Hardtalk

The grim threat of renewed conflict hangs over the Democratic Republic of Congo. An armed rebellion in the East - on the Rwandan border - has already forced hundreds of thousands to flee. The DRC army is in disarray and the Kinshasa government has been undermined by allegations of electoral fraud and corruption. Stephen Sackur talks to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raymond Tshibanda. What hope is there for the Democratic Republic of Congo?(Image: Democratic Republic of Congo's Minster for Foreign Affairs Raymond Tshibanda. Credit: JUNIOR D.KANNAH/AFP/GettyImages)

Tarek al-Hashimi is in a very strange position: he is Iraq's vice president but right now he is a de facto fugitive in Turkey. He is being tried in absentia on charges of sponsoring death squads inside Iraq. The conflict in Syria is fuelling sectarian tension across the Middle East. In neighbouring Iraq a political and security crisis has deepened in the last year. What hope is there for justice or peace in a region in the grip of sectarian strife?(Image: Iraq's Vice President Tarek al-Hashimi. Credit: AFP / Getty Images)

While some Arab states are actively funding the Syrian opposition, the West has publicly refused to provide arms. The US, in particular, has been criticised for its reluctance to get involved beyond talks and diplomacy. Brian Sayers is a lobbyist for a US-based non-profit organisation. The Syrian Support Group has been given the green light by the US Treasury to raise money for the Free Syrian Army despite the fears that the FSA might have links to extremist groups in the region. The Syrian Support Group insists that the money raised will not get into the wrong hands. How can they be sure?(Image: Brian Sayers)

Maajid Nawaz is a British born Muslim who became a radical Islamist. He was arrested and imprisoned in Hosni Mubarak's Egypt but when he emerged from prison he renounced his former views and launched a campaign to counter Islamist ideology. To some he's a truth teller, to others a traitor. Stephen Sackur asks him to explain his extraordinary transformation.

Stephen Sackur talks to Rob Davies, South Africa’s Minister for Trade and Industry.The labour unrest in South Africa’s platinum mines has claimed the lives of dozens and produced the kind of violence not seen since apartheid. The strike has driven up the cost of platinum prices and shaken investor confidence. It has also drawn the world’s attention to the low wages and poor working conditions of South Africa’s miners. Is the call to invest in Africa’s biggest economy being stifled by the rage against social and economic disparity?(Image: Rob Davies addressing the media at the TIME / FORTUNE / CNN Global Forum in June 2010. Credit: Getty Images)

Angélique Kidjo has been hailed as Africa's premier diva, known for her passionate voice and fierce determination to help African girls fulfil their potential. Three decades ago she left her home continent and became an international star. Stephen Sackur asks Kidjo how much Africa and its music scene has changed between then and now.(Image: Angelique Kidjo performing in 2010. Credit: AFP / Getty Images)

The expenses scandal tarnished those at the very heart of British democracy. Some politicians in the so-called Mother of Parliaments were shown to be greedy and a few criminal. A handful went to jail and one of those is the former Conservative peer and former leader of Essex County Council Lord Hanningfield. So why did he do it? Is there something fundamentally wrong with Britain's political culture and with those who go into politics? And what lessons can a lawmaker learn from prison?(Image: Lord Hanningfield)

Katya Adler speaks to Lord Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympics Association and Director of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. London 2012 has been a resounding success, applauded at home and abroad, but what can be done to ensure an enduring sporting legacy? British sports are celebrating their best collective performance in over a century. So now that the Games are over, why has Lord Moynihan submitted his resignation?(Image: Lord Colin Moynihan at a press conference in July 2012. Credit: David Davies / PA Wire)

Katya Adler speaks to Sharon Bowles, Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.The Eurozone crisis has been a test not only for Europe's politicians but also its institutions. The European Union's response to the economic turbulence in its midst has been criticised as too slow and ineffective. Sharon Bowles is at the heart of the EU’s decision-making process and has a big say in how new economic legislation is drafted - but will it work?(Image: Sharon Bowles. Credit: John Thys / AFP / Getty Images)

The United Nations had hoped that by 2015 every child would be able to go to primary school. But the last time they reported on progress to that goal, they said 69 million children were still not getting an education - most of those in sub-Saharan Africa. Michael Barber has advised governments around the world about education. He's now working for the international company Pearson. It recently announced it would invest millions in private schools for the world's poorest families. Is that the right way to tackle the problem or could it undermine what governments are trying to do?

