Profile Folgen

Iran's new president Hassan Rouhani has been centre of attention at the UN this week. He's promising a new approach to talks with the West over his country's nuclear programme.He is certainly a change from his abrasive anti-Western predecessor. Rouhani studied in Britain, loves Bogart films and Thomas Hardy novels and is fond of designer clerical robes.So, Mary Ann Sieghart asks, is all that merely a matter of presentation? Or is he a completely new kind of Iranian leader?Producer: Heba Ayoub Editor: Richard Knight.

Comedian Billy Connolly has announced new film and touring plans despite facing ill health. Mark Coles explores how Connolly has long used humour to defy serious adversity. Childhood abuse and alcoholism have been countered by a rich musical, comedy and acting career.In this profile of the Glasgow welder who became a global star, Connolly's own performances and voice are mixed with the thoughts of those who know him well - including singer Barbara Dickson and producer John Lloyd.Producers: Heba Ayoub, Chris Bowlby.

Mark Coles profiles Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a key figure in the Syria crisis. Has this chain-smoking, vodka-loving diplomat managed to restore Russian power?Those who've dealt with him tell us just why he's such a formidable opponent, and how he survived the collapse of the Soviet Union to put Russian diplomacy back at the centre of world affairs.Producers: Chris Bowlby and Smita Patel.