Head of the Afghan National Army - General Sher Mohammad Karimi
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)
3 Jul 201323min
Black Sabbath Guitarist - Tony Iommi
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)
1 Jul 201323min
Chief Justice of South Africa - Mogoeng Mogoeng
Since the end of apartheid almost 20 years ago South Africa's constitution has become one of the most admired in the world - progressive, transformative, guaranteeing equality and human rights. But despite the great strides the country has made the reality is failing to live up to the promise. The legal system which guarantees the constitution has itself come under fire -- from within the government, from the opposition, and from some human rights groups. The buck stops with South Africa's Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.(Image: South African President Jacob Zuma (left) poses with new Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
27 Jun 201323min
Sergei Guriev – Russian Economist
Sergei Guriev is one of modern Russia's best and brightest economists. Well connected to the new Russian political elite, Guriev was a strong voice for economic liberalisation and is a Russian patriot. So why, earlier this year, did he choose - as so many talented Russians have in the past - to go into exile? And what does Guriev's extraordinary story tell us about the true face of Vladimir Putin's Russia?(Image: Sergei Guriev (left) attends a meeting with premier Dmitry Medvedev (right) in Moscow. Credit: Associated Press)
26 Jun 201323min
Michael Sandel – Political Philosopher
Tim Franks speaks to Michael Sandel, a philosopher with the global profile of a rock star. His argument that markets are increasingly entering all parts of life and are becoming more and more destructive, has won him a worldwide following. But are commercial interests and financial incentives really that much more intrusive these days? If so, how do you draw up the rules for the moral limits of markets?
25 Jun 201323min
Mehmet Simsek - Finance Minister, Turkey
Following the response to the anti-government demonstrations, critics at home and abroad are pointing to an increasingly authoritarian style of political leadership in Turkey. Why have protests erupted across the country like never before under the ruling AK party? And did the initial crackdown by the security forces actually strengthen the protesters? Zeinab Badawi is in Ankara to speak to Turkey’s finance minister, Mehmet Simsek.(Image: Mehmet Simsek, Credit: Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images)
24 Jun 201323min
Ayad Allawi – Former Prime Minister of Iraq
More than a thousand people were killed in violence in Iraq last month according to the United Nations. The country appears to be dividing along religious lines, not helped by its neighbour Syria's descent into civil war. Sarah Montague talks to Ayad Allawi, the country's first Prime Minister after Saddam Hussein. He has accused the current Prime Minister, Nouri Al Maliki, of turning into a dictator. So what hope is there now for keeping the peace in Iraq?(Image: Ayad Allawi, former prime minister of Iraq. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
19 Jun 201323min
Martin Amis – Author
Stephen Sackur speaks to Martin Amis, an author who was pigeon-holed early in his career as the ‘enfant terrible’ of the British literary world. Four decades on, he remains one of the most successful and closely scrutinised novelists of his generation. His books are filled with greed, lust, addiction and ignorance, and yet, he suggests he writes in a celebratory spirit. So, what exactly is he celebrating?
16 Jun 201323min
