Benazir Bhutto

 

Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto, the former Pakistani prime minister, spoke exclusively to Sir David about her controversial return to Pakistan last month after years in exile following allegations of fraud, when a suicide bomb attack on her convoy in Karachi left more than 130 people dead.

 

She discussed who she felt were behind the killings and the attempt on her life, the recent political upheaval in Pakistan and the upcoming court decision over the legality of President Musharraf’s re-election.

 

Bhutto also relates the latest moves in negotiations with Musharraf over a power-sharing deal in the country.

 

 

 

John Dugard

Dugard, the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, spoke to Sir David from the Hague about why the United Nations, as a protector of human rights in the region, had to do more to prevent the US from imposing its agenda on such negotiations.

 

Dugard told Sir David that the UN should consider withdrawing from the Quartet unless it adopted a more “human rights friendly” approach to the Palestinian territories.

 

He also spoke of his feeling that the Quartet had erred in not negotiating with Hamas, saying discussions on a Palestinian state had to include the group as it enjoyed considerable support within the Palestinian territories.

 

 

 

Sir David spoke to Liam Halligan, economist from the Sunday Telegraph news paper, about why oil prices are fast approaching the peaks of 1980, which heralded a worldwide economic slump.

 

Halligan spoke of the surging oil needs of nations such as China and India, and of supply concerns as global oil companies pump oil faster than we can replace them via oil reserves.

 

Halligan also said that the search for new oil reserves becomes ever more desperate.

 

 

Sophie Dahl

The model turned author – and granddaughter of famed children’s writer Roald Dahl, speaks to Sir David about her new novel, Playing with the Grown-ups.

 

Dahl spoke of how she drew on her own adolescence for the novel and how she developed her passion for writing through inspiration from her mother and also her famous grandfather, author of many noted children’s novels.

 

She also speaks of modelling for some of the world’s top fashion magazines, most recently in the guise of singer Debbie Harry for high fashion magazine Vogue.

 

 

 

Colleen Graffy

Graffy spoke to Sir David about the US’s global image following the 11 September 2001 attacks and how the US is looking to new media methods to combat the problem. 

 

Graffy also spoke of how a “negative” narrative or “knee-jerk” negative reaction had taken hold with reference to the US, and that the EU and the world had to work with the US to combat the world’s problems, not against it.

 

Finally, Graffy said there needed to be reflection from the world that, regardless of the views on the world on Iraq, the US remained a valuable partner on other policies such as combatting Aids, Myanmar and reducing poverty.

 

 

David Davies

Sir David talks to David Davies, executive director of the Football Association, about Brazil’s bid for the football World Cup in 2014 (despite being the only contenders) and how new rules mean that any country can now compete to host the tournament, not the rotation method as used before.

 

Davies said as a nation obsessed with the beautiful game, Brazil would be perfect to host the tournament, although he said he had heard it may cost $11 billion to remodel Brazil’s infrastructure, particularly its stadia, for the games.

 

Davies said he felt that England, Australia or Russia would be strong contenders to host the games after Brazil.