Mike Pence: US will soon get deserving government

There are writers of world renown whose reputation rests on one great book. There are others who write more prolifically but always in the same territory. And then there's Margaret Atwood whose output fizzes with energy, diversity and experimentation. She is best known for her novels, the Handmaids Tale, the Blind Assassin, Oryx and crake. But she has also written poetry, blog fiction and this year a superhero comic book. She has a worldwide legion of fans. So what keeps her creative juices flowing?(Photo: Author Margaret Atwood at the 18th Annual LA Times Festival Of Books 2013. Credit: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images)

14 Okt 201623min

The Influential Conservative tax campaigner Grover Norquist talks to Stephen Sackur. Why does he think Donald Trump's policies will help him win the race for the White House?

12 Okt 201623min

Stephen Sackur speaks to South African satirist, Pieter-Dirk Uys. Leaders who routinely abuse their power cannot stand to be laughed at. Satire is a potent political weapon. That is a truth Pieter-Dirk Uys has exploited for 40 years. He styles himself as "the most famous white woman in South Africa." Thanks to his alter ego Auntie Evita - a character he created to poke fun at the white Afrikaner establishment during the apartheid era, and which he now uses to lampoon Jacob Zuma and the ANC. But are there dangers in playing South Africa's recent history for laughs?(Photo: South African satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys in the Hardtalk studio)

10 Okt 201623min

Stephen Sackur speaks to Avi Dichter, Chair of Israel's Foreign Affairs & Defence Committee. Think of Israel's turbulent history since the 1967 war and you might think first of the political leaders, Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other crucial figures in Israel's story spent more time in the shadows, like Avi Dichter, who was head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service from 2000 to 2005. Only later did he enter politics and is now a parliamentary ally of prime minister Netanyahu. How does this gatekeeper of Israel’s security see his country's future?

7 Okt 201623min

Shaun Ley speaks to Okechukwu Enelamah, Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment. Nigeria's economy is contracting for the first time in 25 years. The north-east is threatened by famine and President Buhari has promised renewed efforts to tackle the 'cancer' of corruption. Okechukwu Enelamah wants to break his country's dependence on oil. But with foreign investors pulling out and blaming hostile policies, has Nigeria left it all too late?(Photo: Okechukwu Enelamah, Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment)

5 Okt 201623min

In an interview recorded in 2016, Stephen Sackur speaks to Meat Loaf, a rock'n'roll legend who broke the rules of the music business. He was never cool, never a pin-up, but his songs and performances have always been much larger than life. Meat Loaf shot to fame four decades ago with Bat out of Hell, an album which became one of the biggest sellers of all time. Since then his career - in music and acting - has been a crazy mix of highs and lows. How close did he get to self-destruction?(Photo: Musician and actor Meat Loaf. Credit: Getty Images)

3 Okt 201623min

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Turkish author, Ece Temelkuran. Two months ago Turkey's elected Government managed to survive a botched military coup. A triumph for democracy? Not necessarily - not if you regard freedom of expression and an independent judiciary as prerequisites of a genuine democracy. Thousands of judges, journalists and civil servants have been locked up or sacked since the coup. Ece Temelkuran is a prominent author and journalist who knows how difficult it can be to speak out in Erdogan's Turkey. Is silence the only option?

29 Sep 201623min

Sarah Montague speaks to the President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, Sam Rainsy. The UN, US and Europe all say they are worried about what is going on in Cambodia. More than a dozen opposition figures are in prison, the party's vice president has not left their headquarters in four months for fear of being arrested, and the opposition leader Sam Rainsy fled the country to avoid jail. They want to replace Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than 30 years and whom they claim has rigged past elections. They have threatened mass demonstrations if the intimidation continues. But can their leader make a difference to life in Cambodia when he is in self-imposed exile in Europe?(Photo: Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy, 2014. Credit: Tang Chin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images)

28 Sep 201623min