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Former Prime Minister of Russia - Mikhail Kasyanov Nov 20, 2014

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Just how far is Vladimir Putin prepared to push, in his high stakes confrontation with the West over Ukraine? New allegations of Russian military incursions prompted Ukraine's president to talk of all-out war, and western leaders to threaten more sanctions. Hardtalk speaks to Mikhail Kasyanov, who was Russian prime minister in Putin's first presidential term, and is now a diehard opponent. Do most Russians remain confident their president knows what he is doing?

(Photo: Mikhail Kasyanov. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Tourism Minister, Zimbabwe - Walter Mzembi Nov 17, 2014

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Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe is 90 years old. His grip on power is still tight but it won’t last forever. In recent months the jostling for the succession has turned into a public punch-up - adding to the uncertainty in a country beset with political and economic problems. Hardtalk speaks to Zimbabwe's Tourism Minister, Walter Mzembi. He wants to put an end to his country's international isolation. How can that happen while the old guard remains in place?

(Photo: Walter Mzembi. Tourism Minister, Zimbabwe. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

President Syrian National Coalition - Hadi al-Bahra Nov 13, 2014

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With international focus firmly on the power of the so-called Islamic State, has there been a lack of attention on the Assad regime and the role that it has played in the Syrian crisis? What hope is there for Syrian opposition groups who have so far failed to win significant international support or build an effective anti-Assad coalition? Hardtalk speaks to Hadi al-Bahra, President of the Syrian National Coalition, about the situation on the ground and the mood of the people. With the strength of the so-called Islamic State dominating the headlines, has the international community turned its back on the Syrian opposition?

(Photo: Hadi al-Bahra, President of the Syrian National Coalition, speaks at a UN news briefing. Credit: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

Extra Time: Australian Rules Footballer - Adam Goodes Nov 10, 2014

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Extra Time is in Melbourne Australia and if there’s one sport which can uniquely claim to be home-grown it is Australian rules football, a high octane mixture of running, kicking and sometimes brutal mid-air collisions.

One of the game’s greatest players is Adam Goodes, who is much more than just a sportsman. He’s of Aboriginal heritage and is the 2014 Australian of the Year – an award recognising not only his sporting talent but his public stand against racism, which was epitomised in 2013 when during a match at the MCG a teenage girl called Goodes an ape. He had her kicked out of the stadium and not for the first time racism in sport and society was at the centre of national debate In Australia. Now as Adam Goodes nears the end of his sporting career is he about to enter a new one as a politician?

Former National Security Advisor of Iraq - Mowaffak al-Rubaie Nov 06, 2014

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Who can rescue Iraq and defeat the extremists of the self-proclaimed Islamic State? The militants have seized about a quarter of the territory of Iraq and there are near-daily reports of human rights abuses and deaths.

The crisis at the heart of the political leadership in Baghdad means a united Iraqi response has so far been lacking. Hardtalk speaks to Baghdad MP Mowaffak al-Rubaie - former national security adviser to Iraq.

Is the new Shia-led government under Prime Minister Abadi better able to combat the extremists?

Surgeon and Writer - Atul Gawande Nov 05, 2014

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When a dying person asks their doctor if he or she can do anything to help, is it easier for the doctor to provide a false hope than have a difficult conversation about how best to manage their last days? Hardtalk speaks to Atul Gawande, who wants to change the way doctors think - and talk - about death. It is a subject he covers in the BBC's annual Reith Lectures this year. He says doctors are good at addressing specific individual problems or diseases, but argues that the ultimate goal is not a good death but a good life - all the way to the very end.

(Photo: Atul Gawande. Credit: Tim Llewellyn/BBC)

Minister of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone - Abubakarr Fofanah Nov 03, 2014

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Is the world winning the war against ebola? The World Health Organisation describes it as the most severe acute public health emergency in modern times and reckons there could be ten thousand new cases each week in west Africa by December unless international efforts are stepped up to tackle its spread. Zeinab Badawi speaks to Dr Abu Bakkar Fofana, the health minister for Sierra Leone, one of the nations fighting ebola on the frontline. Is he gaining the upper hand over the spread of the disease?

Guitarist and Founder of Status Quo - Francis Rossi Oct 30, 2014

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Hardtalk’s Stephen Sackur talks to Francis Rossi, guitarist, singer and founder of the band Status Quo – one of the most popular and durable acts in the history of rock 'n' roll. He’s turned the old mantra “live fast, die young” on its head - he has lived fast and just kept on going. The music business has changed beyond all recognition in the last 40 years – how are Status Quo still rocking all over the world?

(Photo: Francis Rossi of Status Quo performs for TV show Gabalier: Die Volks-Rock'n'Roll-Show. Credit: Joerg Koch/Getty Images)

Nigerian Human Rights Activist - Shehu Sani Oct 29, 2014

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Days ago the Nigerian government announced a ceasefire deal with the militant group Boko Haram - officials predicted the imminent release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by the extremists last April. Now those words look depressingly premature.

What is going on with Nigeria's insurgency? Hardtalk speaks to Shehu Sani, a Nigerian human rights activist and sometime mediator with Boko Haram. How can the conflict which has cost thousands of Nigerian lives be ended?

(Photo: Shehu Sani. BBC copyright)

Mozilla Executive Chairwoman - Mitchell Baker Oct 27, 2014

Show notes

Many of us who use the internet for work and leisure come to feel that we couldn't live without it. The web opens up the world, but does it also harbour fundamental threats to our privacy, security or autonomy? Can we trust the tech companies who shape our relationship with the internet?

Hardtalk speaks to Mitchell Baker, a Silicon Valley pioneer, and boss of the not-for-profit Mozilla Corporation, best known for the Firefox web browser. Is her open-source collaborative model of web innovation being overwhelmed by the power of the profit motive?

Picture: Mitchell Baker, Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Hubert Burda Media

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