The Interview

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Iraq Foreign Minister - Hoshyar Zebari Jul 24, 2013

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Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said he wanted to rehabilitate Iraq’s image after the fall of Saddam Hussein. But now sectarian violence in Iraq is arguably worse than ever and is overlapping with sectarianism in neighbouring Syria. The Shia-led government in Baghdad is accused of discriminating against the Sunni minority and of being too close to Iran. How can Hoshyar Zebari, himself an Iraqi Kurd, hope to have any coherent foreign policy, when his own country is in danger of slipping into civil war?

General Secretary of the GMB Union - Paul Kenny Jul 22, 2013

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Britain's Labour Party was created from the trade unions and it still gets most of its money from them. But Labour’s leader Ed Miliband - a man who owes his job to the union vote - now wants to loosen those ties. Hardtalk speaks to Paul Kenny, the leader of one of the UK's biggest unions, the GMB. He says Labour is in danger of losing 90% of his union's funding. So what would a change mean for the Labour Party, the unions and working class representation in Britain?

Photo: Paul Kenny (right) Credit: Getty Images

Prime Minister-Designate, Albania - Edi Rama Jul 19, 2013

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Albania is the single most corrupt country in Europe according to Transparency International. Hardtalk speaks to Edi Rama, who will become Albania's prime minister in September. A modern artist, he won international plaudits for transforming the capital Tirana when he was its mayor - not least by painting its grey buildings in bright colours. He's now promised a renaissance for the whole country. So can he succeed where previous politicians have failed?

(Photo: Edi Rama. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

UK Conservative MP - David Davis Jul 17, 2013

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David Davis has been a candidate for the leadership of the British Conservative party but he has also made a name for himself as a civil liberties campaigner - arguing against what is sometimes called the 'surveillance state'. So what does he make of the massive collection of data by the US National Security Agency and Britain’s GCHQ revealed by the American whistle-blower, Edward Snowden? In the years since the 9/11 attacks - have we got the balance wrong between liberty and security?

(Image: David Davis, Conservative MP at the 2005 Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool. Credit: Associated Press)

Chief Executive, Soho China - Zhang Xin Jul 15, 2013

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Zhang Xin is one of only 24 self-made female billionaires in the world. Her story is a true rags-to-riches tale. As a teenager she worked in a sweat-shop in her native China, by her twenties she worked for Goldman Sachs. Disillusioned by Wall Street, she returned to China to make her fortune in property development. But what kind of China did she return to - a country heading for economic problems or possibly an emerging democracy as well as an emerging super-power?

(Image: Pan Shiyi (L), chairman of Soho China, and Zhang Xin, chief executive officer of Soho China. Credit: Getty Images)

Mustafa Akyol and Dina Wahba Jul 12, 2013

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A year ago the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's creed looked like a winning political formula. Now the Islamists have been removed from power by the army and millions of Egyptians see that as a cause for celebration. Meanwhile, Turkey's moderate Islamist rulers have faced unprecedented mass protests - and in Tunisia political Islam is on the defensive. Stephen Sackur speaks to Turkish writer Mustafa Akyol and Egyptian feminist and political activist Dina Wahba. Is political Islam failing, if so why?

Greek Minister for Public Order - Nikos Dendias Jul 10, 2013

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Nikos Dendias, Greece’s minister for public order believes Greece has become the new gateway to Europe, receiving 90% of all illegal immigrants to the EU. He also says the Greek immigration problem may prove even greater than the financial one. How have the years of austerity impacted on Greek society and law and order?

(Image: Greek minister of public order and citizen protection, Nikolaos Dendias. Credit: Associated Press)

Afghanistan Minister of Finance - Dr Omar Zakhilwal Jul 05, 2013

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Afghanistan is a country that has huge natural resources. It is also one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Hardtalk is in Kabul to talk to Afghanistan’s finance minister Dr Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal. He has publically accused fellow MPs of corruption, and has had to defend himself against similar charges. There is money to be made in Afghanistan, but will the people who live there see any of it?

(Image: Afghan Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal (R) and Japan's Ambassador to Kabul, Reiichiro Takahashi (L). Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Head of the Afghan National Army - General Sher Mohammad Karimi Jul 03, 2013

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International Forces are pulling out of Afghanistan. By the end of next year they will be gone completely. HARDtalk is in Afghanistan to speak to the head of the Afghan National Army, Sher Mohammad Karimi. He and his troops now have the task of keeping the country safe from attacks. Does he think his men are up to the job?

(Image: General Sher Mohammad Karimi, head of the Afghan National Army. Credit: MoD/Crown copyright)

Black Sabbath Guitarist - Tony Iommi Jul 01, 2013

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Tony Iommi’s band is topping the charts again after 43 years. Black Sabbath are better known for the antics of on/off lead singer Ozzy Osborne than the skills of its guitarist. But Iommi is one of the original members of the band and has always remained with the band. Despite missing finger tips that can make playing painful, a rock'n'roll lifestyle lived to the full, and now cancer, the 'king of the heavy riff' is still recording and touring around his treatment. Shaun Ley asks, what keeps him playing?

(Image: Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath announcing their first new album in 33 years. Credit: Getty Images)