The Interview (Interviews)

Serena Williams is one of the best women's tennis players of all time. Her powerful game has led her to the top of the ratings. But she is equally famous for her off-court story -- her older sister Venus is also at the top of the tennis world and their father Richard has supervised their paths to success. Owen Bennett Jones asks her how she feels about her family and her sport.

Geraint Anderson worked for twelve years as an analyst in London's financial district, the City. He earned several million pounds before leaving his job a year ago. He's now written a book -- described as fictional but which he says is mostly true -- which reveals a world of wining, dining, drugs and illicit sex. On The Interview he tells Owen Bennett-Jones how the City works.

Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi is from a political dynasty in Sudan. Her father was the last elected prime minister. Her great great grandfather led the Sudanese in a rebellion against the English colonialists. Now she too is a political figure involved with the main opposition party. She tells Owen Bennett-Jones what it's like to operate in a male-dominated, Muslim society. And gives her view of what lies ahead for Sudan.

Major Reid Sawyer is a leading American authority on Al Qaeda. He is based at the United States Military Academy at West Point and wrote the textbook on counter terrorism methods. On the eve of a major new World Service series about Al Qaeda, Owen Bennett-Jones talks to Major Sawyer about who is winning the war on terror. And gets some surprising answers.