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Artist - Suleiman Mansour Sep 03, 2018

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In troubled times like these, does art really matter? Stephen Sackur is in Ramallah, more than five decades after the Israeli occupation of the West Bank began, to meet perhaps the most renowned Palestinian artist of his generation, Suleiman Mansour. His paintings have come to define a sense of Palestinian identity.

German MEP - David McAllister Aug 31, 2018

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The pictures are chilling – a handful of people in the German city of Chemnitz giving Nazi salutes. They were among thousands who took to the streets to demonstrate against immigrants after an Iraqi and a Syrian were arrested following a fatal stabbing. Some of the protesters chased down people they believed were immigrants. All this comes as politicians struggle to agree how to handle the migrant crisis in Europe. HARDtalk speaks to German MEP David McAllister, who chairs the European Parliament’s committee on foreign affairs. Have European leaders ignored the threat from the far right for too long?

Image: David McAllister (Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

President of Kenya - Uhuru Kenyatta Aug 29, 2018

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Zeinab Badawi is in Washington for an exclusive interview with the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta. He has been holding talks with President Trump at the White House on trade, investment and security. But how can President Kenyatta invite investors to Kenya when the country remains mired in corruption which pervades all walks of life and enriches the few at the expense of the many?

Image: Uhuru Kenyatta, pictured in October 2017 (Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Executive Director, International Trade Centre - Arancha Gonzalez Aug 27, 2018

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Could a trade war escalate between the US and some of its trading partners? It’s not an easy time to be involved in international trade, with the world’s two biggest economies- the US and China trading insults and imposing tariffs on each other. Beijing says it is reporting Washington to the World Trade Organisation. The current tensions were sparked by President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on billions of dollars on imports from China, the EU, Canada and Mexico. HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to Arancha Gonzalez, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, which is co-owned by the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. Her mandate is to help small and medium businesses in developing countries participate in global trade. But with an international trading system that some believe is discredited and outmoded, is she pursuing the wrong ambitions?

President of Colombia - Iván Duque Aug 24, 2018

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Stephen Sackur is in Bogotá for an exclusive interview with Colombia’s new President Iván Duque. He is a youthful centre-right technocrat who faces momentous decisions early in his Presidency. Will he uphold his predecessor’s fragile peace deal with the FARC guerrilla group? How will he respond to the economic and humanitarian crisis unfolding in neighbouring Venezuela? President Duque is a relative political novice in a volatile region and he is about to be sorely tested.

Image: Iván Duque (Credit: European Photopress Agency)

Kofi Annan – Former UN Secretary General (1997-2006) Aug 22, 2018

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World figures have been paying tribute to the former UN secretary-general and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan, who has died at the age of 80. HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi spoke to him in April at a special event to mark his birthday and the tenth anniversary of the Kofi Annan Foundation. In a career spanning six decades at the United Nations, he held several senior positions including two terms as Secretary-General. There were high points such as the award of the Nobel Peace Prize as well as tragic events such as the Rwandan genocide and the Srebrenica massacre of Bosnian Muslims. But what were his biggest worries and did he have any regrets?

Image: Kofi Annan (Credit: Getty Images)

Outgoing Director, Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute - Bobby Duffy Aug 20, 2018

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Never before in the history of humankind have we had so much information, so many facts at our finger tips, and yet much of what we think we know is wrong. What on earth is going on? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Bobby Duffy, social scientist, opinion pollster and managing director of the Ipsos Mori Social Research Institute. How can we the people make informed decisions if we're not truly informed?

Imam, Oxford Islamic Congregation - Dr. Taj Hargey Aug 17, 2018

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A tiny proportion of Muslim women in Britain wear the burqa or niqab; forms of dress which keep the face partially of fully covered. Nonetheless, those women find themselves at the heart of a sometimes bitter argument about religion, values and tolerance in Western society. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the Islamic scholar and imam- Taj Hargey, who has long stirred controversy amongst fellow Muslims by condemning the burqa and demanding a new form of Islam. Will his ideas ever gain traction in the Muslim community?

Professor Mohammad Marandi – Tehran University, Iran Aug 15, 2018

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When Iran’s President Rouhani was convincingly re-elected last year, Iranians seemed hopeful their living standards might improve. However, inflation, poverty, water shortages and corruption are all things that appear to be getting worse. Now, Iran is again facing US sanctions after President Trump walked away from the nuclear deal with Tehran. Stephen Sackur speaks to Iranian political analyst and erstwhile nuclear talks adviser Mohamed Marandi. Is Iran on the brink of an economic and political crisis?

(Photo: Professor Mohamed Marandi)

Writer and Equality Campaigner - Vicky Beeching Aug 13, 2018

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The Christian religion is divided on issues of sexuality; not least the degree of acceptance and inclusion offered to gay men and women of faith. Amid the fierce theological arguments are stories of individuals torn between their faith and sexual orientation. Stephen Sackur speaks to Vicky Beeching, a popular Christian singer-songwriter, turned public advocate for LGBT rights, whose remarkable story has seen her described as one of the most influential Christians of her generation. Has she found peace after years of turmoil?

(Photo: Vicky Beeching in the Hardtalk studios)

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