Hardtalk

Stephen Sackur talks to the influential contrarian economist, Steve Keen. It's a good time to be an economist who swims against the tide of conventional wisdom. After all the last decade has seen classical economics take a beating: the great financial crash wasn't supposed to happen, nor was the prolonged eurozone stagnation. Now the liberal economic consensus tells us that Brexit will be a disaster, but should we believe it? Amid all the argument do any economists deserve our trust?Picture: a pile of coins, Credit: Thinkstock

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur talks to Al Sharpton, the veteran, often controversial, civil rights campaigner. One of the bleaker themes of Barack Obama's presidency has been the crisis in relations between black America and the criminal justice system. We've seen unarmed black men shot dead by the police and officers gunned down in what appear to be acts of vengeance. A new movement Black Lives Matter has given voice to anger on the streets. Who speaks most effectively for black America today ?

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur talks to veteran US diplomat and now foreign policy adviser to the Clinton campaign, Nicholas Burns. To put it mildly the Washington foreign policy making establishment doesn't like Donald Trump. But are there reasons to worry about Hillary Clinton's foreign policy vision ? Is she an unreconstructed military interventionist ? Is the Clinton world view out of step with America's mood ?

French newspapers will no longer publish pictures of the perpetrators of jihadist atrocities - in an effort to ensure they're neither glorified, nor humanised. HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to a journalist who sees his mission differently. Norwegian Paul Refsdal has spent thirty years filming up close and personal from inside militant groups around the world, often at great personal risk - he was held hostage after filming with the Taliban in 2009. Last year he spent weeks with a small group of would be suicide bombers in Syria. Do we really need to see the Wests enemies this close up?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Zakhilwal. When Ashraf Ghani became president of Afghanistan two years ago he talked of new diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan, aimed at ending the war with the Taliban. As so often before hopes have been dashed. The war goes on, relations between Kabul and Islamabad have soured and the Afghan people still live with a dysfunctional government and broken economy. Is Afghanistan beyond salvation?(Photo: Omar Zakhilwal, 2013 Credit: Aamir Qureshi)

Stephen Sackur talks to Babatunde Fashola, Nigeria's Minister for Power, Works and Housing. Will his country ever realise its full potential?

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Sabrina de Sousa, an ex-CIA spy who faces extradition from Portugal to Italy to serve a prison sentence for her alleged role in a CIA extraordinary rendition case when an Egyptian terror suspect was seized in Milan 13 years ago. She denies involvement. Last year she visited Portugal against official advice and was detained by the authorities there. She is awaiting extradition to Italy where she faces a prison sentence. Has she been abandoned by the CIA or is she the agent of her own misfortune?(Photo: Sabrina de Sousa)

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Shahbaz Taseer, Pakistani businessman, recently released by the Taliban after nearly five years of captivity, during which he endured constant torture. He is the son of the former governor of Punjab who was assassinated in 2011 for his opposition to tough blasphemy laws. Has the vision of a tolerant, secular Pakistan been lost?(Photo: Shahbaz Taseer in the Hardtalk studio)

Stephen Sackur talks to the film and TV producer Tony Garnett . Watching TV is something pretty much all of us do for news, sport and entertainment, but how much of what we stare at on the box do we actually remember? His subjects of homelessness, illegal abortion, police corruption point to his radicalism - he uncovered dark corners of British life. How much of his motivation came from the dark corners in his own life?(Photo: Tony Garnett in the Hardtalk studio)

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Mehmet Simsek, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister. The attempted coup in Turkey may have been crushed but has it exposed weaknesses in the hold in power of President Erdogan? Around 15,000 personnel from the military, police, judiciary and civil service have either been arrested or relieved from duty. Is President Erdogan, the target of the coup, too polarising a figure for Turkey and becoming a liability for the ruling party?(Photo: Mehmet Simsek speaking about his country's budget, 2014. Credit: Altan/AFP/Getty Images)

Venezuela's economy is in meltdown. It's shrinking faster than any other country in the world. Inflation is at nearly 500% and most people say they can no longer afford to buy enough food. Maria Corina Machado has led street protests and is calling on all Venezuelans - including the military - to force President Maduro to resign. He is accusing her of plotting a coup.

HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to Turkey’s Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, in his first extensive international broadcast interview since being sworn into office in May.

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former UK Ambassador to the UN, who was deeply involved in the decision-making process leading up to the Iraq War. He served as the UK's permanent representative in Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the invasion and gave evidence to the Chilcot inquiry which looked at the invasion and its consequences. With the benefit of hindsight would he have done anything differently?

HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi presents a special edition of the programme from Rome. Migration, the Euro, and of course Brexit are testing the European Union as never before. In Italy there’s talk of another possible blow for the EU. If voters use a forthcoming referendum on constitutional change as a chance to register a protest vote against the country’s centre left government, anti-Euro populist parties may be able to capitalise. HARDtalk speaks to Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Are Italians becoming disillusioned with the EU project?

Stephen Sackur talks to Gwyneth Paltrow, Oscar winning actor in Cannes, in the South of France. A Hollywood A-lister who in recent years has focused much of her attention on building her lifestyle and consumer business, Goop. Her likes and dislikes are followed by millions, prompting aspiration in some, mockery in others. Why does Gwyneth Paltrow rouse such strong reaction?(Photo: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow signs copies of her book It's All Easy. Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

From his Oscar-winning score for The Lion King, through 12 Years A Slave to a series of superhero blockbusters including Batman v Superman, Hans Zimmer is, as one director put it, 'quite simply the contemporary composer to work with'. German born and British educated, he never received formal musical training and is a champion of technology. Shaun Ley asks Hans Zimmer whether the technology he so loves is killing the music makers.Image: Hans Zimmer, Credit: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

HARDtalks’s Stephen Sackur talks to Tony Garnett, Film and TV producer about his work. Watching TV is something pretty much all of us do for news, sport and entertainment, but how much of what we stare at on the box do we actually remember ? His subjects of homelessness, illegal abortion, police corruption point to his radicalism - he uncovered dark corners of British life. How much of his motivation came from the dark corners in his own life ?

Zeinab Badawi talks to Patrick Chinamasa, Zimbabwean Finance Minister, long-time cabinet minister and ally of President Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe’s economy is once again staring down at the abyss. Hospitals are running out of basic supplies, more than half the population is hungry and criticisms of the veteran President Mugabe are gathering pace. How will he sort out this mess that he himself must stand accused of helping create?(Photo: Patrick Chinamasa in the Hardtalk studio)

After the worst mass shooting in US history at a nightclub in Orlando, presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are clashing over the causes. Conservatives used to be united by their shared attitude to god, guns and gays; confident warriors in an ideological battle with liberals. Orlando is another test for those beliefs. Former speechwriter for US president George W. Bush, and lifelong conservative David Frum, thinks the triumph of Trump proves that the power of conservatism is crumbling. Should Republicans embrace change? And should they even consider embracing Hillary Clinton?

Stephen Sackur talks to the former deputy prime minister and passionate Remain advocate Lord Heseltine. Britain's referendum campaign on whether to stay in or leave the European Union is not going quite as Prime Minister, David Cameron, would have wished. He wants a convincing win for the Remain camp on 23 June but the polls suggest it will be very close. Are the Remainers beginning to worry?(Photo: Former Conservative Cabinet Minister Michael Heseltine attends the funeral for Tony Benn, 2014. Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)