Georges Chikoti - Angolan Foreign Minister
The 10th anniversary of the end of Angola's devastating post-independence civil war is being marked in 2012. What a difference a decade makes. Angola is now one of Africa's powerhouse economies, enjoying growth that puts the West to shame, and exploiting China's insatiable demand for commodities, especially oil.Stephen Sackur speaks to Angola's foreign minister, Georges Chikoti. For Angola and Africa, this is an era of opportunity; will it be seized or squandered?
27 Feb 201223min
Yoweri Museveni - President of Uganda
Stephen Sackur speaks to the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, currently on a visit to London. He took power in Kampala at the head of a rebel army in 1986 and has delivered stability and economic progress in a country previously laid low by brutal dictatorship. But in recent years, he has faced questions about his commitment to democracy and human rights. When he took power, he said Uganda's - and Africa's - problem was leaders overstaying their time in power. Has he fallen into the same old trap?(Image: President of Uganda Yoweri K Museveni. Credit: Associated Press)
24 Feb 201223min
Eugenia Tymoshenko - Daughter of Yulia Tymoshenko
This summer Ukraine is co-hosting the European football championships, but don't be deceived by the sporting camaraderie - Ukraine's political relationship with the EU is in crisis. The most pressing dispute concerns Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister imprisoned for seven years after a trial dismissed as a political charade by many in the West. Stephen Sackur speaks to Yulia Tymoshenko's daughter, Eugenia. What does the Tymoshenko story say about Ukraine?
22 Feb 201223min
Fawzia Koofi
Some politicians claim that they would be willing to die for their beliefs. Fawzia Koofi is an Afghan politician who says that she expects to be killed."I am resigned to this fate", she says.She is currently an MP in the Afghan parliament and has been a prominent national figure since she was first elected in 2005. She has already survived several assassination attempts. So what, in that case, does she believe she can achieve in running for the presidency of her country in 2014? She talks to Tim Franks.
20 Feb 201223min
Sir Clive Woodward - Director of Sport, British Olympic Association
What's the key to world class sporting performance?Top coaches will tell you the biggest prizes don't necessarily go to the best natural athletes, but to those best prepared. Science, technology and psychology - all are used to gain a competitive edge. Stephen Sackur speaks to Sir Clive Woodward, coach of England's World Cup winning rugby team in 2003, and now performance director for the British Olympic team preparing for London 2012. Are sporting champions born or made?(image: Sir Clive Woodward. Credit: Getty Images)
17 Feb 201223min
Paul Volcker - Former US Federal Reserve chairman
Hardtalk is in the financial heart of New York City to meet one of the country’s most respected and enduring policy makers. Paul Volcker was chairman of the Federal Reserve in the Reagan years and in all he served five presidents, most recently advising the Obama administration in regulating the banks and engineering an economic recovery. America has lost its economic swagger; Stephen Sackur asks - can it get it back?
15 Feb 201223min
John McCain - US Senator
Can the Republican Party find a presidential candidate capable of turfing Barack Obama out of office? The battle to win the Republican nomination is proving to be protracted and brutal, and right now the main beneficiary appears to be the man currently occupying the White House. Senator John McCain is the Republican candidate who ran against Obama and lost four years ago. Is the struggle to find a convincing Presidential nominee indicative of a Republican Party that has lost its way?(Image: John McCain. Credit: Getty Images)
13 Feb 201223min
John Fahey - President, World Anti-Doping Agency
Anti-doping authorities in Britain will carry out more than 7,000 drugs tests on athletes at the London Olympics and Paralympics later this year, more than at any previous games. They're also warning potential cheats that the 2012 Games will be the 'riskiest yet' with a greater chance of them getting caught.But, despite the rhetoric, the British Olympic Association also faces the overturning of its lifetime Olympic ban for any athlete banned for more than six months for a doping offence. The World Anti-Doping Agency says the BOA's stance is not compliant with its code. What message does this send in an Olympic year, and what can WADA do to combat what it sees as the growing role of organised crime in the trafficking of performance enhancing drugs? Tim Franks speaks to WADA's President, John Fahey.
10 Feb 201223min
