Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space: A new era of defence readiness

In post Soviet Russia, a small band of businessmen became unimaginably rich. These so-called oligarchs command assets worth billions of dollars, but their position isn’t without its perils in the era of Putin. Disloyalty to the Kremlin can have grave consequences. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire many times over, the architect of a vast business empire that currently faces significant economic and legal challenges. Is the politics of Russia proving to be bad for business?

24 Apr 201223min

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur is at the Globe Theatre in London - a magical recreation of the theatre where William Shakespeare honed his theatrical genius in the late sixteenth century. Over the next six weeks every one of Shakespeare’s 37 plays is going to be performed, in 37 different languages by theatre companies from all over the world. He speaks to actor Zoë Wanamaker, honorary president of the Globe which was built thanks to the tireless efforts of her father, the American actor and director, Sam Wanamaker, about Shakespeare, the stage and her family's artistic obsession.

23 Apr 201223min

The official Olympic creed says it’s not the winning that counts but the taking part. Try telling that to the elite professional athletes and their coaches who have dedicated their lives to the quest for a gold medal. With the London games now fewer than 100 days away HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Peter Keen, Performance Director for UK Sport. In Beijing four years ago, his strategies helped deliver a record medal haul for team GB - in London the aim is to do even better. But has the cult of winning gone too far?

20 Apr 201223min

In a programme first broadcast in 2012, Stephen Sackur speaks to FW de Klerk, South Africa's last apartheid-era leader and a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela.Photo: Former South African President FW de Klerk in Cape Town, South Africa, 2020 (Credit: Reuters)

18 Apr 201223min

From Syria, to Sri Lanka, to Russia, there are journalists ready to put themselves in harm's way to shine a light on some of the darkest corners of conflict, crime and corruption. What makes them do it? And what difference do they make? Stephen Sackur speaks to British photo journalist Paul Conroy who was wounded in the Syrian army's bombardment of the city of Homs last February which killed his Sunday Times colleague Marie Colvin. When, if ever, is telling the story worth risking your life?

16 Apr 201223min

Stephen Sackur speaks to perhaps the UK's most controversial police officer, a commander in London's Metropolitan Police and a convicted criminal. Ali Dizaei was born in Iran, studied law in London and became a high-flying spokesman for ethnic minority police officers in a London force dogged by accusations of racism. Ali Dizaei portrays himself as a victim; the courts decided he was a rogue cop. What does his rise and fall say about British policing?

11 Apr 201223min

Stephen Sackur speaks to one of Britain's finest writing talents, whose creativity defies a simple label. Yes, Michael Frayn is a renowned playwright whose work has ranged from high farce to cerebral intensity. But he's also an acclaimed novelist and an accomplished translator from the Russian of Chekhov and Tolstoy. Throughout his writing career he's mixed high seriousness with a wicked sense of the absurd. Is laughter an essential tool for the serious writer?

9 Apr 201223min

Should Iraq be doing more to end the bloodshed on its doorstep or does it have its own vested interest in keeping Syria's president Assad in power? While president Nouri Al-Maliki faces criticism for his stance on Syria and his closeness to Iran, the country remains gripped by a rise in sectarian violence. Hamid Al-Bayati represents Iraq at the United Nations. Tim Franks asks him just how much influence Iran has on Iraq's foreign policy.

6 Apr 201223min