Host Carol Castiel and other panelists interview best-selling authors, analysts, politicians, US government officials, ambassadors and foreign heads of state about critical issues facing the US and the world.

A conversation with Ambassador Constancio Pinto, Ambassador of East Timor to the United States, as the young nations marks its 10th anniversary of independence. On this milestone, he reflects with host Carol Castiel and Ian Umar, broadcaster in VOA’s Indonesian Service, on the progress made and challenges ahead, as the last of the UN Peacekeeping troops depart the country later this year.

Host Carol Castiel speaks with Brazil’s top diplomat: Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota about Brazil’s growing role on the world stage. He discusses US-Brazil bilateral relations, Iran and Latin America, Brazil’s aspirations to a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, its deepening engagement with sub-Saharan Africa and its budding relationship with Turkey and the broader Middle East.

Host Carol Castiel and John Tanza Mabusu, host of VOA’s “South Sudan in Focus,” talk with former US Ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, David Shinn, about his forthcoming book “China in Africa: A Century of Engagement.” We also discuss Turkey’s growing influence in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Somalia, as well as elicit Shinn’s views on the tensions between South Sudan and Sudan.

On site at a conference about Islamists in Power, host Carol Castiel talks with a leading Tunisian businessman who is also a top advisor to the new Prime Minister of Tunisia. Mondher Ben Ayed discusses the political and economic challenges facing the interim government in the post-Ben Ali era, the importance of preserving and improving women’s rights and the positive bilateral relationship with the United States, among other issues.

Host Carol Castiel talks with the top EU official for humanitarian aid about the challenges facing vulnerable populations from Somalia to Syria. Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva accuses the Assad government of exacerbating the humanitarian situation by refusing to comply with a “pause” to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians and denounces Khartoum for discriminating against the newly independent South Sudan

Host Carol Castiel and other panelists interview best-selling authors, analysts, politicians, US government officials, ambassadors and foreign heads of state about critical issues facing the US and the world.

DAVID ROTHKOPF - internationally acclaimed author, policy analyst and blogger talks about the themes in his new book, “Power Inc.” with host Carol Castiel.

Congressman STEVE CHABOT (R-OH), senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the US House of Representatives discusses foreign & domestic affairs.

AYAD AKHTAR - author of "American Dervish, " a coming of age tale about a young Pakistani-American who is navigating between the “old” world and the “new."