Brandi Carlile, singer-songwriter: I believe in the separation of church and state

National governments and security organisations are becoming increasingly preoccupied with the threat posed by the extremist group calling itself Islamic State, and what their response should be. Hardtalk travels to Brussels to speak to Turkey’s ambassador to Nato, Mehmet Fatih Ceylan. Turkey has been criticised for its failure to act against Islamic State, so is Ankara finally ready to confront the threat they pose?

24 Okt 201423min

President Obama is just where he didn't want to be - fighting another war in the Middle East. He promises that American troops will not be dragged back into Iraq, yet he portrays the confrontation with the group calling itself Islamic State as a generational struggle that has to be won. Hardtalk speaks to James Jeffrey, a former US ambassador in Turkey and Iraq. Is the Obama administration making the right calls in the Middle East?

21 Okt 201423min

Is there a new brand of violent extremism that is identifiably different from all forms of militancy that have gone before? The question is prompted by the shocking and self-publicised brutality of the group calling itself Islamic State. Boko Haram in Nigeria deserves mention in the same breath. These groups provoke worldwide revulsion, but is force the only possible response? Hardtalk speaks to Giandomenico Picco, the former UN envoy who risked his life to negotiate the release of western hostages in Lebanon.(Photo: Giandomenico Picco. BBC copyright)

20 Okt 201423min

Twenty-five years after the world’s most notorious wall came crashing down, Germany is Europe’s undisputed, dominant nation. This is a reflection of economic power but also of media power. Hardtalk is in Berlin to visit the headquarters of one of Europe’s most powerful publishing companies, Axel Springer. How does a traditional company thrive in the age of the internet?

17 Okt 201423min

Next month the international club of rich nations, the G20, will meet in Australia. For much of the past decade the host nation boasted one of the strongest economies in the developed world, but not anymore. Australia has been badly hit by falling commodity prices and China's economic slowdown. Hardtalk speaks to the country's Treasury Minister, Joe Hockey. Should Australians brace themselves for a prolonged period of economic pain?(Photo: Joe Hockey, Australian Treasurer and Chair of the G20 Finance Track, 2014. Credit: Drew Angerer/EPA)

15 Okt 201423min

A sense of gloom is hanging over Europe. Years of economic stagnation are at the heart of it, but there are other factors too - for example, the security challenge posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and also a rising tide of scepticism about the European Union itself amongst many on the continent. Hardtalk speaks to Alexander Stubb, the Prime Minister of Finland and one of the EU’s new young leaders. How does Europe rescue itself?(Photo: Prime Minister of Finland Alexander Stubb attends a press conference with French President Francois Hollande, 2014. Credit: AP)

13 Okt 201423min

The Middle East is in turmoil, beset by ethnic, religious and sectarian conflicts that together have created one of the gravest global humanitarian crises since World War II. And once again a US-led military coalition is dropping bombs in the region. Hardtalk speaks to David Miliband, a former British foreign secretary, now head of the US-based, International Rescue Committee. Given recent history, is there any reason to believe western intervention to end the killing and the suffering can work?Picture: David Miliband

10 Okt 201423min

The US led military operation against the so-called Islamic State organisation has raised a host of awkward questions. Is the makeshift coalition fighting a war, or mounting an anti-terror operation? What will victory look like, and how long will it take? Hardtalk speaks to General Lord Richards, who recently retired as Britain's top military chief. He has led military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Sierra Leone. What does he make of this latest one?(Photo: General Lord Richards)

8 Okt 201423min