Sanae Takaichi is the first female prime minister of Japan.

Once the drummer in a heavy metal band, she is now a staunch conservative, tough on immigration and against same sex marriage. More Iron Lady than Iron Maiden, the 64-year-old models her strong leadership style on Margaret Thatcher.

She entered politics in 1993, the same year as future prime minister Shinzo Abe. A loyal ally, she quickly rose the ranks in his cabinet. After several unsuccessful leadership attempts, she finally became prime minister on October 21st 2025.

To some this is a victory for women in Japan, but others see her conservative views as evidence there is still a long way to go.

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Luke Littler, the 18-year-old darts star, is already one of the most famous people in British sport. This week he won yet another title, the World Grand Prix.

Born in Warrington, he started throwing arrows while he was still wearing nappies. By the time he was 10, Littler was competing in under-21 competitions and would win his first senior title at 14.

He shot to national fame in early 2024 when he reached the world championship final aged 16. Despite losing the match, he sparked ‘Littlermania’, drawing huge crowds and introducing a whole new generation to the sport. Earlier this year, he managed to do one better and became the youngest ever World Darts Champion.

Stephen Smith traces his meteoric rise.

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Marina Abramović is the self proclaimed ‘grandmother of performance art’. Her latest work, a reimagining of Slavic fertility rites, opened in Manchester earlier this week.

Notorious for committing extreme acts to her body, the Serbian first achieved fame with her “Rhythm 0” performance, where she stood still in a room and invited guests to do anything they liked to her. They removed her clothes, cut her neck and held a loaded gun to her head.

Many of her biggest works were made in collaboration with German artist Ulay, her one-time romantic partner. They ended their relationship in 1988 by walking from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China and meeting in the middle.

In 2010, she received international acclaim for her performance The Artist is Present. It saw her sit in a chair for eight hours a day, 6 days a week for three months. She invited anyone to sit across from her. It famously ended with Abramović reuniting with Ulay.

Mark Coles looks back at her career.

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Archive

Sarah Mullally, named this week as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior position in the Anglican Church. Formerly the Bishop of London, in her previous career she was the youngest ever chief nursing officer in England. She was ordained in 2001 and in 2005 became a Dame. Her appointment breaks the long-held tradition of a male head of the Church. She's expected to attract criticism from more conservative elements of the Anglo-Catholic and Evangelical elements of the church. Mark Coles speaks to friends, family and former colleagues.

This programme was first broadcast in December 2017.

Presenter: Mark Coles

Kristi Noem is the controversial Secretary of Homeland Security. A staunch MAGA loyalist, she's in charge of ICE detention facilities, including one in Dallas, Texas, that was attacked this week.

As the face of the Trump administration's intensified raids and arrests by US Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) agents, Kristi Noem has become a lightening rod in America, both loved and hated for her combative approach and her many viral media moments - some call her the 'ICE Barbie'.

A former South Dakota Snow Queen winner, she's risen fast from her cowgirl roots. There's even talk of a run for president in 2028.

Presenter: Mark Coles

Deborah Griffin is a pioneer of women's rugby. She played in the first known women's game in England in 1978 and helped create the first Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991.

Having never picked up a rugby ball until she created a team at university in the late seventies, Griffin quickly became one of the sport’s most instrumental figures.

The RFU originally had little interest in female teams, so Griffin and her rugby friends established a separate Women’s Rugby Football Union in 1983. The WRFU and the RFU integrated in 2012 and the women's game exploded. Deborah Griffin took up her presidency of the RFU this past summer.

As England's Red Roses play in the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, Griffin's name and those of other pioneers of the sport are stitched inside their official team jackets.

Stephen Smith talks to friends and colleagues about Deborah Griffin’s central role in bringing women's rugby to the fore.

Presenter: Stephen Smith

Peter Mandelson has been sacked from his role as British Ambassador to the US over his association with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. It is the third time he has been forced to leave government.

An instrumental part of Tony Blair’s landslide election victory in 1997, Mandelson was rewarded with a seat in the cabinet. But he was soon forced to resign as Business Secretary after failing to declare a six-figure loan from a fellow minister.

His second resignation came in 2001 after making his way back into the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary. Mandelson was accused influencing the passport applications of the wealthy Hinduja brothers, although was later exonerated.

Mark Coles examines how despite these controversies, the man once dubbed the "Prince of Darkness" was able to keep getting himself into powerful positions.

Presenter: Mark Coles

Zack Polanski scored a resounding victory in The Green Party leadership election on a platform promising bold communication and "eco-populism".

Polanski has had an unorthodox path into politics, previously working as an actor, hypnotherapist and mental health counsellor. But he’s been dogged by a 2013 article in The Sun involving a reporter who claimed he helped her try to boost her bust size through the power of thought.

Born in 1982, Polanski is gay and Jewish, and changed his name at 18 to embrace the identity erased by his family's anglicised surname. His first foray into politics was joining The Liberal Democrats, and he stood unsuccessfully for Camden Council and The London Assembly. He joined the Greens in 2017, and was elected to City Hall in 2021, becoming the party's deputy leader the following year.

In his pitch for the leadership, he linked the climate crisis to inequality and called for radical action to fix it. Now leader of The Green Party, Polanski has vowed to "take the fight to Labour", telling The Labour Party,"We are here to replace you."

Stephen Smith talks to friends and colleagues tracing Polanski’s journey from actor to politician.

Presenter: Stephen Smith

South African – born space physicist Michele Dougherty has been awarded the honorary title of Astronomer Royal. She becomes the first woman to hold the title in the 350 – year -old history of the role.

Presenter: Mark Coles

PHOTO: Michele Dougherty/Imperial College London

From Disney to Microsoft, via Vodafone and Virgin Media, Cindy Rose has been a top executive at some of the world’s best known companies. Born and raised in the US, one of her early passions was figure skating – a sport she confessed left her covered in bumps and bruises. After qualifying as a lawyer, she later switched to corporate roles, relocating to Europe then London. Her time at Disney included a shift dressed as Mickey Mouse’s loyal hound, Pluto, welcoming guests to the Californian theme park. Now she’s set to become the new CEO of the troubled FTSE ad giant, WPP – where her experience in tech and AI look set to be an asset.

Presenter: Stephen Smith

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