Yalda Hakim is an award-winning journalist, global news presenter and documentary filmmaker, who has spent nearly two decades bringing many of the most consequential stories of our time to audiences around the world. Based in London as the new Lead World News Presenter for Sky News, Yalda is the face of international news coverage for one of the biggest global networks. Prior to joining Sky News, Yalda was Chief presenter for the BBC News channel where she hosted her flagship programme The Daily Global with Yalda Hakim. A respected and influential presenter, Yalda has conducted high profile interviews with global leaders and public figures including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US President Bill Clinton, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani, Hollywood actor and director Angelina Jolie and Prince Albert of Monaco. An experienced foreign correspondent, Yalda is committed to using her global platform to highlight the stories of people living through extreme difficulty in countries ravaged by poverty and war. Over the past year, she has reported extensively from Ukraine covering the ongoing war, and her interview with President Zelensky made global headlines when he acknowledged the counter-offensive has been slower than expected. Yalda also led BBC World’s coverage of the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021. Since then, Yalda has travelled extensively across Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, producing a series of documentaries on the impact of the Taliban takeover on the lives of ordinary Afghans, especially women and girls. In recognition of her work, Yalda was invited to address the United Nations Security Council in 2022 on the situation in Afghanistan, and she has been awarded the United Nations Media Peace Prize.
Yalda’s own life experience has shaped her commitment to casting a light on stories from the frontline of global conflict. Yalda was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and when she was just six months old her family fled to Pakistan during the Soviet-Afghan War. Two years later, they arrived as refugees in Australia. Yalda grew up in Sydney and went on to study arts and journalism, first at Macquarie University, then at Sydney’s Macleay College, and finally at Monash University. She started her journalism career as a trainee and cadet for SBS News.
Having now established herself as one of the world’s most accomplished journalists and presenters, Yalda continues to extend her impact as a philanthropist. Her Yalda Hakim Foundation provides scholarships to support the advancement of exceptional, often disadvantaged, young women in Afghanistan, providing access to education and empowerment.
Listen to the full interview with Yalda Hakim on our #GlobalAustralianPodcast.
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