Hardtalk

Zeinab Badawi speaks to one of the most influential voices in global finance today. He was made honorary Governor of the Central Bank of France, following a period as Governor for twelve years. Prior to that he was a Vice President of the European Central Bank and has worked for various leading international financial institutions. Christian Noyer has been tasked with making the case for Paris as a financial hub following Brexit. Is he making too tough a sell and potentially damaging ties with the UK?

This summer, Iraqis can perhaps see a glimmer of light amid the darkness that's enveloped their country for so long. The country's second city, Mosul, is no longer in the hands of jihadist fanatics, with the so-called Islamic State caliphate shrinking fast. But will any semblance of stability and unity follow? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to one of the great survivors of Iraqi politics, Vice President Ayad Allawi. Does he think Iraq has a viable future?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Nicola Benyahia, the mother of a deceased ‘IS’ fighter. After terrorist attacks in London and Manchester, the UK is preoccupied with questions about how best to counter the Jihadist threat. For politicians the focus is on policing, intelligence, and detention powers. Nicola Benyahia's son Rasheed was radicalised in Birmingham, went to fight with the so called Islamic State group in Syria and was killed aged just 19. She now offers support to other families facing the dangers of radicalisation at home. How best to close the door on the Jihadis?

Few issues are as controversial as abortion when it comes to discussing women's rights. Pro-life campaigners believe a woman's right to control her fertility does not extend to abortion on demand. In January, President Trump blocked US federal funding to groups who provide or promote abortions. One such organisation is the IPPF - the International Planned Parenthood Federation - which will lose millions of dollars as a result. Zeinab Badawi speaks to its Ethiopian-born director-general Tewodros Melesse. Does he accept that the IPPF's support of abortion means it is right that it forfeit US government funding?

Shaun Ley speaks to Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani. A quarter of the country's population are Syrian refugees which is putting Lebanon’s infrastructure and resources under increasing strain. Some leading political figures in the country are now calling for the refugees to be sent home. But since some in the government have ruled out talking directly to President Assad, how can they be sure any returning refugees would be safe?(Photo: Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani)

What does the UAE hope to achieve by isolating Qatar? The four Arab nations that cut all ties with Qatar have replaced a list of 13 specific demands with six principles including combating extremism and terrorism.Sarah Montague asks top Emirati diplomat Omar Saif Ghobash if this move will resolve the crisis that has gripped the Gulf.(Photo: Omar Saif Ghobash in the Hardtalk studio)

Mohammed Fairouz is a US-Emirati composer - a youthful artist who has spent much of his creative life defying boundaries and stereotypes. His work ranges from symphonies to opera, to unique fusions of music and poetry. He's an Arab educated and resident in the West; an outspoken advocate for creative freedom who nonetheless rails against western cultural imperialism. His aim is to foster cultural crossover rather than confrontation; but can this artist avoid taking sides?

Zimbabwe is in the grip of a severe drought that has left a third of its fifteen million people dependent on food aid. The state is running out of dollars, workers go unpaid and unemployment is very high - a dire situation that presents the opposition in the country with an opportunity in nationwide elections next year. HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to Welshman Ncube who leads his own faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change - known as MDC-N. The main opposition parties have now formed an alliance, but can they put aside their differences and focus on defeating President Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF?

In a special edition of the programme, Zeinab Badawi is in Istanbul to speak to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is a year since coup plotters tried to remove him from office in a series of events that were condemned by the international community and Turks from all backgrounds and political persuasions. But now hundreds of thousands of Turks have been on the march protesting at what they say is President Erdogan's purge of all opposition forces - not just the coup plotters. Is President Erdogan a danger to democracy in Turkey?

Are radical policies needed to address the current ills of the US? Zeinab Badawi speaks to the progressive Canadian-American writer and activist Naomi Klein, who is calling for mass protests against President Trump. She says that his rise to power amounts to a corporate takeover of the US by brand Trump.(Photo: Canadian author Naomi Klein talks to the media at a press conference at Sydney Opera House, 2015. Credit: Cole Bennetts/Getty Images)

Is the Nigerian army effective in securing the country? As the stability and unity of West African nation is threatened by internal tensions, conflict and corruption, Stephen Sackur speaks to Nigeria’s Army Chief, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai.

HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda. The recent release of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi by the Libyan group holding him has led the ICC in The Hague to demand his arrest. He has been indicted by the Court for alleged crimes against humanity, murder and persecution. The ICC was set up in 2002 as a court of last resort to try such individuals. But it has met a barrage of criticisms, principally that it has an anti-African bias, because only Africans have been convicted and nearly all the cases before it are from the continent. What does Fatou Bensouda, a lawyer from Gambia, say in the Court's defence?

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the former US Senator, Joe Lieberman. A generation ago the first President Bush proclaimed a new world order, in which the United States would lead by example. Twenty-five years on, Donald Trump is in the White House - so what kind of example is the United States setting now? Joe Lieberman was former US Senator, Al Gore’s Vice Presidential running mate in 2000, and has recently been touted as a contender for FBI Director under the current president. Is Donald Trump fundamentally changing America's global role?

Moshe Ya'alon served in the Israel Defence Force for 38 years including as Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2005. He then entered politics and served as Minister of Defence for three years until his resignation in May 2016. At the time warned that Israel had been taken over by "dangerous and extreme elements." He wants to run for prime minister at Israel's next election and he tells HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur "I found too many politicians generating hatred against someone, against the Arabs, against leftists, against the media, against the Supreme Court, which is a challenge".

Stephen Sackur speaks to the American film-maker and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for the film Milk and has just completed a major series on the struggle for gay rights. It’s fifty years since homosexuality was decriminalised in much of Britain. Since then, the campaign for LGBTQ rights has won landmark victories in many parts of the world. Has the time come to declare a famous victory?(Photo: Director Dustin Lance Black 2017. Credit: Andrew Toth/Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Philippines Senator, Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes. When it comes to populist politics delivered with robust action no-one does it quite like Rodrigo Duterte, elected President of the Philippines a year ago. Since he came to power, around 7000 people have been killed in his war on drugs crime. Human rights groups are aghast, but a majority of Filipinos seem to admire his iron fist policy. Is President Duterte taking the Philippines and the region in a new direction?(Photo: Senator Antonio Trillanes attends a senate hearing in Manila, 2016. Credit: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images)

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Thuli Madonsela, South Africa's Public Protector until late 2016. President Zuma's grip on power in South Africa appears to be weakened. He will relinquish leadership of the ANC at the end of 2017. Whether he will complete his term as South Africa's President is uncertain as allegations of cronyism and corruption pile up around his government. Thuli Madonsela exposed a web of worrying connections between the state and big business interests; but are her concerns about to be brushed off?(Photo: Former South African public protector Thuli Madonsela is presented with the Mahatma Gandhi Satyagraha Peace Award 2016. Credit: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to the former head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin. For the past 17 years Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia - as President or Prime Minister. But he hasn't done it alone. He has been backed by a coterie of trusted associates, connected through past ties in St. Petersburg, or in the KGB or in business. Yakunin was part of President Putin's inner circle, so much so the US made him a target of sanctions after the invasion of Crimea. Are cracks showing in the Putin project?(Photo: Vladimir Yakunin at the BRICS/SCO Summit. Credit: Ria Novosti/Getty Images)

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croo. The recent UK General Election was supposed to strengthen the British Government’s hand in the looming Brexit negotiations. Instead, it has backfired with Theresa May a weakened Prime Minister at the head of a minority government ill-prepared for the complex, difficult talks that lie ahead. Does Europe view Britain's travails with sympathy or relish?

Stephen King was the chief economist at HSBC from 1998 to 2015. He now says 'Western led globalization is in big trouble. We may be witnessing the collapse of the post-war international economic and political order'. Stephen Sackur asks him why he thinks globalisation could go into reverse and what damage could be done to economies across Europe and the United States.(Photo: Stephen King on Hardtalk)