London's reputation as a global financial centre has been tarnished yet again. This time another British bank Standard Chartered, stands accused of irregularities. New York's top financial regulator claims the bank carried out $240 billion dollars of illegal transactions with Iran over the past decade. The bank refutes the claim. This latest case follows on the heels of other scandals in the City of London. Moves are underway to tighten international banking regulation. So where does the problem lie? Zeinab Badawi talks to Mark Carney, who is in charge of steering these new rules as Chairman of the Financial Stability Board for the G20 Leading economies. He's also Governor of Canada's Central Bank.(Image: Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney. Credit: REUTERS/Chris Wattie)

As another wave of financial fear sweeps through the Eurozone, with Spain seemingly staggering towards a bail out and Italy not far behind, the voices of the continents Eurosceptics grow louder. Most prominent among them is Nigel Farage, leader of the UK independence party and self-styled scourge of the EU establishment in his role as a member of the European Parliament. In Europe's crisis he sees political opportunity; but is he playing with fire?(Image: Nigel Farage)

Zeinab Badawi talks to Amos Gilad, Policy Director at the Israeli Ministry of Defence. Is the Arab Spring a blessing or a disaster for Israel?Upheaval in the Arab world, especially in Syria, means political realities are still evolving in the Middle East. For years Israel has seen itself as living in a hostile neighbourhood, its borders tense and prone to bouts of violence. Hamas rules in Gaza and the peace process with the Palestinian Authority is going nowhere. And then there's Iran - neither an Arab nation nor a neighbour, but a powerful backer of Syria's government in the current turmoil. And for Israeli military planners, a potential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran is probably their biggest pre-occupation.(Image: Amos Gilad)

Sheikh Hasina has been Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the last three and a half years. It’s her second term in office and throughout her time at the top she’s attracted controversy and criticism in equal measure. Bangladesh is densely populated, desperately poor and riven with corruption and political violence. Back in 2009 Sheikh Hasina vowed to clean up government and heal the country’s divisions. So what’s gone wrong?(Image: Sheikh Hasina. Credit: Getty Images)

At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 a diminutive Moroccan runner named Nawal El Moutawakel won the 400 metres hurdles and so became the first Arab and Muslim woman to win Olympic gold. She says her victory changed her life forever and propelled her towards a career in sports administration and as a passionate advocate of women in sport, especially in the Islamic world. She's now an influential member of the International Olympic Committee. With current IOC president Jacques Rogge due to step down next year, could she be in line to succeed him? Nawal El Moutawakel talks to Rob Bonnet.(Image: Nawal El Moutawakel in 2010. Credit: Getty Images)

Six of the world's ten fastest growing economies are in Sub- Saharan Africa. The World Bank predicts a decade of African growth which Europe can only dream of, but how realistic is the excitable talk of economic transformation in the world’s poorest continent? Stephen Sackur speaks to Arnold Ekpe, CEO of Ecobank, which boasts eight million customers across 32 Sub-Saharan nations. As economic opportunity beckons, are Africans ready to seize it?

More than 10,000 athletes are about to compete at the London Olympics. The spotlight will certainly be on them but one former champion, Jonathan Edwards, will take a particular interest. He won Olympic gold in the triple jump and his world record in the event has stood secure for 17 years. On present form no triple jumper to compete in London looks close to breaking it. He was also part of London's bid when the city was awarded the Games in 2005. Now he's the athletes' representative on the Games organising committee overseeing preparations for the athletes. London is almost at the start line but what did it take to get this far? Jonathan Edwards talks to Rob Bonnet.(Image: Jonathan Edwards. Credit: AP Photo/Herbert Knosowski)

Baaba Maal is maintaining a West African tradition: he is an internationally renowned musician with a strong political voice, like Fela Kuti and Youssou N'Dour before him. His campaigning touches on sensitive subjects, from women's rights to HIV and climate change. Africa is currently a jarring mix of rapid economic growth and life-threatening poverty. As the continent changes, is the music changing too?(Image: Baaba Maal performing. Credit: Getty Images)

Stephen Sackur speaks to the renowned Harvard academic James Robinson. In a recent book, written together with Daron Acemoglu, he tries to answer one of the most basic questions of global economics and politics: why do some nations thrive while others fail? What does Norway have that Mali lacks? There are of course multiple answers based on physical geography, resources and cultural differences, but James Robinson is adamant one factor determines economic success much more than all others: the development of resilient, inclusive political institutions. Put crudely, the idea is political freedom begets prosperity - but is that always true?(Image: James Robinson)

Stephen Sackur speaks to a scientist of rare distinction. Jocelyn Bell Burnell was a key member of the team which discovered pulsars and neutron stars in the late 1960s. She became one of the world’s most renowned astrophysicists - remarkable for the originality of her research, but also for being one of the few prominent women in her discipline. Throughout her career she's blazed a trail for women in a predominantly male world. Why are there so few women at science's top table?Image: Jocelyn Bell Burnell