The Interview

For years, the UK's relationship with Zimbabwe has been characterised by deep mutual suspicion. But things are beginning to change - the Zimbabwean people have just approved a constitution and the EU has eased its sanctions regime. Stephen Sackur talks to Zimbabwe's justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, a close political ally of Robert Mugabe. His very presence in London is a sign of the new dynamic in Zimbabwe. But are the country's troubles really over?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Daniel Dennett, a philosopher who applies Darwinian evolutionary theory not just to species, but to ideas and religious beliefs. Dennett believes religion has outlived its usefulness, hampers rational thought and damages our species. Along with Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens, Dennett is seen as a founding father of the new atheism. But do humans want to live in a world where atheism rules and religion is dead?(Image: Daniel Dennett, Credit: Steven J Eliopoulos, www.GravityBoston.com)

What could and should the outside world be doing as Syria sinks ever deeper into civil war? Has inertia and division within the international community condemned Syria to a slow and agonising collapse? Hardtalk speaks to Norwegian general Robert Mood, who led the ill-fated UN supervision mission in Syria last year. What went wrong then, and do the Syrian people deserve better from the world's major powers now?(Image: Major General Robert Mood in a crowd in Syria, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Ivory Coast was once one of west Africa's economic powerhouses. Today, the world's biggest cocoa producer is trying to recover from the conflict that tore the country apart. Following elections in late 2010 the incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to admit defeat to his opponent, Alassane Ouattara. After a period of violence in which thousands of Ivorians were killed, Gbagbo is now awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. As president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara has the task of uniting a divided country. His critics accuse him of presiding over a victor's justice and letting off supporters of his who are suspected of crimes. Are they right?(Image: Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara. Credit: REUTERS/Luc Gnago)

Are you an optimist or a pessimist when it comes to the future of human civilisation? Your response may be determined by where you live. In the West, beset by economic stagnation, many see reasons to be fearful. In Asia and Africa prosperity and confidence are on the rise. Stephen Sackur speaks to Kishore Mahbubani, former diplomat turned provocative thinker on globalisation. He sees a world increasingly united by economics, ideas and aspirations. But is that more than just wishful thinking?(Image: Kishore Mahbubani. Credit: Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Welsh rugby legend, Gareth Thomas. He confronted one of the last great taboos in professional sport by publically revealing his homosexuality, while still playing at the top level. His honesty won him admiration within and far beyond the world of rugby, but has he changed anything for other gay sportsmen? And what other awkward truths lie behind the public mask donned by sport's elite performers?(Image: Gareth Thomas. Credit: Phil Cole/Getty Images)

At the end of 2013, Romanians will be able to live and work in any EU country they want to. All work restrictions, imposed by some countries when Romania and Bulgaria joined the union six years ago, will be lifted. There were worries then that workers from those two impoverished European states would flock to richer nations, and such concerns have not gone away. Zeinab Badawi speaks to Romania's Prime Minister Victor Ponta. He's on a mission to restore his country's image. Can he succeed?(Image: Prime Minister of Romania Victor Ponta. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Stephen Sackur asks veteran Conservative cabinet minister Ken Clarke if prime minster David Cameron is in danger of losing grip of his party. No one ever said it would be easy for the British prime minister - his government is an uneasy coalition, and his economic inheritance was disfigured by debt. But right now his biggest problems are coming from within. The Conservative Party is fractious; his authority has been challenged on everything from economic policy, to Europe, to his vision of progressive conservatism.(Image: Ken Clarke. Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Two decades ago the world's killing fields were in the Balkans and Rwanda but right now, they're in Syria. Can we be any more confident today, than we were back then, that the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity will be brought to justice? Stephen Sackur speaks to Theodor Meron, currently serving a second term as President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. When it comes to delivering justice, is the international legal framework now in place fit for purpose?

Stephen Sackur visits the grand presidential palace in Tunis to speak to the Tunisian president and former human rights campaigner Moncef Marzouki. During his presidency, Tunisia's status as the success story of the Arab uprising has been threatened by growing internal tensions. What has happened to Tunisia's revolution?(Image: Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki. Credit: FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images)

Britain and India are two countries united by 200 years of shared history but now with an ever growing distance in ties. India is a rising global economic powerhouse: Britain a former imperial power in search of a global boost to its ailing economy. When the British prime-minister David Cameron visited India in February, he took a 100 strong trade delegation with him. Amongst them was the Indian born British entrepreneur, Karan Bilimoria, who was founding chairman of the UK-India Business Council. Is Britain becoming more irrelevant to India today?

Europe's prolonged economic crisis has prompted a populist backlash against the powers that be. In Finland, the EU's prosperous northern outpost, the big beneficiary has been Timo Soini, leader of the Eurosceptic, nationalist party long known as the True Finns. He wants to see the Eurozone dismantled, immigration curbed, traditional values restored. Critics have labelled the party xenophobic - is this the angry politics of European disintegration?(Image: Timo Soini. Credit: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images)

Henry Winkler's long career will always be defined by one role. He was the Fonz, the cool dude at the centre of the US TV show Happy Days which was a worldwide hit in the '70s and '80s. The show portrayed an innocent, untroubled 1950s America. It was a far cry from Winkler's own childhood which was clouded by undiagnosed dyslexia. How did a troubled kid come to be a symbol of sunny optimism, and what happened to the idealised America of Happy Days?(Image: Henry Winkler, Credit: Getty Images)

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians arouses passions like few others. But on one thing most people can agree: that there's no prospect of the struggle ending anytime soon. So given the failure of the politicians and the diplomats, the militants and the liberals – what should we take from the words of the writer? AB Yehoshua is known as one of Israel's great men of letters. His latest book is seen by some as a powerful allegory of the journey Israeli Jews need now to take. So can he chart a way through the quagmire? And why does he have such a low opinion of Jews outside Israel?(Image: AB Yehoshua, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The Catholic Church has been rocked by not one but two shock and surprise resignations. First, Pope Benedict steps down after announcing he was too old and infirm for the office. Then Britain's most senior Catholic, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, resigned after allegations - which he contests - of inappropriate behaviour towards priests 30 years ago. His departure has once again put the spotlight on the Catholic Church's attitudes towards homosexuality.Zeinab Badawi speaks to Father Bernard Lynch, one of a few openly gay Catholic priests. How will the church recover from these embarrassing blows at a time of historic transition?

Hardtalk speaks to one of the most influential women in the history of the modern feminist movement. Gloria Steinem grew up in an America where women were expected to put husband and children first. But that was never her intention. She forged a successful career as a writer. She co-founded Ms magazine; and she became one of the world’s best known campaigners for gender equality. So how much of what she hoped for and fought for, has been achieved?(Image: Gloria Steinem. Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

The state of the US Republican Party has been described as a mess. Badly beaten in the race for the White House, it is seemingly out of touch with mainstream opinion on issues from immigration to gun control and is in danger of being outmanoeuvred by President Obama in the continued stand-off over the federal budget. Hardtalk speaks to the former Republican candidate Jon Huntsman - a moderate frequently at odds with his own party. Is the American right on the wrong road?(Jon Huntsman, former Republican presidential candidate (2011). Credit: Associated Press)

Stephen Sackur talks to Mamphela Ramphele, anti-apartheid activist, prominent public figure and former partner of the late Steve Biko, one of the heroes of the liberation struggle. She has launched a new political movement with an outspoken attack on the failings of ANC governance. The political supremacy of the African National Congress in post-apartheid South Africa has never been seriously threatened. She says she is on a journey to realise South Africa's dreams, but how far will she get?

This is Latin America’s decade – so says the leader of one of the countries contributing to its impressive economic boom. But as the world slows, can growth be sustained? The region’s politicians are divided – talking about free trade deals for years even as some impose ever more restrictions on competition from the world outside. Enrique Garcia has been juggling the demands of protectionists and free marketeers for twenty years. The veteran President of Latin America’s Development Bank says times have never been so good. But which side will he come down on to make the good times last?

Hardtalk travels to Dublin, capital of Ireland, to speak to Europe Minister Lucinda Creighton. The country currently holds the Presidency of the European Union; a symbolic leadership role in Europe. At the same time it is struggling to emerge from the economic straitjacket imposed by the EU/IMF bailout of the Irish economy. Can Dublin convince the world that it has bounced back from the brink of disaster?

The government of Guatemala has promised to tackle the high murder rate of a country living under the threat of gangs, organised crime and drug traffickers. Some have expressed fears that it could become a narco-state, with state institutions that are weak or corrupted by criminal activity. When President Otto Perez Molina took office just over a year ago he said the war on drugs has failed and that it is time to consider decriminalising them. Hardtalk speaks to the newly appointed Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Fernando Carrera.

Can there be a negotiated way out of the high stakes stand-off between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic's nuclear ambitions? A new round of talks is planned for later this month but the basic facts haven't changed, Iran's enrichment programme gets ever more sophisticated, international sanctions on Tehran bite deeper and the warnings from the West grow darker. Stephen Sackur’s guest on Hardtalk is a former Iranian negotiator on the nuclear issue, Hossein Mousavian. Does diplomacy have a chance?

Renowned British plastic surgeon, Dr Mohammad Jawad, helps reconstruct the faces of women disfigured by acid attacks. He featured in an Oscar-winning documentary about his humanitarian work in his native Pakistan. His high public profile has helped raise awareness about the life-destroying nature of acid attacks in Pakistan and elsewhere in Asia, but can it bring about real change and action to help bring down the level of such violence against women?(Image: Mohammad Jawad)

Renzo Piano is one of the world's most accomplished and feted architects; and one used to dividing opinion. Back in the 1970s he designed Paris's Pompidou Centre and since then has taken on high profile developments all over the globe. His latest creation – The Shard, which is currently Europe's tallest building - is already loved, but it is also loathed. What does the Shard say about us? And why build it so big?(Image: Renzo Piano, Credit: Getty Images)

If football is the beautiful game then it risks being disfigured by an ugly scar: racism. Players, fans and administrators have all pledged their determination to kick racism out of the sport, but there's plenty of evidence to suggest the anti-racist rhetoric isn't working. Lord Ouseley, is a veteran equality campaigner who was appointed to a senior advisory role with the English Football Association. But now he's quitting - has football failed to tackle its race problem?

Paul Bhatti is Pakistan's Minister for National Harmony - job description that seems deeply ironic given his country's current turmoil. He accepted the job after his brother was assassinated whilst serving as Minorities Minister.The Bhatti family is from Pakistan's minority Christian community. What hope is there for national harmony in a country disfigured by extremist violence and endemic corruption?(Image: Paul Bhatti, Credit: Getty Images)

As part of the BBC’s What If? season, Hardtalk talks to pro-GM campaigner and environmental author Mark Lynas asking What if genetically modified food is the solution to world hunger?(Image: Mark Lynas, Credit: Getty Images)

In or out? For the next five years Britain's future in the European Union will be shrouded in uncertainty thanks to David Cameron's commitment to a referendum. He believes his dramatic gamble will pay off not just at home, but in Europe too - allowing him to recalibrate Britain's relationship with Brussels. Will it work? HARDtalk speaks to Sir Nigel Sheinwald who was the UK's top diplomat at the EU, foreign policy adviser to Tony Blair, then Ambassador in Washington. Is the Cameron EU gambit in Britain's national interest?

Is it time for the doom-mongers to admit they were wrong about the world economy? The Eurozone is intact, the US hasn't plunged off that fiscal cliff and even the most stagnant economy of them all - Japan's - is showing signs of life. Could it be that central bankers and politicians are finally ready to take bold decisions in their quest for growth? Hardtalk speaks to one of the world's most influential investors, Mohamed El-Erian, boss of the massive PIMCO fund management business. Caution or confidence, which is winning out?

Stephen Lawrence was murdered in South London on April 22, 1993. Stephen was black – his attackers were white. The killing and subsequent investigation exposed violent racism on Britain’s streets and institutional racism within the British police force. Thanks to the tireless campaign of Stephen’s mother – Doreen Lawrence – two of her son’s killers were last year brought to justice. Laws have been passed and institutions reformed to combat racism but, two decades on, how much has really changed?(Image: Doreen Lawrence, Credit: Getty Images)

As head of the World Trade Organisation for the past eight years, Pascal Lamy has been leading the crusade for global free trade. The so called Doha round of negotiations designed to spread free trade to the developing world is in limbo. The flagging world economy has prompted a rise in protectionism. Has the march toward trade liberalisation ended in failure?(Image: Pascal Lamy, Credit: Getty Images)

The brutal gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi last month has prompted India to confront a disturbing truth: the country is failing to protect women from sexual violence. Kiran Bedi has seen the problem close up – she was the most senior female police officer in the Indian Police Service when she retired. Is India ready for the deep-seated changes that would make the country’s women less vulnerable?

EU officials in Brussels insist the worst of the Eurozone crisis is over; but is that relief premature? Europe's debt mountain still casts a long shadow. Rising unemployment is fuelling anger on the streets. And Europe's biggest nations are divided on the basic question – where next for the EU? Amid this uncertainty, big practical challenges remain – not least for the EU's Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. Short term or long term, is there reason to be confident about the EU?(Image: Joaquin Almunia – EU Competition Commissioner, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Rupert Everett achieved success in his early twenties through his acclaimed lead role in Another Country and Dance With A Stranger.But much of this success was lost in a haze of sexual promiscuity and alcohol.Later in the '90s he had a fleeting brush with Holywood stardom.As an openly gay actor in movie business, did sexual descrimation rob him of a chance of becoming an A-list star?Stephen Sackur talks to Rupert Everett about his career and his film directorial debut about Oscar Wilde.

Half way through its parliamentary term Britain’s Conservative-led coalition government has a growth problem - the economy is flat; possibly heading for a triple dip recession. But how does a government committed to fiscal austerity juice things up?HARDtalk speaks to Lord Heseltine, a former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister who was last year commissioned by David Cameron’s government to come up with a growth strategy. But are today’s Tory leaders ready to heed this voice of experience?(Image: Lord Heseltine. Copyright: Press Association)

Arabs have risen up against their repressive authoritarian rulers, but what will their post-revolutionary societies look like? In Egypt and Tunisia, power has shifted in the direction of political Islam. Is that the culmination of the march to freedom? Stephen Sackur speaks to Mona Eltahawy, who thinks not. The controversial Egyptian-American writer and feminist says genuine liberation is impossible while Arab men continue to hate Arab women. In this era of uprisings is her message a wake-up call or a dangerous distraction?

Not so long ago it seemed the world’s addiction to fossil fuels would soon be ended by dwindling supply. But that was before fracking, tar sands and deep sea exploration transformed calculations about global reserves of oil and gas. HARDtalk speaks to Fatih Birol - one of the world’s most influential analysts of the global energy market and its effect on the world economy and environment. Is the resilience of fossil fuel supply a cause for celebration, or despair?(Image: Fatih Birol, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Olympic gold medal-winning Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe on his crippling depression. (Image: Ian Thorpe, Credit: Getty Images)

Alan Moore - man behind the mask worn by computer hackers and Occupy protestors the world over. But he's no typical insurgent, rather a graphic novelist. He has championed the form for its effect on politics and culture. Why is he now becoming disillusioned?

Philip Glass is one of the most influential and polarising composers of the last 50 years. The trademark sound in his prolific output of symphonies, operas and film scores, is repetitive, rhythmic and hypnotic. He has been driven by a simple question - what is music?

As Belle de Jour, she achieved global notoriety for years, writing a blog about her sexual encounters as a high-class escort girl working in London. Now, after revealing herself to be an expert research scientist and no longer engaged in prostitution, Dr Brooke Magnanti is calling for prostitution to be decriminalised.

Former England rugby captain Lewis Moody talks to Stephen Sackur about his battle with bowel disease, and winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup.(Image: Lewis Moody, Credit: Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur talks to the British barrister Sir Geoffrey Nice who led the Hague tribunal prosecution of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosević and asks if the ICC has been a disappointment.(Image: The prosecutors during the second day of trial of Slobodan Milosevic at the International Criminal Tribunal. From left: Dirk Ryneveld, Carla del Ponte and Geoffrey Nice. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

How far is Egypt becoming polarised between Islamist and secularist forces? The current vote for a new constitution in Egypt has exposed divisions which at times have erupted into violence on the streets between supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Hardtalk speaks to a leading member of Egypt's liberal and secular elite: Coptic Christian billionaire businessman and politician Naguib Sawiris. Who has a better claim to be democratic - the Islamists or their opponents?(Image: Naguib Sawiris, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Afghanistan is reckoned to be one of the worst places on Earth to be a woman. Forced early marriage, high maternal mortality rates and little secondary education. Hardtalk talks to Dr Sima Samar, a medical doctor, educator and Chairperson of Afghanistan’s Human Rights Commission. Ten years ago she also became her country’s first ever Minister for Women’s Affairs. She has been a pioneer for human rights in Afghanistan but does she have the right strategy to win greater freedoms for Afghan women?(Image: Sima Samar, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The politics of Palestine are in a state of flux. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the stalwarts of his Fatah movement face a crisis of credibility; they've been outmanoeuvred in recent weeks by the hardliners in Hamas whose message is defiance, not diplomacy. Hardtalk speaks with the Palestinian Authority envoy to the European Union Leila Shahid. Is the game up for Palestine's old guard moderates?(Image: Leila Shahid, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

To Britain it's the Falklands, to Argentina the Malvinas. Thirty years ago, the two countries went to war over these islands in the South Atlantic. Now they can smell oil - eight billion barrels worth is being drilled for this year. Is that why Buenos Aires and London are trading insults once again? Jan Cheek is one of the leaders of the 3000 islanders who are about to be asked to vote on whether there should be negotiations with Argentina. She says no but by what right do the Islanders insist they should stay linked to a country on the other side of the world? And for how much longer will the British be prepared to pay the military and diplomatic bill?

HARDtalk travels to Oslo for the annual Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony. This year, the prize has been awarded to the European Union which has, according to the panel "for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe". José Manuel Barroso has been President of the European Commission since 2004. With the continent’s economic future increasingly uncertain, and as austerity bites, is he confident of a peaceful future for the European Union?(Image: José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Renault has been long regarded as a jewel in the crown of French industry. But Renault has lost much of its lustre. Despite joining forces with the Japanese giant Nissan, Renault has seen sales and profits slump which is making the French government nervous. Carlos Ghosn is the CEO of Renault and Nissan. He turned Nissan’s fortunes around but can he do the same for Renault?(Image: Carlos Ghosn, Credit: Getty Images)

Mike Newell is responsible for box office hits like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He could make almost any film he wants. So why choose his latest movie - a remake of the classic Dickens novel Great Expectations. What more is there to add when there have already been so many adaptions?(Image: Mike Newell, Credit: Getty Images)