Profile

Rupert Murdoch is the head of News Corporation and at the centre of the political and public storm over phone hacking and the payment of police officers. Steve Hewlett profiles the 80 year old whose high risk and audacious business gambles built an empire, but is now seeing the alleged high risk behaviour of some of its former employees threaten to undermine it.

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Jonathan Maitland profiles Nick Davies, the investigative journalist behind the story of the News of the World phone-hacking allegations that are dominating the headlines.

The IMF elects the French Finance Minister, Christine Lagarde as its new Managing Director. Front-runner Ms Lagarde, who's used to breaking glass ceilings in the world of politics and economics, becomes the first female head of this international financial institution. A yoga and exercise enthusiast - she once represented France in synchronised swimming - she wears Chanel and treasures the simple pleasures of her rural retreat in Normandy. A healthy contrast perhaps to the challenges facing the International Monetary Fund in Europe as Greece struggles to manage its political crisis and the threat of default. Adrian Goldberg reports.

Bashar al-Assad of Syria is facing a serious challenge to his rule in the form of widespread political protest across the country. Simon Cox examines how instead of training to be an eye doctor in London he was thrust into the role of leader of an Arab state in the of a political storm. Had his brother not died, Bashar would almost certainly have been destined for a quiet life outside politics and far from the spotlight.

He came to power in 2000 on a wave of hope for political and economic reform. Under his leadership, the country underwent a degree of relaxation, with hundreds of political prisoners being released and a few tentative steps towards easing media restrictions.

Martin Amis has a reputation as a literary bad boy and has caused a stir in a recent interview with a French magazine talking about the 'moral decrepitude of England' and saying he would 'prefer not to be English'. It's not the first time Amis has courted controversy: he offended Muslims by saying they 'ought to suffer until they get their house in order' and earlier this year he riled children's authors by saying 'If I had a serious brain injury I might well write a children's book'. Those who've met him, however, say he can be charming and he commands the loyalty of several high profile friends.

On the day of her resignation, Edward Stourton profiles the former News International Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks. He asks how she became one of the most powerful women in Britain - and charts the mixture of charm and ruthlessness which took her to the top.

In the week that artist Ai Weiwei was detained by the Chinese authorities, Mary Ann Sieghart profiles the outspoken designer of the 'Bird's Nest' Olympics stadium.

Reporter - Mary Ann Sieghart

In the week that singer-songwriter Adele's critically acclaimed second album retains the UK top spot for the ninth consecutive week, Colin Paterson asks whether she can beat the record set by Madonna to become the female solo artist with the longest-running album at number one for consecutive weeks.

At just 21 years old, how did this 'ordinary girl' from North London conquer the charts?

Reporter - Colin Paterson

Morland Sanders profiles the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa.

Claire Bolderson profiles Marine Le Pen, daughter of Jean Marie Le Pen who now leads the party that her father founded, the Front National. She has a different style to her father - more smiles than snarls - but are her political views as divisive and controversial as his? A recent opinion poll shows that support for Marine Le Pen is overtaking support for President Sarkozy and she may do very well at the next presidential election in 2012.