The Interview

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Leader of the House of Commons, UK - Chris Grayling Jun 08, 2016

Show notes

Stephen Sackur talks to Chris Grayling, the Leader of the House of Commons in the UK and a senior figure in the campaign to leave the European Union. Any hopes that Britain's decision on whether to stay in or leave the EU would be calm, dispassionate and respectful have been well and truly dashed. In the run up to the referendum on 23 June, the the two camps are kicking lumps out of each other - and the fight is at its bloodiest inside the governing conservative party. Will this political war ultimately weaken Britain and Europe?

(Photo: Leader of the House of Commons, Chris Grayling, speaks during a Vote Leave press conference on 31 May 2016. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images)

England T20 Cricketer - Michael Yardy Jun 05, 2016

Show notes

Stephen Sackur talks to Michael Yardy, former top England one day cricketer and world cup winner in 2010, whose international career ended as a result of mental illness. Elite professional sport is a well-rewarded but unforgiving business. Top performers need a particular kind of mental strength. What happens when they lose it - when self-doubt and depression kick in? Why have so many cricketers suffered from mental torment?

(Photo: Michael Yardy of Sussex celebrates his century during the LV County Championship match between Lancashire and Sussex at Old Trafford, 2014. Credit: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

UK Ambassador to Lebanon (2011-2015) - Tom Fletcher Jun 03, 2016

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Stephen Sackur speaks to Tom Fletcher who was appointed British Ambassador to Lebanon at the tender age of 36. Five years on he has just written an operational review of the UK’s Foreign Office. What is the point of the modern day diplomat? Theirs is a world of fortified embassies, chauffeured limousines, and elaborate protocol, but in this globalised internet age, what kind of value do they add? Is diplomacy as we know it dead?

Former world champion boxer Chris Eubank May 30, 2016

Show notes

In March British boxer Nick Blackwell almost died after a bout with Chris Eubank junior. HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to Chris Eubank senior who now manages his son.

President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis May 27, 2016

Show notes

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur talks to the President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis. They used to call Costa Rica the Switzerland of Latin America; it seemed so much more stable, peaceful and prosperous than its neighbours. But now that image is fading as the country faces a budget crisis, endemic poverty, organised crime and corruption. President Solis came to power promising change, so what’s gone wrong?

Executive Director, IEA - Dr Fatih Birol May 25, 2016

Show notes

Stephen Sackur speaks to Dr Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency and one of the world's most influential observers of the global energy market. The price of oil has more than halved over the past two years. That's great news if you're an oil consumer but it's alarming if your priority is to wean the world’s economy off carbon emitting fossil fuels. Does cheap oil make decarbonising the world economy even more difficult?

(Photo: Dr Fatih Birol in the Hardtalk studio)

Deputy Prime Minister Libya, 2011-2012 - Dr Mustafa Abushagur May 20, 2016

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Stephen Sackur talks to Libyan politician Mustafa Abushagur, briefly prime minister in 2012 and a backer of the unity government. Over the last five years the Libyan state has been shattered into fragments - now it has a UN backed government committed to restoring unity. But the political scene remains confused and jihadists from Islamic state pose a continued threat. Is Libya beyond salvation?

(Photo: Dr Mustafa Abushagur in the Hardtalk studio)

British Labour Peer and Kindertransport Refugee - Lord Alf Dubs May 17, 2016

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Hardtalk presents a special programme recorded in front of an audience in the BBC’s Radio Theatre in Central London and a guest whose all consuming passion for this subject was forged in his childhood. Alfred Dubs, now Lord Dubs, arrived in Britain as a six-year-old fleeing Nazi persecution. He wants Britain to take more child refugees. What is Europe's responsibility to people fleeing conflict?

(Photo: Lord Dubs in the BBC's Radio Theatre)

Artist and Musician - Brian Eno May 16, 2016

Show notes

Stephen Sackur talks to Brian Eno, the hugely influential contemporary music maker once styled the ‘brainiest guy in pop’ – except the word ‘pop’ does not really fit. Briefly a member of Roxy Music in the early '70s, he then went his own way, creating ambient music, developing audio-visual installations and collaborating with a host of big names including Bowie, U2 and Coldplay. His output has been prolific and varied, but what is he? A musician, a composer, or an artist impossible to label?

(Photo: British musician and activist Brian Eno speaks at the the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25), 2016, Berlin. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Shadow Foreign Secretary, UK - Hilary Benn May 13, 2016

Show notes

After the British Labour Party suffered a crushing election defeat a year ago, the shell-shocked party took a dramatic turn to the left. New leader Jeremy Corbyn presented himself as the anti-austerity, anti-war antithesis of Tony Blair's new Labour. So, how is the Corbyn formula working? HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to Labour stalwart, shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn and asks, does Labour present a credible alternative to the Cameron government?

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