Yalda Hakim is the new face of BBC World News Impact!

BBC World News has announced Yalda Hakim as the new face of its news programme Impact.

Yalda joined the international news channel in January 2013 as the lead reporter on the Our World current affairs strand. And her reports from conflict zones such as Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan have earned headlines around the world.

She gained unprecedented access to Afghanistan's Bagram jail just before 65 detainees controversially walked free and last October landed a scoop interview with President Karzai in which he accused Western allies of causing ‘great suffering’ in Afghanistan. She has interviewed survivors of the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh and investigated people-trafficking and torture in Yemen as well as America’s use of drones in the region.

Yalda is an Australian, born in Afghanistan. Among her many languages she speaks Dari, Hindi and is learning Mandarin. And while looking forward to her new role, she is also keen to retain her ‘boots on the ground’ reputation:  “I really believe the best way to tell a story is by being there and hearing from people first hand. I love being out in the field and I want to bring the Impact viewers with me. It’s a chance to show them more of the tales from the behind the headlines. Plus I get to work with an absolutely fantastic team and help reinforce BBC World News’ position as the leader in global breaking news.

She added: “The timing of the show means we’ll be connecting with Asia and I am very excited to be given this opportunity to create an identity for Impact which excites this switched-on and news hungry audience. My background and experience mean I have a huge passion for stories coming out of this region and I am really looking forward to sharing this with our viewers around the globe.”

Praising Yalda’s reporting, James Stephenson, Head of News for BBC World News, said: “I am delighted that Yalda has agreed to become the main presenter of Impact. She has made an enormous contribution to the channel since she joined last year with her investigative reporting from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and elsewhere. She will continue to combine that work in the field with her new role.”

Impact is broadcast on BBC World News weekdays from 05.30pm – 07.00pm.