The Interview

HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to John Cale, a founding member of the Velvet underground, and a solo artist and producer. In the checkered history of rock and roll, there have been relatively few artists who have managed to create a genuinely new, even revolutionary, sound. The Velvet Underground achieved just that in mid-sixties New York - combining youthful anger, musical creativity, with an avant-garde art sensibility. Today John Cale continues to experiment with new sounds. To many, his music is challenging, even bleak, but is that a reflection of the man himself?

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

The United States is beefing up its military presence in Europe. Hardtalk asks Russia's Ambassador to the EU if the Kremlin can sustain a long-term confrontation with the West?

The suicide bomb attacks in Brussels are unlikely to be the final operation mounted by the so-called Islamic State on European soil. France's President Hollande says Europe is now at war, so what are the most effective weapons at Europe's disposal? Dominic Grieve was the Attorney General in David Cameron's first term as British prime minister. He is now Chairman of the UK parliament’s Intelligence and security committee. Can Europe be both secure and free?(Photo: Dominic Grieve, MP)

Can architecture inspire people to think and behave differently? Hardtalk speaks to David Adjaye, one of the most sought after architects in the world today. Among his many buildings are the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, a business school in Moscow, shopping centres in Beirut and Lagos, a children's hospital in Rwanda, a housing project in New York's Harlem, and about to open - his biggest project yet - the National Museum of African American History and Culture sitting right on the National Mall in Washington. Has he got it right? What is the test of a good building?(Photo: David Adjaye attends Design Dialogues No. 25 in Miami Beach, Florida. Credit: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)

Nationalist, anti-immigrant parties have made inroads in a host of countries in Europe, for example Hungary, Denmark and Finland. In Finland a right wing populist party, The Finns, is a significant player in a centre right coalition government. Stephen Sackur talks to Timo Soini, their leader and the nation's Foreign Minister. What happens to populists when they are faced with the compromises that come with sharing power?(Photo: Finland's Foreign Minister Timo Soini. Credit: Mark Graham/AFP)

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe has its roots in the cold war - it was a unique platform for dialogue between the West and the Soviet Bloc on matters of security and human rights. But that was then, what about now? Hardtalk speaks to Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General of the OSCE. In a new era of tension between Moscow and the West, how much use is his organisation?(Photo: OSCE Secretary General, Lamberto Zannier delivers a speech during the OSCE-meeting, 2016, Vienna, Austria. Credit: Herbert Neubauer/AFP/Getty Images)

Journalism in Turkey is a precarious business. Earlier this month the country's biggest selling newspaper was forcibly taken over by the government, a host of journalists have been locked up for insulting the nation and its institutions, or for aiding terrorists. All this in a nation beset with diplomatic, security and humanitarian challenges. HARDtalk speaks to Sevgi Akarçeşme, who was editor of the English language “Today's Zaman” newspaper until the state booted her out. How close is Turkey to authoritarian rule?

The fallout from the conflict in Syria is threatening to destabilise one of the Middle East's most delicate nations - Lebanon. It hosts around 1.3 million Syrian refugees, more per capita than any other country. This places huge pressure on its people and government, as well as adding more strain on its fragile sectarian mix. Hardtalk speaks to Elias Bou Saab, Lebanon's Education Minister. What is the collateral damage for Lebanon from the Syrian conflict and can the government cope?(Photo: Lebanese Education Minister Elias Bou Saab addresses delegates at the Supporting Syria Conference, London 2016. Credit: Ben Stansall/WPA Pool /Getty Images)

For more than five years the words Greece and crisis have been inseparable. The question is not what crisis, but which crisis. Greeks are simultaneously wrestling with the enormous burden posed by mass migration from Turkey, and the effort to secure a long term fix for their stricken, debt-laden economy. Hardtalk speaks to Greece’s Minister for Labour and Social Security George Katrougalos - is there light at the end of the two dark tunnels his country is in?(Photo: Greece’s Minister for Labour and Social Security George Katrougalos on Hardtalk)

The European Union and Turkey have drawn up the outline of a deal which might stem the flow of migrants from Turkey to the West. But it will require EU states to take large numbers of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey, in a show of collective European burden sharing which may be hard to deliver. Stephen Sackur speaks to Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria's deputy prime minister. Her country shares a border with Turkey, but has shown an iron fist toward refugees and migrants. Is Sofia out of step with European values?(Photo: Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs. Credit: Nikolay Doychinov/AFP/Getty Images)

For a tiny Central American nation Panama packs quite an international punch - it has the Canal, a key asset to international shipping and it has a financial sector which specialises in parking the cash of people who want to keep their wealth from prying eyes. During the notorious regime of Manuel Noriega it also developed a reputation for dodgy governance but that was a generation ago. Stephen Sackur speaks with Vice President Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado. Has Panama cleaned up its act?(Photo: Vice President Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado)

