The Interview

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)

For decades one of Britain’s best known entertainers, the late Jimmy Savile, sexually abused children and vulnerable adults and got away with it. In response the police launched a massive effort to investigate allegations of historical sexual abuse. Other prominent people found themselves facing accusations. Stephen Sackur speaks to one of them, broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, who spent a year as a suspect before the case against him was dropped. What are the lessons of what he calls his 12 months of trauma?(Photo: Host Paul Gambaccini at the Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival Awards Ceremony 2009, London. Credit: Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur talks to the EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos. Europe is still scrambling to find an effective response to the migration challenge, and every day the problem gets bigger. While the Germans build reception centres, other EU Governments focus on razor wire fences and gunboats on the Mediterranean. So what comes first, humanity or security?(Photo: Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Zeinab Badawi meets Anglican Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali who was born in Pakistan and whose Muslim father converted to Christianity. Most of those fleeing from Syria to Europe are Muslims and this has provoked some tension between Christians and Muslims and between countries in Europe who are worried about the impact of so many refugees.The UN says the number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe this year has already passed 500,000 more than double the total of 2014. How far has the refugee crisis tested our common humanity?(Photo: Anglican Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali. Credit: Getty Images)

In too many countries around the world independent journalists pay a high price for simply doing their job. They risk intimidation, imprisonment or worse. Hardtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Mohamed Fahmy, the former Al Jazeera English bureau chief in Cairo who was convicted and imprisoned on terrorist charges by the Egyptian government. In his first broadcast interview since being pardoned, Stephen asks him what his message is now he is free to speak.(Photo: Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy gives an interview in Cairo after his release from an Egyptian jail. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

After four years of civil war Syria is all but destroyed. At least 220,000 killed and half of the entire population forced from their homes and still the world's great powers argue over a response. Stephen Sackur talks to one of the world's wealthiest Syrians, Ayman Asfari, an exile based in Britain and founder and boss of the Petrofac oil services corporation. Behind the scenes he has lobbied hard for a more effective international intervention in his homeland, but what would that look like?(Photo: Ayman Asfari, founder and boss of the Petrofac oil services corporation)

French Minister of Economy, Emmanuel Macron. A millionaire former banker, he is spearheading reforms that are unpopular with supporters of the ruling socialist party.(Photo: French Minister of Economy, Emmanuel Macron. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

HARDtalk is in Hungary for an exclusive interview with the Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó. Hungary is facing a migration crisis; already this year nearly 250,000 migrants have entered the country. Hungary’s response has included razor wire, tear gas and threats of imprisonment. The Prime Minister says that the refugees are a threat to security and cultural identity but is Hungary defending or betraying European values?(Photo: Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk (L) welcoming to Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó prior their talks in Kiev. Credit: Andrew Kravchenko/AFP/Getting Images)

The British Government wants parliamentary authorisation to bomb the jihadists of IS in Syria. That same Government adamantly does not want to offer refuge to any of the many tens of thousands of Syrian refugees now homeless and desperate inside Europe. Does David Cameron's position make sense? Stephen Sackur talks to the UK Government’s Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Conservative MP Crispin Blunt.(Photo: Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara meets with British MP Crispin Blunt. Credit: Getty Images)

Georgia wants to join Nato. Its Defence Minister, Tinatin Khidasheli, has been touring European Union countries making the case for the former Soviet state to join the club of western nations who vow to defend each other's borders. But It was only a few months ago that Russia extended its control over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which the United Nations still recognises as Georgian territory. Hardtalk’s Sarah Montague asks whether Nato is prepared to face up to Russia over Georgia?(Photo: Georgian Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Australian politics has turned backstabbing into an art form. Thanks to yet another internal party coup, Malcom Turnbull has become the country's fifth Prime Minister since 2010. The political turbulence comes at a tough time - the Australian economy is being hit hard by the slowdown in China and the slump in global commodity prices. Stephen Sackur talks to the billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest. Has Australia squandered the riches that came with the resources boom of the early 21st Century?(Photo: Andrew Forrest, chairman of Fortescue Metals Group)

Libya is close to forming a national unity government and Aref Ali Nayed is a nominee to be prime minister. Can Libya's warring parties join forces to save the country?(Photo: Aref Ali Nayed, Libya's Ambassador to United Arab Emirates. Credit: AFP)

