Yalda Hakim has quit BBC News to join Sky News as the organisation’s Lead World News Presenter.
Hakim will present a new primetime programme as part of a multiplatform offering focused on international news. An award-winning foreign correspondent, Yalda is currently a chief presenter for the BBC News channel where she hosts her flagship programme The Daily Global with Yalda Hakim. The appointment reflects Sky’ ‘continued commitment to foreign and eyewitness journalism across digital platforms, television, and audio services globally’ the company state.
Yalda Hakim:
“I am honoured and excited to be joining Sky News as lead world news presenter. I have long admired Sky for its smart, fearless and world-class reporting. At a time when global media must work harder than ever to earn the confidence of our viewers, I look forward to giving my all as part of one of the most talented and accomplished news teams anywhere.”
The Sky News Group has a team of 800 journalists breaking stories for Sky News UK and TG24 every day. With correspondents based in bureaus around the world including Moscow, Beijing, Bangkok, Washington, Brussels and Johannesburg, Sky News has earned a reputation for taking the audience to the heart of where a story is unfolding.
Hakim, earlier this year, was named Chief Presenter of the newly merged BBC News Channel. Yalda has spent nearly two decades reporting from the frontlines of the world’s most consequential and dangerous stories. Over the past year, Yalda has reported extensively from Ukraine covering the ongoing war. Her recent interview with President Zelensky made global headlines when he acknowledged the counter-offensive has been slower than expected.
Yalda 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 the women and girls of the country. In recognition of her work, Yalda was invited to address the United Nations Security Council in 2022 on the situation in Afghanistan.
Yalda also regularly conducts high profile interviews with some of the world’s most important leaders and public figures. She conducted the first international interview with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Among Yalda’s other recent interviews include former 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.
David Rhodes, Executive Chairman Sky News Group:
“We’re so excited to have Yalda join Sky as our lead world news presenter. Sky News has always featured an award-winning international news report, with Alex Crawford, Stuart Ramsay, Dominic Waghorn, and so many colleagues on the front lines of our coverage every day.
“Yalda bolsters this multi-platform presentation—her professional accomplishments and personal journey make her an ideal addition to our newsroom.”
Yalda was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and came as a refugee to Australia, where she grew up. She is the founder of the Yalda Hakim Foundation, which has established scholarships for disadvantaged Afghan girls to receive an education.
