The Interview

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)

In the aftermath of the recent Paris attacks, members of the international coalition against the so-called Islamic State, including Britain, have been weighing up the effectiveness of air-strikes on IS strongholds inside Syria. But what impact has the intensified military campaign against IS had on the Syrian opposition? We speak to Monzer Akbik of the Syrian National Coalition, an umbrella organisation made up of Syrian opposition groups. Does he believe their battle against Assad has been re-energised or weakened by the targeting of IS?

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Rwandan politician Frank Habineza, who founded the opposition Democratic Green Party of Rwanda six years ago. He wants President Paul Kagame, who has been in power for more than 20 years, to stand down at the next presidential elections in 2017. Rwanda is still in the process of recovering from the genocide of the mid 1990's - and the government has been praised for its success in alleviating poverty and bringing about reconciliation. But Frank Habineza thinks it is time for a change and has been critical of government policy - what can he offer a nation that's been so scarred by tragedy?(Photo: Rwandan politician Frank Habineza)

The President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos is the driving force behind a peace process with the armed rebel group, the revolutionary movement: the FARC.

World leaders at the G20 Summit in Turkey have said efforts to combat terrorism must be intensified after the tragic events in Paris - the latest in a series of attacks claimed by the so-called Islamic State. After the terrorist attacks France launched massive air strikes on IS strongholds in Syria. HARDtalk speaks to retired US Admiral James Stavridis, who was NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe until 2013. He believes there should be 'meaningful action on a significant scale' by NATO. But are there limits to what military operations can achieve in fighting terrorism?

Hardtalk speaks to Celso Amorim who served the last three presidents of Brazil until January this year. Is the country facing an economic and corruption crisis?(Photo: Brazilian Defence Minister Celso Amorim speaks during a public hearing at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia, Brazil. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Nigel Owens, the Welshman who refereed the recent 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 of Wales awards a penalty during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final. Credit: Getty Images)

Zeinab Badawi speaks to French journalist Nicolas Henin, who was held captive for 10 months by so called Islamic State in the Syrian city of Raqqa and released last year. Should foreign journalists report from such dangerous conflict zones?(Photo: French journalist Nicolas Henin. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Jeremy Corbyn is the most unlikely leader of one of Britain’s biggest political parties in living memory. He was elected leader of the Labour Party by a party electorate swollen by an army of new, mostly young radical members. He is a genuine socialist, anti-capitalist, anti-war; and anti just about everything that Tony Blair stood for. Stephen Sackur speaks to Lord Mandelson, one of the architects of Blair’s New Labour project. What does Jeremy Corbyn mean for Labour and for Britain?(Photo: Lord Peter Mandleson attends a service of thanksgiving for Lady Soames at Westminster Abbey. Credit: Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to veteran Palestinian negotiator and secretary general of the PLO Saeb Erekat. Why are so many mostly young Palestinians intent on killing Israeli Jews with whatever weapons they can lay their hands on? The Israeli Government blames the surge in violence on hate fuelled incitement sanctioned by the Palestinian authorities. The Palestinians say it is a response to the intolerable conditions of occupation. Is a new wave of extremism sweeping the West Bank and Gaza?(Photo: Saeb Erekat. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Richard Leakey, 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?

By the time George W Bush left the White House, perceptions of the United States in the wider world were overwhelmingly negative. As the Obama presidency enters its final phase, how have attitudes shifted? The promise was clear - a greater focus on soft rather than hard power and a “yes we can” commitment to healing political wounds at home and abroad. Stephen Sackur speaks to the US ambassador to the UK, Matthew Barzun, a close Obama ally. Has the promise been fulfilled?

Seven years ago Wall Street was close to meltdown. And the world economy was feeling the full force of a financial crash which changed long held assumptions about the stability of markets and global capitalism. Stephen Sackur speaks to Ben Bernanke who was chairman of the Federal Reserve, the US Central Bank, at the time and took decisions then which continue to shape economic policy today. Can we be confident the right lessons have been learned from the great crash?(Photo: Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke arrives at the US Court of Federal Claims, Washington DC. Credit: Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to the spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov. Depending on who you believe, Russia’s military intervention in Syria is a boost for the forces of legitimacy in the face of terrorism, or a foolish gamble which will further destabilise Syria and backfire on the Kremlin. Does Russia’s desire to shore up the Assad regime risk a dangerous new confrontation with the United States?(Photo: Dmitry Peskov. Credit: Getty Images)

The latest paroxysm of violence between Israelis and Palestinians has conjured up a host of horrifying images. Israelis stabbed in random street attacks. Palestinian suspects shot dead by Israeli police when seemingly no longer a threat. An innocent bystander beaten to death by an incensed Israeli crowd. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Yair Lapid, former minister and leader of the Yesh Atid party. He's called on Israelis to shoot to kill at the first sign of danger. Will that kind of language enhance anyone's security?(Photo: Yair Lapid - Leader, Yesh Atid Party in Israel. Credit: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Is the US Republican Party serious about winning back the White House in 2016? The front runner to win the party's presidential nomination is Donald Trump - a billionaire businessman turned celebrity who despises the Republican establishment. Stephen Sackur speaks to Eric Cantor who has long been a pillar of that establishment. He was the number two Republican in the House of Representatives until he got sensationally dumped in a primary contest. What on earth is going on inside the Republican party?

Stephen Sackur talks to Robert S. Ford, US Ambassador to Syria until last year. The escalation of Russia's military involvement in Syria has been greeted with dismay in Washington. Vladimir Putin hasn't just shifted the military balance in favour of the Assad regime, he has also exposed the lack of decisiveness and clarity in President Obama's Syria strategy. What does Syria tell us about US foreign policy making in the age of Obama?(Photo: Robert S. Ford)

Stephen Sackur speaks with Joanne Liu, International President of Médecins Sans Frontières, Doctors without Borders. In early October American forces in Afghanistan fired missiles into a Kunduz hospital killing 22, including 12 staff working for MSF. The organisation demanded that the incident be investigated as a war crime. But in the world’s most dangerous conflict zones, is it possible to save lives and not take sides?(Photo credit: BBC News)

So much of our developed world culture is driven by the instant, all pervasive internet. Our opinions, our fantasies, our lives, delivered in bite sized chunks, consumed with a glance and a click. Jonathan Franzen writes novels, long novels, that take years to complete and days, not minutes to read. He has become one of the defining voices in contemporary American literature. So why does he hate so much of the culture around him?(Photo: Jonathan Franzen. Credit: Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks with German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen. Vladimir Putin has wrong-footed the West, again. First it was in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, now it is with his rapidly escalating military intervention in Syria. The Obama Administration, Nato, and the EU have issued warnings and condemnations, but does the West have a coherent strategy in Syria. And does the EU have a security strategy at all?(Photo: German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, 2015. Credit: Getty Images)