Author and explorer - Sir Ranulph Fiennes

In December 2013 South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, became engulfed in a civil conflict which has claimed thousands of lives and prompted fears it could lead to genocide. A fragile ceasefire was agreed just over a week ago between the government of President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar, who has led the rebel forces, but will it hold? In a Hardtalk exclusive, Stephen Sackur talks to President Salva Kiir in Juba.(Photo: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir sits after he signed a peace agreement with rebel leader Riek Machar. Credit: Reuters)

21 Touko 201423min

What can Western nations like the US do to stop Ukraine from breaking up or falling into civil conflict? Hardtalk is at the US Embassy in London to speak to Victoria Nuland, US Assistant Secretary of State. Now that pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine claim they have voted for independence, is Washington powerless to prevent further disintegration?

19 Touko 201423min

Zimbabwe's fortunes have for three decades been tied to one man - President Robert Mugabe. Now, once again, Zimbabwe is staring economic catastrophe in the face, less than a year after the ruling Zanu PF won another term in power. State coffers are virtually empty and potential investors are being scared away by seizures of land and foreign owned assets. Hardtalk speaks to Supa Mandiwanzira, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Information Minister. How does he justify being part of a government that is accused of cronyism, rigging elections and of squandering public funds for the benefit of an elite, whilst impoverishing the many?

16 Touko 201423min

In December 2013 South Sudan became engulfed in a civil conflict which has claimed thousands of lives and prompted fears it could lead to genocide. A ceasefire has been agreed between the government of President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar, who has led the rebel forces, but the agreement is already looking shaky. Stephen Sackur talks to Riek Machar in Addis Ababa.(Photo: Riek Machar. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

14 Touko 201423min

Belarus is Europe's last old-fashioned dictatorship - a country where political dissent gets you beaten up and locked up. Hardtalk speaks to one Belarussian who has refused to be cowed by President Lukashenko's iron fist. Natalia Kaliada co-founded the Belarus Free Theatre almost a decade ago. Directors, actors, even the audience have all faced arrest and imprisonment, but still their shows go on. Is drama an effective tool of resistance?(Photo: Natalia Kaliada)

12 Touko 201423min

Nigeria's century has been described as "100 years of trauma". This is no more apparent than in the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls by a militant Islamist group that perceives learning as an alien imposition by Christians and Europeans. Wole Soyinka is Nigeria's most prominent writer, the first African to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature. Persecuted by past governments for his commitment to democracy, what does he make of how Nigeria has stood up to the pressures of insurgency, the temptations of oil wealth and the corruption critics say is endemic. Does a state that cannot even guarantee the safety of its children have a future?

9 Touko 201423min

Whoever dubbed Australia the lucky country was on to something - this vast, resource-rich nation has outperformed other rich world economies over the past decade. But Australia does not seem entirely at ease with itself or its Asian neighbours. Why? Hardtalk speaks to Malcolm Turnbull, communications minister in Tony Abbott’s right-of-centre Australian Government. Is Australia in danger of alienating friends and partners?

7 Touko 201423min

What if we lived in a radically different world? An internet driven, smart world where individuals and communities generate their own free energy, produce and share the things they need and build an economy defined by collaboration, not competition. Hardtalk speaks to economist and author, Jeremy Rifkin. For him, this is no utopian fantasy - it is the unfolding story of the next century. Are we really entering the post-capitalist age?(Photo: US economist Jeremy Rifkin, author of the book 'The Third Industrial Revolution. Credit: Philippe Huguena/AFP/Getty Images)

5 Touko 201423min