The Interview

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Chairman of Israeli Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee - Avi Dichter Oct 07, 2016

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Stephen Sackur speaks to Avi Dichter, Chair of Israel's Foreign Affairs & Defence Committee. Think of Israel's turbulent history since the 1967 war and you might think first of the political leaders, Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other crucial figures in Israel's story spent more time in the shadows, like Avi Dichter, who was head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service from 2000 to 2005. Only later did he enter politics and is now a parliamentary ally of prime minister Netanyahu. How does this gatekeeper of Israel’s security see his country's future?

Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment - Okechukwu Enelamah Oct 05, 2016

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Shaun Ley speaks to Okechukwu Enelamah, Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment. Nigeria's economy is contracting for the first time in 25 years. The north-east is threatened by famine and President Buhari has promised renewed efforts to tackle the 'cancer' of corruption. Okechukwu Enelamah wants to break his country's dependence on oil. But with foreign investors pulling out and blaming hostile policies, has Nigeria left it all too late?

(Photo: Okechukwu Enelamah, Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment)

Meat Loaf: A rule-breaking rock legend Oct 03, 2016

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In an interview recorded in 2016, Stephen Sackur speaks to Meat Loaf, a rock'n'roll legend who broke the rules of the music business. He was never cool, never a pin-up, but his songs and performances have always been much larger than life. Meat Loaf shot to fame four decades ago with Bat out of Hell, an album which became one of the biggest sellers of all time. Since then his career - in music and acting - has been a crazy mix of highs and lows. How close did he get to self-destruction?

(Photo: Musician and actor Meat Loaf. Credit: Getty Images)

Turkish author Ece Temelkuran Sep 29, 2016

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HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Turkish author, Ece Temelkuran. Two months ago Turkey's elected Government managed to survive a botched military coup. A triumph for democracy? Not necessarily - not if you regard freedom of expression and an independent judiciary as prerequisites of a genuine democracy. Thousands of judges, journalists and civil servants have been locked up or sacked since the coup. Ece Temelkuran is a prominent author and journalist who knows how difficult it can be to speak out in Erdogan's Turkey. Is silence the only option?

President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party - Sam Rainsy Sep 28, 2016

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Sarah Montague speaks to the President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, Sam Rainsy. The UN, US and Europe all say they are worried about what is going on in Cambodia. More than a dozen opposition figures are in prison, the party's vice president has not left their headquarters in four months for fear of being arrested, and the opposition leader Sam Rainsy fled the country to avoid jail. They want to replace Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than 30 years and whom they claim has rigged past elections. They have threatened mass demonstrations if the intimidation continues. But can their leader make a difference to life in Cambodia when he is in self-imposed exile in Europe?

(Photo: Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy, 2014. Credit: Tang Chin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images)

Chairman of the European Parliament's EPP Group - Manfred Weber MEP Sep 23, 2016

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Manfred Weber is an MEP for Germany's Christian Social Union and leader of the largest political group in the European Parliament, the EPP. German voters have made it clear they are unhappy with their Chancellor Angela Merkel. In two regional elections this month her conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union, suffered a humiliating defeat. The EPP isn't happy with her either, warning of a split unless she changes policy on immigration. Is this the end for Angela Merkel? And what effect has her refugee policy had on the way Germany will be governed?

Former leader, UK Independence Party - Nigel Farage Sep 21, 2016

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Stephen Sackur speaks to Nigel Farage, former leader of the UK Independence Party. For the foreseeable future British politics is going to be dominated by one issue - Brexit. What will our future relationship with the EU look like and how will it affect Britain's political and economic future?

(Photo: Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), 2015, London. Credit: Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

UK Deputy Prime Minister, 2010 - 2015 - Nick Clegg Sep 19, 2016

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Stephen Sackur speaks to Nick Clegg, former UK Deputy Prime Minister. Elected Politicians tend to lose their grip on power and prestige with brutal speed. For Five years Nick Clegg was Britain's Deputy Prime minister, the Liberal Democrat who entered a coalition with the conservatives and gave his party its first real taste of power in generations. And then came the 2015 general election. His party was annihilated. He took much of the blame. His brand of liberal, pro-European politics now looks like badly damaged goods. Is there anyone to blame but himself?

(Photo: Former leader Nick Clegg speaks at the Liberal Democrats annual conference 2015, Bournemouth, England. Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Member of Hong Kong's Legislative Council - Nathan Law Sep 16, 2016

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Remember the pro-democracy umbrella protests in Hong Kong a couple of years ago? They ended up as something of a damp squib, but the young leaders of the movement haven’t disappeared. Nathan Law has just won a seat in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council and he's at the head of a so-called localist movement demanding a referendum on self-determination for the territory. Will Beijing try to silence Nathan Law?

Former UBS trader - Kweku Adoboli Sep 14, 2016

Show notes

Dubbed the biggest rogue trader in British history, Kweku Adoboli ran up $2.3bn of losses for the Swiss bank UBS. He has spent four years in prison for fraud and now faces possible deportation from Britain back to Ghana. He maintains he was not motivated by greed but that the system put unbearable pressures on him to make big returns. He warns that the culture of the banking industry has not changed very much which means it could easily happen again.

(Photo: Kweku Adoboli arrives at Southwark Crown Court on 20 September 2012 in London. Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

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