120,000 migrants and refugees made the sea crossing from Turkey to Greece in the first two months of this year, outstripping the number for the first six months of last year. This happened despite an EU-Turkey deal to stem the flow of desperate people. Ankara feels overburdened and undervalued, while frustration with Turkey is mounting in Brussels, Washington, and Moscow. Selim Yenel is Turkey's EU ambassador. Is his Government treading a dangerous path?(Photo: Selim Yenel, Turkish Ambassador to the EU)

American politics currently has more unlikely story lines than anything you might see in New York’s Broadway theatre district. The rise of Donald Trump is one illustration of the depth of public frustration with politics as usual. Stephen Sackur talks to Anthony Weiner who was a rising star of the Democratic Party in New York. His career was destroyed by not one but two bizarre sex scandals. Why did he push the self-destruct button?(Photo: Anthony Weiner, former US Democrat Congressman, 2013. Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Word leaders are all grappling with similar problems these days: how to counter terrorism, enhance security and manage national borders, whilst at the same time remaining open to the benefits of globalisation. Janet Napolitano was Homeland Security Chief for five years under President Obama. She's also a former governor of Arizona: a US border state. How does she think we can make the world a safer place and respect human rights and democratic values?

Last week all 28 leaders of the EU were holed up in buildings in Brussels for hours into the night, trying to strike a deal that would keep the United Kingdom in the European Union. The British people will have their say on what they came up with in a referendum in June. If they vote to leave the EU what will it mean, for the UK and for Europe more widely? Sarah Montague is in Brussels to talk to Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament. Could Britain’s vote tear the whole Union apart?

Stephen Sackur talks to General Michael Hayden, who was director of the CIA from 2006 to 2009 and prior to that Director of the US National Security Agency from 1999 to 2005.(Photo: General Michael Hayden, CIA director, 2006 - 2009. Credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

From Brussels, Zeinab Badawi speaks to Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his first major interview since being elected leader of Greece’s main conservative opposition party, New Democracy. European Union leaders are demanding Greece do more to tackle the migrant crisis, and insist Athens pass tough economic reforms if it wants more bailout funds. Does the party he now leads share responsibility for the economic mess that Greece finds itself in?(Photo: Main opposition New Democracy party leader, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Credit: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images)

Does Poland’s recently elected conservative, nationalist Government represent a threat to European values of freedom and democracy? The European Commission is investigating that after controversial media and court reforms prompted critics to condemn the 'Putinisation of Poland'. Krzysztof Szczerski is the foreign policy adviser to the Polish president. How will a newly assertive Poland play its hand in Europe?(Photo: Krzysztof Szczerski on Hardtalk)

After five years of bloodletting and suffering the Syrian war has a new, potentially game-changing dynamic. The combined forces of the Assad regime and its Iranian and Russian backers are pushing back the rebels in the north and west of the country; a mooted truce appears to have been brokered on Russia's terms and seems unlikely to halt the military push. Stephen Sackur speaks to Bassma Kodmani a representative of the so-called moderate rebels - is the only realistic choice in Syria Assad, or Islamic State?

Stephen Sackur speaks with Fahd al Rasheed, CEO of King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah Economic City is a vast construction project on the Red Sea. It is supposed to become one of the world’s biggest ports with a population of 2 million – a new global city for Saudi Arabia. But could the kingdom’s economic problems see this dream turn to dust?

The Danish People's Party is seen by its critics as xenophobic and by its supporters as the home of true Danish values. Hardtalk speaks Søren Espersen, the Party's deputy chairman.(Photo: Søren Espersen)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol, the EU's joint policing agency tasked with enhancing Europe's response to major cross border security and criminal threats. So-called Islamic state has the intent and the capacity to mount major terrorist attacks in the heart of Europe - does Europe have the right tools to effectively counter the challenge? With the EU's record on external border security and intelligence sharing patchy at best, is Europol just a sticking plaster on a gaping wound?(Photo: Europol Director Rob Wainwright speaks during the Global Counterterrorism Forum, The Hague,2016. Credit: Jerry Lampen/AFP/Getty Images)

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Iyad Ameen Madani, Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), from the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah. The OIC represents the world's 57 Muslim nations. With large parts of the Muslim world torn apart by sectarian strife and with acts of terror perpetrated by Muslims across continents, what can he do or say to combat the challenges?(Photo: Iyad Ameen Madani, Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)