The guests on Hardtalk are people who do much to shape our world. More often than not they are a testament to the talent and potential of the human species. But what if we are living on the cusp of a new era shaped not by mankind but by machines using Artificial Intelligence to build a post-human world. Science fiction? Not according to scientist and philosopher Nick Bostrom who runs the Future of Humanity Institute. Stephen Sackur asks, when truly intelligent machines arrive, what happens to us?(Photo: Nick Bostrom, director of The Future of Humanity Institute)

HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to a man who is currently involved in an election campaign which promises to have a profound impact on the future of Spain and significant reverberations around the whole of Europe. Raul Romeva is a champion of independence for Catalonia – he leads a coalition of pro-secession parties who are attempting to turn regional elections in late September into a de facto referendum on breaking away from the rest of Spain. It’s a cause which has united pro-independence forces on the right, the left and in Romeva’s case the Green wing of Catalan politics. He says that a resounding vote for Yes in this regional poll will put Catalonia on a path to independence within 18 months; but that may well be wishful thinking. The Madrid Governemnt is adamant that any moves toward secession will be unconstitutional. Spain faces a prolonged period of bitter argument. And even if the secessionists in Catalonioa got their way what kind of future would their land of 7.5 million have? Would it be allowed into the EU? Would the prosperous local economy thrive or collapse? These are issues which mirror the arguments heard during the Scottish referendum on independence. In an age of great uncertainty for all Europeans the Scots backed away from going it alone – will Catalans ultimately do the same?

Stephen Sackur talks to Catherine McCartney whose brother was murdered in Belfast in 2005. She thinks the IRA was responsible, and that the Republican paramilitaries are still active to this day. The charge - that the IRA has not gone away - now threatens Northern Ireland’s fragile political stability - but is it true?(Photo: Catherine McCartney)

The fashion world today is full of numerous brands and designers - but one stands out as a pioneer of women’s high street fashion: Biba created by design icon Barbara Hulanicki. Born in Poland but raised in Britain her shops were a hangout for some of the most famous names in swinging sixties London. The rise and fall of Biba was a personal tragedy for her. But Barbara Hulanicki’s legacy is intact: she made fashion affordable for the masses. But has she helped bring about a throwaway culture that expects cheap and fashionable clothing?Picture shows: Designer Barbara Hulanicki at Milan Fashion Week Menswear in 2009. Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

The migrant crisis is pushing EU countries into trying to come up with solutions that are fair for member states and refugees fleeing conflict. There is evidence that people smugglers from the western Balkans are involved in the movement of thousands of migrants and are increasingly favouring land routes through Balkan states like Macedonia. Hardtalk asks the Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki what can governments like his do to resolve the current crisis?(Photo: Macedonia's Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

What does the leadership battle for Britain’s Labour Party tell us about left of centre politics in Britain and elsewhere in the world? If the polls are correct, then the veteran MP Jeremy Corbyn, is set to become the new Labour leader this month. He is the most left-wing of the four contestants and his anti-austerity economic policy is based on printing money for increased public spending and state ownership of major industries. After a huge defeat for Labour in May’s general election and a big swing to the Conservatives would Labour and other similar parties in Europe be more popular with voters by holding to the centre-ground?(Photo: From left, Charles Clarke and Ken Livingstone)

Stephen Sackur speaks to writer and publisher Jürgen Todenhöfer, who embarked on one of the most hazardous journeys imaginable for a western journalist. Last December, the 74-year-old German spent 10 days inside the territory controlled by the so-called Islamic State movement. He was taken to the group's base in Raqqa, Syria, and then to their most highly prized asset in Iraq - the northern city of Mosul. He emerged unscathed with a remarkable story. What motivates the jihadist fighters?

Earlier this year Zeinab Badawi went to Malta to meet Suha Arafat - the widow of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Ten years after his death, Mrs Arafat gave a rare broadcast interview about their marriage and tells her why she believes her husband was assassinated and why she has chosen to live in Malta and not amongst the Palestinian people who so revered him.(Photo: Suha Arafat. Credit: Matthew Mirabelli/AFP/Getty)

Tim Franks speaks to Don McLean - the self-confessed "accidental" pop star whose first unlikely hit became one of the defining songs of the century. In April, the manuscript to American Pie was auctioned for more than a million dollars. McLean has always resisted analysing his famous lyrics too closely but what does he have to say now about the American music industry, and the American dream?

Draw up a list of the greatest living film-makers and Werner Herzog would surely occupy a prominent place. He is responsible for some of the most wildly beautiful images captured on film. If you have seen Fitzcarraldo you won’t have forgotten the steamship being hauled over a mountain. He is seen as the film industry's obsessive genius, the director who once threatened to shoot his lead actor to prevent him quitting. After five decades making movies, is Werner Herzog's love of film as intense as ever?(Photo: Werner Herzog with an award during the Lola - German Film Awards in 2013. Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Colm Tóibín is an Irish writer whose intense, lyrical novels have won him awards, acclaim and most importantly millions of readers around the world. Colm Tóibín isn't so much a flamboyant storyteller; he's more an acute observer of character and the deepest human feelings. There are recurring themes in his work - loss, mourning, sexual repression and exile which might suggest a dark, brooding presence - but how close is that to the real Colm Tóibín?(Photo: Colm Tóibín. Credit: Ulf Andersen/Getty Images)

Zeinab Badawi talks to the South African jazz musician and political activist Hugh Masekela. His life and music have reflected the struggles of the anti-apartheid era and the subsequent years of black majority rule. So why does he now describe South Africa as fast turning into a rubbish dump and becoming removed from its authentic African culture?(Photo: Hugh Masekela. Credit: C Brandon/Redferns/Getty)

Hardtalk speaks to the man who has been called 'America’s greatest living crime writer'. Through works such as the Black Dalia and LA Confidential, James Ellroy has created a uniquely dark portrait of America. His is a nightmare vision of crazed killers and corrupt cops. He writes of what he knows – his own mother was murdered when he was a child. So is that simple, terrible fact the key to understanding all the words he has ever written?(Photo: James Ellroy. Credit: Ulf Andersen/Getty Images)

South Africa's Democratic Alliance, the country's main opposition party, has its first ever black leader. Mmusi Maimane took over in May this year from Helen Zille. He says he wants to represent all South Africans regardless of colour, but the vast majority of black South Africans support the ANC, the party of Nelson Mandela. Can Mmusi Maimane win them over and take race out of South African politics?(Picture: Mmusi Maimane campaigns around Protea South on October 23, 2013 in Soweto, South Africa. Credit: Foto24/Getty)

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. Hardtalk speaks to her about that as well as the poisonous rivalries in the world of ballet and her activism to save the planet.(Photo: Sylvie Guillem. Credit: Getty Images)

Could Turkey be slipping back into conflict? A fragile three year peace process between the government and Kurdish militants from the PKK, the Kurdistan workers’ party, has broken down. Several Turkish soldiers and police have been killed in the past few weeks and the government blames the PKK. Zeinab Badawi talks to Turkish MP Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Honorary President of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP). What is he doing to prevent a further escalation of violence in Turkey?

The migrant crisis on both sides of the English Channel has led to accusation and counter accusation in Britain and France as thousands of migrants make nightly attempts to enter the UK illegally. What is clear is the EU's migration system isn't working. Hardtalk speaks to Calais' deputy-mayor Philippe Mignonet and senior British Conservative MP Tim Loughton. How can Europe move beyond the blame game and find a fair and just solution for everyone?(Photo: Migrants continue to try and board lorries bound for the UK on June 2015 in Calais. Credit: Getty Images)

A host of countries around the world still impose the ultimate punishment on the most serious criminals - death. What is it like to be in command of the machinery of state-sanctioned execution? Hardtalk gets a rare insight from Allen Ault, who spent years running the corrections system in the southern US state of Georgia. He organised the killing of criminals until he could stand it no more. Now he is an opponent of the death penalty. Stephen Sackur finds out why.(Photo: Allen Ault)

The prime minister Alexis Tsipras is facing a rebellion from the hard left in his party, Syriza, who accuse him of going back on his promise to reject austerity. However, it is not just economics that is at the heart of the disagreement; it is a struggle for what kind of country Greece wants to be in the 21st Century. Zeinab Badawi talks to Stathis Kouvelakis - a Syriza central committee member. Who is winning the argument in Greece?(Photo: Stathis Kouvelakis)

There are a number of successful contemporary artists whose work sells for millions of dollars. But how many of them will leave an enduring mark when the clamour of fashion and hype has moved elsewhere? Hardtalk speaks to one of Britain's best known and controversial artists Marc Quinn. He sculpts, he paints, he manufactures extraordinary objects, and sometimes he enrages the critics - but will his work stand the test of time?(Photo: Artist Marc Quinn poses with a maquette for his Fourth Plinth proposal entitled Alison Lapper Pregnant. Credit: Getty Images)