Vanessa Neumann: Did Venezuela's opposition miss their chance?
Eighteen months ago, Venezuela seemed to be on the brink of political upheaval. The leader of the National Assembly declared himself president, and 50 countries offered him official recognition. But the ruling party has not been toppled. Nicolás Maduro is still in the presidential palace, overseeing a country deep in economic and healthcare crisis. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Vanessa Neumann, London envoy of the would-be president Juan Guaidó. Did the Venezuelan opposition blow their chance?
7 Aug 202022min
Sir Jeremy Farrar: 'I do believe there will be a vaccine' in 2020 and 2021
Amid the talk of spikes and second waves one thing is clear – people predicting an early end to the coronavirus pandemic are indulging in wishful thinking. Can we find a way of living with Covid-19 that respects the science while mitigating the damage being done to our economic and social lives? Stephen Sackur speaks to Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and a key scientific adviser to the UK government. How dangerous is the moment we’re in?(Photo: Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust)
5 Aug 202022min
Leader of Ireland's Sinn Fein party Mary Lou McDonald
Last February the talk in Ireland was of a political earthquake. The nationalist party Sinn Féin won the most votes in the general election and promised to smash the status quo. Well, so much for that. Ireland’s two old established political parties instead formed a grand coalition and are steering the country through the Covid-19 crisis and Brexit. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Féin. Has her party missed its moment?Photo: Mary Lou McDonald Credit: PA
31 Jul 202022min
Angus Deaton: The cost of the 'deaths of despair'
How do we judge the health of our economic systems? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the Nobel Prize winning economist Sir Angus Deaton who believes it’s about much more than the headline numbers on jobs and growth. He has focused on what he calls the deaths of despair – those attributed to suicide, drug and alcohol abuse – and concludes American capitalism is sick. Now, of course, coronavirus is having its own impact on mortality data. Does capitalism itself need emergency surgery?Photo: 2015 Nobel Prize winner in Economics Angus Deaton Credit: AFP
29 Jul 202022min
Gloria Allred: Epstein victim lawyer
HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to the veteran lawyer Gloria Allred. She is among the most famous attorneys in the US and her firm handles more women's rights cases than any other in America. For more than four decades her name has been synonymous with feminist causes. She is currently representing victims of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. What motivates her and how much has her work brought about real change in America?
23 Jul 202024min
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: 'No-one will be safe until everyone is safe'
If Covid-19 spreads across Africa, it could be a catastrophe. Its health systems are already under strain and could buckle under more pressure. Lockdowns have badly affected local economies and pushed millions into poverty. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the chair of GAVI, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. She's also a Covid-19 envoy for the African Union. As the world races to find a vaccine, how will she ensure lower income countries don't get forgotten?(Photo: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Credit: AFP)
22 Jul 202022min
Adam Goodes: How racism drove him from Australian Rules football
Nowhere has the symbolic power of the Black Lives Matter movement been more evident than in the sports arena. All too often racism undermines the notion of a level playing field. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to an athlete who made a stand. Adam Goodes was a star player in Aussie Rules football. One of the greatest ever players of Aboriginal descent, he quit the game after years of racist abuse. What lessons can Australia and the wider world learn from his experience?
20 Jul 202022min
Husam Zomlot: How could Palestine respond to annexation?
It’s not clear when, or even if, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to deliver on his promise to annex a large chunk of the occupied West Bank. It’s even less clear what the Palestinian strategy will be if it happens. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the Palestinian ambassador in London, Husam Zomlot. With the conflict at a turning point, does the Palestinian leadership have the vision, imagination and credibility to mount an effective response?
16 Jul 202023min