Norway takes its commitment to international diplomacy and humanitarianism very seriously. The oil rich country is one of the world’s wealthiest with a reputation for humanitarianism so it is not surprising that it is co-hosting a donor conference in London to boost aid for Syria's long suffering people. But the government is receiving criticism for its own stance on migration and asylum issues. Erna Solberg is Norway’s prime minister. Is she putting populism above principle?(Photo: Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg addresses delegates at the Supporting Syria Conference, London, 2016. Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The oil rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia is facing uncertain times. Its monarchy, wedded to a conservative brand of Sunni Islam, is locked in a struggle for regional power with Shia Iran which is playing out in the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Its relations with the US are strained and its human rights record has been widely condemned. Major General Mansour al-Turki is a senior Interior Ministry official. Is the House of Saud in need of major repair?(Photo: Major General Mansour al-Turki on Hardtalk)

Sarah Montague talks to Louka Katseli, chair of the National Bank of Greece, about whether Greece's banks are strong enough to help spark a lasting economic recovery.(Photo: Louka Katseli, chair of the National Bank of Greece on Hardtalk)

After the lifting of all sanctions relating to Iran's nuclear programme, President Hassan Rouhani said a 'golden page' in his country's history had begun. Hardtalk speaks to former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw who has been a long-time supporter of closer ties with Iran and has visited the country many times. What is his response to critics who believe the current rapprochement will serve to bolster the hard-liners in Tehran, exacerbate regional rivalries, and fuel terror and instability in the Middle East?(Photo: Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrives at Milbank Studios in 2015. Credit: Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Francis Egan, head of Cuadrilla, the company wanting a "shale gas revolution" in the UK. Can they win enough support to bring Fracking to the UK?(Photo: Francis Egan on Hardtalk)

Stephen Sackur talks to John Kiriakou, the former CIA agent who played a key role in anti-terror operations after 9/11 and later went public with the truth about water-boarding. He was imprisoned for leaking the names of two CIA agents and is currently on federal probation. He says he is a truth teller scapegoated by the US Government - but he betrayed a trust - should that carry a heavy price?(Photo: John Kiriakou is honored with the First Amendment Award. Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur talks to Harlem Desir, France's Secretary of State for European Affairs. Has France drawn the right lessons from the recent attacks on Paris?

Henry Rollins got into punk rock as a curious kid in 1970s Washington DC. He first found success as lead singer with the band Black Flag and went on to form his own band. He had a cult following on the alternative music scene, but he soon left the confines of rock and roll. Henry Rollins has embraced writing, broadcasting, acting and journalism. These days he's an activist and storyteller taking on issues from militarism to race relations to homophobia. He's built up something of a cult following around the world - but how receptive is America to his enduring punk sensibility?(Photo: Henry Rollins. Credit: Getty Images)

The British referendum on whether to stay in, or leave, the European Union may well be held this coming summer. It will be a vote of momentous significance for Britain and for the EU. The polls suggest it could be a close run thing. Stephen Sackur talks to Lord Lawson, president of the Conservatives for Britain group, which is campaigning for a British exit in defiance of Prime Minister David Cameron and his Conservative Government’s official strategy. The Eurosceptic’s have a historic opportunity – can they seize it?(Photo: Lord Lawson on Hardtalk)

Stephen Sackur talks to the political analysts Mohammad Marandi in Tehran and Jamal Khashoggi in Jeddah. Is there any way to take the heat out of the Saudi-Iranian confrontation?(Photo: Prof Mohammad Marandi, Univesity of Tehran (L) and Jamal Khashoggi, columnist and author)

Bosnia and Herzegovina is due to officially apply for membership of the European Union. But 20 years after the Dayton Agreement, which ended the bloody civil war of the early 1990s, significant obstacles persist. Youth unemployment is the highest in Europe and ethnic divisions remain in place with the Serb dominated region of Republika Srpska often threatening to declare independence. Stephen Sackur speaks to Igor Crnadak, the foreign minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Can his country stay intact and navigate the road to full EU membership?(Photo: Bosnian Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak, 2015. Credit: Attilla Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images)

The Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, has grand plans to turn Jerusalem into a world city but is his vision far removed from the reality on the ground? He talks to Stephen Sackur about his aspirations.(Photo: Backdropped by Jerusalem's Old City Ottoman walls, Jerusalem's mayor Nir Barkat speaks during a joint press conference 2015. Credit: Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images)

Depending on your point of view you can call it female circumcision, cutting, or more graphically female genital mutilation. But whatever the label it's become a hugely contentious practice in countries across Africa and beyond. Stephen Sackur speaks to two guests with first-hand experience - Fuambai Ahmadu is co-founder of the group African Women are Free to Choose, and Nimco Ali is co-creator of the Daughters of Eve movement. Should FGM have a place in the 21st Century?(Photo: Left to right, Fuambai Ahmadu and Nimco Ali)

Stephen Sackur talks to internationally acclaimed novelist and poet Ben Okri. How free are Africa's storytellers to explore the richness and diversity of their continent?(Photo: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images)

Imagine you are a patient, about to undergo brain surgery. If it goes well it will save your life; if it goes wrong you could end up paralysed or dead. Of course you want to believe your surgeon is infallible, a superhero - but he is not; he is all too human just like you. That simple truth emerges from the extraordinarily honest writing of one of Britain's leading brain surgeons, Henry Marsh. He gives rare insight into the mind of the doctor - is it reassuring or troubling?

