The Interview

In the midst of war or natural disaster humanitarian aid can make the difference between life and death. But according to influential critics it can also exacerbate conflict, offer succour to tyrants and foster dangerous dependency. Stephen Sackur talks to Sir John Holmes who was the UN's Emergency Relief Co-ordinator during crises in Sudan, Sri Lanka and Haiti. Today the emergency response is focused on Syria, but the question remains the same; does humanitarian aid work for those who need it most?(Image: John Holmes listens to Manila residents displaced by devastating floods in 2009, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

10 Apr 201323min

For more than a decade Kosovo has been struggling to emerge from a political and diplomatic twilight zone. It is a fledgling state lacking universal recognition. At the heart of Kosovo's problem is a still bitter and dysfunctional relationship with Serbia - until their feud ends neither will be welcomed into the European family of nations. Stephen Sackur talks to Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister Mimoza Kusari-Lila. Are Kosovans ready to reach out to Belgrade?(Image: Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Credit: Getty Images)

8 Apr 201323min

For years, the UK's relationship with Zimbabwe has been characterised by deep mutual suspicion. But things are beginning to change - the Zimbabwean people have just approved a constitution and the EU has eased its sanctions regime. Stephen Sackur talks to Zimbabwe's justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, a close political ally of Robert Mugabe. His very presence in London is a sign of the new dynamic in Zimbabwe. But are the country's troubles really over?

5 Apr 201323min

Stephen Sackur speaks to Daniel Dennett, a philosopher who applies Darwinian evolutionary theory not just to species, but to ideas and religious beliefs. Dennett believes religion has outlived its usefulness, hampers rational thought and damages our species. Along with Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens, Dennett is seen as a founding father of the new atheism. But do humans want to live in a world where atheism rules and religion is dead?(Image: Daniel Dennett, Credit: Steven J Eliopoulos, www.GravityBoston.com)

1 Apr 201323min

What could and should the outside world be doing as Syria sinks ever deeper into civil war? Has inertia and division within the international community condemned Syria to a slow and agonising collapse? Hardtalk speaks to Norwegian general Robert Mood, who led the ill-fated UN supervision mission in Syria last year. What went wrong then, and do the Syrian people deserve better from the world's major powers now?(Image: Major General Robert Mood in a crowd in Syria, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

29 Mar 201323min

Ivory Coast was once one of west Africa's economic powerhouses. Today, the world's biggest cocoa producer is trying to recover from the conflict that tore the country apart. Following elections in late 2010 the incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to admit defeat to his opponent, Alassane Ouattara. After a period of violence in which thousands of Ivorians were killed, Gbagbo is now awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. As president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara has the task of uniting a divided country. His critics accuse him of presiding over a victor's justice and letting off supporters of his who are suspected of crimes. Are they right?(Image: Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara. Credit: REUTERS/Luc Gnago)

27 Mar 201323min

Are you an optimist or a pessimist when it comes to the future of human civilisation? Your response may be determined by where you live. In the West, beset by economic stagnation, many see reasons to be fearful. In Asia and Africa prosperity and confidence are on the rise. Stephen Sackur speaks to Kishore Mahbubani, former diplomat turned provocative thinker on globalisation. He sees a world increasingly united by economics, ideas and aspirations. But is that more than just wishful thinking?(Image: Kishore Mahbubani. Credit: Getty Images)

25 Mar 201323min

Stephen Sackur speaks to Welsh rugby legend, Gareth Thomas. He confronted one of the last great taboos in professional sport by publically revealing his homosexuality, while still playing at the top level. His honesty won him admiration within and far beyond the world of rugby, but has he changed anything for other gay sportsmen? And what other awkward truths lie behind the public mask donned by sport's elite performers?(Image: Gareth Thomas. Credit: Phil Cole/Getty Images)

22 Mar 201323min