HARDtalk

Stephen Sackur speaks to the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol. As oil and gas-rich UAE hosts the latest climate change summit, is it time to admit the much-vaunted global energy transition is veering off course?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Albudaiwi. The Israel-Hamas war has sent shockwaves through a region that?s been ?normalising? relations with Israel. Could the Gulf states be destabilised by the conflict in Gaza?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the UN?s refugee agency for Palestinians. He is just back from Gaza where the temporary truce gave him a chance to assess the scale of the humanitarian crisis. With Israel vowing to resume its war on Hamas, could Gaza soon be unliveable?

Stephen Sackur speaks to far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, whose Religious Zionism party is in Prime Minister Netanyahu?s ruling coalition. He and his party colleagues seem ready for a new era of long-term violent confrontation, not just in Gaza, but in the West Bank too. Is his mindset and strategic vision in the best interests of Israel?s future?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Cardinal Peter Turkson, a Vatican insider widely seen as a possible contender to be Africa?s first pope. The number of observant Catholics is down in the west, rising fast in Africa and Asia. Is the Catholic Church at a crossroads?

Stephen Sackur speaks to former US spy Jonna Mendez, who was the CIA?s chief of disguise running Cold War operations in Moscow, Havana and beyond.

Stephen Sackur speaks to the master chef and restaurateur Michel Roux. After 56 years of fine food and Michelin stars, his family restaurant Le Gavroche is closing its doors. He was a torch bearer for a British culinary revolution, but is the business of fine food turning sour?

(Photo: Chef Michel Roux Jr in the Chez Roux restaurant at Cheltenham Racecourse. Credit: Steven Paston/PA)

Stephen Sackur is in Washington DC to speak to one of President Biden?s closest allies in the US Congress, Democrat Senator Chris Coons. The president?s staunch support for Israel is dividing his party at a time when some question whether he should run for a second term. Is team Biden in trouble?

Stephen Sackur is in Washington DC to speak to Republican Congressman Mark Alford, one of Donald Trump?s most loyal supporters on Capitol Hill. With a presidential election less than a year away, does the Republican Party have a winning formula?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Mervyn King, former governor of the Bank of England. The international economic outlook is troubled, with geopolitical tensions and climate change heightening uncertainty about inflation, trade and low growth. Are economic policymakers making things worse?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Fiona Hill, formerly a Russia expert inside the White House, now an influential analyst of US foreign policy. Joe Biden says US backing for Ukraine and Israel is a vital defence of the rules based order, but are these wars exposing American weakness?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian doctor and co-founder of the Palestinian National Initiative. When this terrible round of violence does eventually end, what then for the Palestinian people?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Carlo Rovelli, one of the world's best known physicists. How much do his remarkable ideas matter outside the scientific community?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Lebanon?s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. The terrible cost of the conflict between Hamas and Israel could go much higher if a second front opens on Israel?s northern border. If Hezbollah and its Iranian backers opt for all-out war, what then for Lebanon?

(Photo: Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib attends a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (not pictured) in Beirut, 1 Sept, 2023. Emilie Madi/Reuters)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who has one of the most important and toughest jobs in UK politics as Speaker of the House of Commons. Public trust in politicians, never high, has hit new lows. What can the Speaker do to ensure Parliament better serves the people?

(Photo: Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, speaks during Prime Minister's Questions, 25 October, 2023. UK Parliament/Maria Unger/Reuters)

Stephen Sackur speaks to the president of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic. His small nation sits in a tense, troubled Balkan neighbourhood which the rest of Europe cannot afford to ignore. The president has promised his people EU membership within five years, but is he heading for disappointment?

(Photo: Montenegro's President Jakov Milatovic (L) shake hands with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (not seen) before their meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, 10 July 2023. Credit: )

Stephen Sackur speaks to the Turner Prize winning British artist Lubaina Himid. Her work has always put black people and their stories front and centre. Four decades ago she was seen as a radical, now she is embraced by the establishment. What does that say about modern Britain?

(Photo: Artist Lubaina Himid is awarded the Robson Orr Ten Ten Award 2021 and unveils the new work at 11 Downing Street, London. Credit: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Aiden Aslin, the British man who joined the Ukrainian army and was captured, tortured and sentenced to death by Putin?s forces. He got out in a prisoner swap, traumatised but alive. Why did he risk his life for someone else?s cause?

(Photo: Aiden Aslin)

Stephen Sackur speaks to US Democratic Party congressman Adam Smith. The Biden mission to the Middle East at a time of war and spiralling regional tension was always a gamble. How does the US navigate its multiple interests at this time of maximum danger?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK Husam Zomlot. Hamas surely knew its murderous attack on Israel would provoke an overwhelming military response. The jihadists, it seems, wanted a devastating war. But what about Palestinians not with Hamas? As conflict in the Middle East escalates, what are their options?

(Photo: Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian Ambassador to Britain, attends a news conference at the Arab British Chamber of Commerce. Credit: London. Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine?s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. Just how solid is the West?s support for Kyiv? And what happens to Ukraine if the flow of weapons, money and diplomatic support is called into question from Washington to Warsaw?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Israel?s former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Hamas?s murderous attack on Israel from Gaza killed more than 1,200 people and has prompted an Israeli response which has already killed more than a thousand Palestinians. Unimaginable horror has been unleashed; where will it end?

Stephen Sackur speaks to long-standing Israeli politician Danny Danon. He is a member of the Knesset for the ruling Likud party and sits on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Hamas?s murderous assault on Israel from Gaza is one of the darkest chapters in the country's history. The Israeli military response has already cost many Palestinian lives and has barely begun. Can a new conflict in the Middle East be contained and where does it end?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Conservative politician and former UK environment minister Lord Deben. After Prime Minister Rishi Sunak?s announcement of a major shift in green policies, is political short-termism undermining climate action?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Paolo Gentiloni, the European Union's economy commissioner. He?s at the centre of efforts to turn the bloc into an economic superpower capable of rivalling the US and China. But is the EU simply too divided to project real geopolitical power?

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Pakistan?s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. Can he steer the country through its current political turmoil until postponed elections are held?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. From the Ukraine war to Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar and Ethiopia, is the UN system failing those in greatest need?

Stephen Sackur is in Tallinn for an exclusive interview with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. This small Baltic state knows all about subjugation to Moscow and is a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, but just how risky is it to defy the Russian bear next door?

Stephen Sackur speaks to exiled Afghan human rights campaigner Shaharzad Akbar. She is focused on the fight to end what she calls the Taliban?s gender apartheid. Given the scale of poverty and repression in Afghanistan, what is the right international response?

(Photo: Shaharzad Akbar in the Hardtalk Studio)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Green Party of England and Wales politician Caroline Lucas. She?s the party?s only Westminster MP, but she?s decided to quit. Is that because putting the planet first is never going to be a pathway to power?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the acclaimed Israeli historian and author Yuval Noah Harari. Having given us an explanation of the success of humankind in his book Sapiens, he?s now in darker territory. From Israel to the United States, he says democracy is in danger. Are humans losing the ability to trust and co-operate?

Stephen Sackur speaks to former Russian deputy energy minister Vladimir Milov, who once served Vladimir Putin. Now he?s a die-hard opponent of Russia?s premier, living in exile and trying to rally a Russian resistance movement. But from the battlefield to the economy, could Putin yet outlast his enemies?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Mustafa Suleyman, a British pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence and a leading voice in a debate which matters to all of us. How can we take advantage of the vast potential of intelligent machines without sowing the seeds of our own destruction?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Sweden?s foreign minister Tobias Billström. Putin?s invasion of Ukraine pushed Sweden to seek Nato membership but right now the country is also grappling with a wave of gun violence and bombings instigated by violent crime gangs. Why are Swedes feeling so nervous?

Stephen Sackur speaks to US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a loyal backer of Donald Trump as he bids to win back the White House. Does his comeback spell trouble for America?

With a Trump versus Biden presidential re-run looking likely, how close is the United States to political meltdown? Stephen Sackur speaks to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to be speaker of the US House of Representatives and a leading figure in the Democratic Party.

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Sudan's former ambassador to Washington Nureldin Satti. The conflict that broke out in April between two rival generals in Sudan has been escalating with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. More than 4 million people have been forced to flee their homes amidst reports of widespread atrocities. Can a humanitarian catastrophe be averted in Sudan?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Peter Boehringer, Vice Chairman of Germany?s far-right Alternative for Deutschland party. They are anti-immigrant, anti-EU, anti-military aid for Ukraine, and are running second in national polls. Does their rise threaten Germany?s stability?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the former punk rock star turned environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey. He is leading the campaign to clean up Britain?s waterways with fishermen and conservationists pitted against the privatised water industry and state regulators. Can he reverse the tide of environmental degradation?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the Hong Kong lawmaker Dominic Lee. He is a staunch defender of the Beijing-inspired national security crackdown, which has all but eliminated Hong Kong?s pro-democracy movement. But is China undermining Hong Kong?s desirability to traders and investors?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Jasvinder Sanghera, who as a child escaped a forced marriage and has been a lifelong advocate for survivors of abuse. She was hired by the Church of England to help them confront abuse allegations. But she and they are now at odds. What went wrong?

Stephen Sackur speaks to exiled Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy. He has tried and failed to engineer the downfall of the country's ruler, Hun Sen, for decades. Now Hun Sen?s son is taking over. Few in Cambodia expect anything significant to change, including the relative impotence of the opposition. Has Sam Rainsy been comprehensively outmanoeuvred?

(Photo: Cambodian opposition figure Sam Rainsy speaks during a press freedom event at the Gran Melia Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia, 19 May, 2023. Credit: Ajeng Credit: Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters)

Stephen Sackur speaks to the leading British playwright and screenwriter Lucy Prebble. Her credits include Enron and The Effect in the theatre, and Succession and I Hate Suzie on television. In an era of polarising culture wars and with perceived threats from AI, are writers feeling a deep sense of unease?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the pioneering performance poet John Cooper Clarke. He was once dubbed the bard of punk and all his life he?s used words, rhythm and rhyme to find humour and truth in the chaos of everyday life. Where does his word magic come from?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the UK?s former environment minister Lord Goldsmith. He resigned from Rishi Sunak?s government, accusing the prime minister of being uninterested in the environment. Since then, the government has approved new oil exploration. Is a green backlash reshaping politics?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Nathan Law, the exiled Hong Kong democracy activist who?s now a wanted man with a million-dollar bounty on his head from the territory?s Beijing-backed authorities. Has China?s systematic repression effectively eradicated dissent in Hong Kong?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Ukrainian rockstar Andriy Khlyvnyuk. After the all-out Russian invasion, he swapped his guitar for a gun. When he does sing now, it?s always for his country?s cause. What is this war doing to Ukraine?s culture and spirit?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. He was ousted from power last year but thinks he can stage a comeback in elections scheduled for the autumn. Is Pakistan facing a period of political chaos?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Kwame Kwei-Armah, artistic director of the Young Vic theatre in London. His work poses questions about race, identity, equality and justice. In an era of political polarisation, are audiences prepared to engage?

Stephen Sackur is at the Knepp Estate in the south of England to speak to conservationist Isabella Tree. Her estate is a world-renowned example of rewilding but is she building a pathway to a healthier planet or putting eco-principles above the needs of people?

(Photo: Isabella Tree in her office)