For more than three decades the ballet dancer Sylvie Guillem has performed as principal dancer at most leading ballet establishments, redrawing the boundaries of the genre. But at the end of this year she will be giving her last performance in a worldwide farewell tour. She will undoubtedly go down in ballet history as one of the greatest dancers of all time - but she is famously been dubbed 'Mademoiselle Non' for being too assertive. Zeinab Badawi speaks to her about that as well as the poisonous rivalries in the world of ballet and her activism to save the planet.(Photo: Prima ballet dancer Sylvie Guillem of France delivers a speech at a press conference in Tokyo. Credit: TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images)

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Nigel Owens, the Welshman who refereed the Rugby World Cup final and is one of the most respected professionals in the game. It has not been an easy journey to the top of the game for him - as a gay man in a macho sport, he has suffered depression and contemplated suicide. How has the world of rugby embraced him and what is making the sport so popular today?(Photo: Referee Nigel Owens. Credit: Matt Lewis - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur talks to Richard Leakey, the Chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service. Africa's wildlife is one of the wonders of the natural world, but the fate of the continent's elephants, rhinos and big cats is now desperately uncertain - illegal poaching could see these great species disappear from their African heartlands. Will the fight for Africa's endangered wildlife have a happy ending?(Photo: Richard Leakey (L) gives a press conference organised by Wildlife Direct, in Nairobi, 2014. Credit: Tony Karumba/AFP)

Colm Tóibín is an Irish writer whose intense, lyrical novels have won him awards, acclaim and most importantly millions of readers around the world. There are recurring themes in his work - loss, mourning, exile which might suggest a dark, brooding presence. Stephen Sackur asks how close that is to the real Colm Tóibín?(Photo: Colm Tóibín in the Hardtalk studio)

Hardtalk’s guest is Hollywood actor Burt Reynolds. He turns 80 next year. Why does he say that although he’s made around 100 films he’s only proud of just a handful of them?(Photo: Actor Burt Reynolds accepts award during Spike TV's Guys Choice. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Lord Turner, is a doyen of the UK economic establishment who has concluded that western economies remain dangerously reliant on debt. It might be reassuring if we could put the blame for the financial crash of 2008 on greedy bankers but what if the crisis was much deeper and more structural? Stephen Sackur asks Lord Turner if his solution; printing money to stimulate growth without adding to the debt pile, is credible?(Photo: Lord Turner in the Hardtalk studio)

Tokyo Sexwale served thirteen years in jail on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela. As well as a career in politics he went into business and through interests in mining, gold and diamonds became one of the richest black South Africans. Now he is among five candidates vying to succeed FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Can he reinvent himself and win this top football post? Or could past controversies damage his chances?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the Secretary General of the Anglican communion Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon from Nigeria. Does the Anglican establishment have its priorities right?

Stephen Sackur travels to Oslo to talk to Nobel Peace prize winner Ouided Bouchamaoui. She is one of the four recipients representing the National Dialogue Quartet, a combination of civil society organisations who did much to rescue Tunisia from political chaos a couple of years ago. The Nobel committee hopes that Tunisia’s example of inclusive politics can be a model for neighbouring countries but is that realistic?(Photo: Ouided Bouchamaoui)

Sarah Montague talks Hage Geingob, the President of Namibia. Namibia is rich in minerals and gemstones so is relatively prosperous with good economic growth. Yet it is one of the most unequal societies in the world. There is extreme poverty with many struggling to get enough food to survive. Hage Geingob declared war on poverty and inequality when he became president, in March this year. Before that he had been prime minister for many of the 25 years since independence, so what difference can he make now?(Photo: President of Namibia Hage Geingob. Credit: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images)

Zeinab Badawi speaks to President Peter Mutharika of Malawi. By some measures Malawi is the world’s poorest country, with a list of problems ranging from poor nutrition and a crippling lack of electricity to international concerns about corruption in the political system. Despite relative peace and political stability, Malawi is struggling to make progress. So how much of its failures are down to bad government?(Photo: Arthur Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi addresses the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly. Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP)