The Interview

Should anything be off limits in comedy? It's meant to be subversive. It finds laughter in dark and difficult places, but when comedy goes wrong things can get ugly. Stephen Sackur speaks to Kathy Griffin, an American stand-up comedian probably best known for being pictured last May holding President Trump's severed head in her hand. The Trump head was fake, but the outrage was real - from the President, the TV network which fired her, the FBI which investigated her and the public which heaped abuse on her. What was - and is - Kathy Griffin thinking?(Photo: Kathy Griffin at a press conference at The Bloom Firm, 2017. Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

15 Nov 201723min

There's neither blood nor tanks on the streets of Riyadh, but what has happened in Saudi Arabia in recent days represents a revolution of sorts. King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed have launched a purge of princes, ministers and potential rivals - part of a grand plan to entrench their power and transform the country. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Saudi journalist, commentator and current political exile Jamal Khashoggi. Is the Saudi drama about raw power or real reform?

13 Nov 201723min

Authority is a priceless commodity in politics. It's not easily measured, but when a Prime Minister loses it then governing becomes a perilous task. So it may be in Britain today - Theresa May has lost two cabinet ministers in a week, with her own team divided over Brexit and seemingly unsure about its core message. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the increasingly influential Conservative MP and staunch Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg. Can the Tories get out of the hole they're in?

10 Nov 201723min

David McAllister is a political ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. Germany is Europe's pre-eminent power, but how will Berlin use that power over the next decade? The composition of the country's next governing coalition has yet to be decided, and there are strategic uncertainties too. How far does Berlin want to push EU integration, and how wide could transatlantic differences become?(Photo: David McAllister speaks at the annual CDU party congress 2014 in Cologne, Germany. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

8 Nov 201723min

How significant will President Trump’s U-turns on Obama-era agreements prove to be? Stephen Sackur speaks to Ernest Moniz, Energy Secretary in the Obama Administration and a key figure in two landmark commitments - the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate change accord.

6 Nov 201723min

Have the secessionists scored a massive own goal? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Alfred Bosch of the Republican Left of Catalonia party. Far from settling anything, the Catalan regional government’s recent declaration of independence has deepened the uncertainty and confusion in Catalonia. Madrid has placed the region under direct rule, with the leaders of the ousted administration in Barcelona facing charges and trial. New elections are to be held in December. Alfred Bosch is a senior figure in the Republican Left of Catalonia party which was part of the independence coalition.

3 Nov 201723min

Over the past 25 years Zambia has been a positive example of stable, relatively free and democratic governance in Africa. But that cherished status has been jeopardised recently with the country witnessing a disputed election, political violence, a state of emergency and the imprisonment of Zambian opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema. He was freed last August, but still refuses to accept the legitimacy of last year’s election. Is he destabilising Zambia?(Photo: Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema waves at his supporters. Credit: Dawood Salim/AFP)

1 Nov 201723min

Does the daughter of Martin Luther King believe racism is on the rise again in the US? Hardtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to Bernice King, CEO of The King Center and the youngest of Martin Luther King's four children. They are in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the most picturesque cities in the American South – yet one that holds an ugly truth. It was the main port for the slave trade; around half of the Africans brought to the United States passed though there. The fight for freedom and justice has been long and bloody. One of the most iconic figures of that struggle was the black civil rights leader Martin Luther King. It is nearly 50 years since he was assassinated in April 1968. (Photo: Bernice King attends Rosa Parks Library Museum, Alabama, 2015. Credit: Jason Davis/Getty Images)

30 Okt 201723min