Simon Cheng: 'We need to fight for democracy in Hong Kong and China'

Imagine life without ageing. You could live for hundreds of years with the mental and physical attributes of your 25-year-old self. Would you be tempted? Hardtalk speaks to a scientist and futurologist who believes it is a proposition that 21st Century biotechnology will soon be able to deliver. Aubrey de Grey's Californian research foundation is spending millions of dollars in a bid to conquer the ageing process. Is his vision inspiring, daft, or downright dangerous?

23 Juni 201423min

Low cost airlines have revolutionised the European aviation business over the past 25 years - offering cheap flights, no frills and a service sometimes to be endured rather than enjoyed. How much further can the budget airlines grow? Hardtalk speaks to Carolyn McCall, the CEO of easyJet, which carries more international passengers than Lufthansa, British Airways or Emirates. Is flying always going to be this affordable and accessible?(Photo: Chief Executive Officer of easyJet Carolyn McCall. Credit: Reuters)

18 Juni 201423min

Hardtalk is in the gallery district of London’s West End to meet one of the most successful and controversial fashion and celebrity photographers of the last 30 years - David LaChapelle. His story revolves around sex, drugs and provocative pictures. He has the ability to shock and offend, but does his work go deeper?

16 Juni 201423min

The UK Independence Party topped the UK polls in the recent European elections putting pressure on the Conservative and Labour Parties to reconsider their position on immigration and the UK’s relationship with the EU ahead of the 2015 general election. Hardtalk speaks to veteran Labour MP, Jack Straw, who held successive senior positions in government between 1997 and 2010. Is the Labour Party under Ed Miliband in tune with voters and capable of winning next year’s general election?(Photo: Veteran Labour MP Jack Straw)

11 Juni 201423min

How should we make sense of Nigeria's 21st Century identity? Newly anointed as Africa's number one economy, it is an oil-rich emerging power. But it is also beset by corruption, poor governance and a wave of internal conflict that could threaten the very unity of the state. Hardtalk speaks to the highly acclaimed Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Her fiction explores her country's troubled past and current challenges. How does this writer see Nigeria's story unfolding?(Photo: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author shortlisted for the Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction 2014. Credit: AP)

9 Juni 201423min

It took the abduction of more than 200 school girls to focus international attention on the appalling level of violence and insecurity in north-eastern Nigeria. The brutal conflict between the Islamist militant group Boko Haram and government security forces has killed thousands. Hardtalk speaks to Doyin Okupe, a senior adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan. Are Nigeria's leaders capable of rescuing their country?(Photo: Doyin Okupe)

4 Juni 201423min

Dr Kizza Besigye is a former ally of Uganda’s President Museveni who has become his biggest critic and the country’s best known opposition figure. As the former leader of the main opposition party – the Forum for Democratic Change – he has run three times against President Museveni in elections and lost each time. He has called for popular protests in Uganda like the ones that lead to the uprisings of the Arab Spring. So why has he failed to mobilise public opinion behind him?(Photo: Ugandan opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye. Credit: Marc Hofer/AFP/Getty Images)

2 Juni 201423min

How far can Vladimir Putin push his iron-fist foreign policy? Crimea is his, but Russia's next move in eastern Ukraine is much less clear cut, as is the extent of the Kremlin's neo-imperialist ambition. Hardtalk speaks to Sergei Karaganov - one of Russia's most influential foreign policy thinkers and until recently, an advisor to President Putin. Is restoring Russian greatness a coherent strategy?Picture: Professor Sergey Karaganov, Credit: BBC

30 Maj 201423min