their help in making this programme.

“When I was writing it I didn’t think it would touch such a universal chord, you know, because it seemed to me so weird, my childhood and my mother and my life, it was, but of course, everybody has something. And a lot of people I meet have said this to me and that it helped them see their parents as human beings and not just parents.” Ishadrita Lahiri speaks to acclaimed author and activist, Arundhati Roy. One of India’s most celebrated writers and outspoken political voices Roy rose to international fame in 1997 with her Booker Prize-winning debut novel The God of Small Things. Since then she has become as well known for political activism as for her fiction, challenging those in power and using her writing to engage with questions of inequality, nationalism and human rights. In her latest book, Mother Mary Comes to Me, Roy reflects on her complex relationship with her mother and the ways it shaped her life and work. We explore her literary journey, political convictions and what’s shaped her writing.

“Nigeria can fight insecurity, head on. It only requires it for the commander-in-chief to be determined that this will end. Those criminals live with us. In our communities, people know them. I will go to the communities and find them. I will take control. And I will not do it from Abuja.”

“We don't have to have a fight, and we don't have to land in China, go to Beijing and win the war. All we have to do is prevent them to getting their objective of landing in Taiwan and conquering. It's not going to be easy, but we've been preparing for this for 77 years.” Sumi Somaskanda speaks to Alexander Tah-ray Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the US. The island, which lies roughly 100 miles off the coast of mainland China and is facing growing uncertainty both at home and abroad. As geopolitical tensions rise around the world, there’s increasing focus on the intentions of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and has long-pursued what it calls reunification with the island. Mr. Yui Tah-ray has held the his current post since December 2023, having previously served as Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister. His role is central to maintaining one of Taipei’s most important international relationships: with the United States. Washington does not officially recognise Taiwan as an independent state - and only 12 countries around the world do. But the US remains Taiwan’s most important international backer, providing critical defence and security support. With President Trump back in the White House for a second term, questions remain over how Washington’s longstanding commitment to Taiwan will evolve and what that could mean for the island as tensions with Beijin continue.