Hardtalk

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?

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?

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?

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.

Lake Como in northern Italy is the venue for an economic conference hosted by the Ambrosetti Forum. The economic policy-makers gathered here are fervently hoping that the worst of Europe's sovereign debt crisis is over - but is it? Stephen Sackur speaks to Juergen Stark who was - until his shock resignation in 2011 - a key figure on the board of the European Central Bank. He quit because he disagreed with the ECB's crisis management. Much has changed in the last few months, but has the eurozone really been saved?

Alan Ayckbourn is often described as the most performed playwright alive in the world. A revival of his play Absent Friends has opened in London's West End. And a new play - his 76th - premieres this summer. After more than 50 years of writing and directing, what is it about Alan Ayckbourn and his portrayal of relationships in the English suburbs that can still fill theatres around the world?

A year ago revolution was in the air in the Gulf Kingdom of Bahrain - what about now? After months of violence which killed dozens of protestors, the Bahraini king commissioned an independent inquiry - then he promised to implement sweeping reforms. Stephen Sackur speaks to Nabeel Rajab - one of Bahrain's most outspoken human rights activists. Has this strategically vital Gulf monarchy successfully reformed itself from within?

Britain has already seen the first skirmishes in what could be a protracted battle between the Cameron government and organised labour. In the short term, schools and fuel suuplies could be hit by strikes; looking further ahead, there's talk of union protests targeting the London Olympics. Stephen Sackur speaks to Len McCluskey, leader of Unite, Britain's biggest union. He talks of defending workers' rights within the law, and outside it, if necessary. How far is he prepared to go?

Frank Chikane served in the South African presidential office from the time of Nelson Mandela to Jacob Zuma - so he was privy to what went on behind the scenes. Now he has written a book in which he describes for the first time his account of Thabo Mbeki's removal as South Africa's president. He says it was a painful and humiliating episode for Mr Mbeki and it exposed the deep rivalry at the heart of the ruling African National Congress which continues to divide it today.Zeinab Badawi asks if the ANC become so riven with factionalism and corruption that it can no longer govern effectively.

In a special edition of Hardtalk, recorded in front of an audience in the village of Portmeirion in North Wales, Stephen Sackur talks to Sir Mark Walport the Director of the Wellcome Trust. One of the world's most important funding institutions for biomedical research, it distributes close to a billion dollars' worth of grants every year. Much of it goes to cutting edge genetic research which promises to transform human healthcare, but also raises profound ethical questions. Our scientific knowledge is expanding but what about the wisdom with which we use it?

Hardtalk is in New York City with a guest who is a woman who has spent her life challenging assumptions that go with the label 'physically disabled'. Aimee Mullins had both of her legs amputated below the knee when she was just a year old. She went on to become a champion athlete, an actor and highly paid model. She has been feted as an inspiration across America. Stephen Sackur asks, What is the real lesson of the remarkable story of Aimee Mullins?(Image: Aimee Mullins. Credit: Reuters)

Otis Williams is the sole constant in the life of one of the most successful groups in Motown history. He formed The Temptations in 1961, and the record sales tell a story of extraordinary success.If rock and roll was about sex and drugs, Motown was all that and more. So how has he sidestepped the cocaine addiction, the drink and the depression that killed other members of his group? Did he ever feel he got his just rewards for so much success? And when will he finally decide he has had enough?(Image: Otis Williams. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Maldives was plunged into political crisis when the former president Mohamed Nasheed resigned, claiming to have been forced out of his position. He was succeeded by his former vice president - Mohamed Waheed - who denies allegations of taking part in a coup. President Waheed is now building a government of national unity, but with tensions still running high between him and supporters of his predecessor, how safe is the island nation's democracy?(Image: Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed Hassan. Credit: Associated Press)

A year has passed since the uprising that ended the 30-year rule of Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak. Since then the country has struggled to establish democracy and credible elections under the control of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Human rights abuses are continuing and the animosity between pro-democracy activists and the Establishment is escalating. Abdel El-Menawy is the former head of Egyptian television. He helped draft Hosni Mubarak's final speech and has written a book detailing the final days of his rule. Presented by Stephen Sackur.(Image: An Egyptian boy wearing an Egyptian national flag in Tharir Square. Credit: Getty Images)

Tunisia is the first Arab nation to be transformed by people power but how successful has the transition to democracy been? Stephen Sackur talks to Said Ferjani who is a key figure in the Ennahda Movement - the moderate Islamist political party which dominates the democratically elected Tunisian government. Ennahda says it is committed to building a Muslim democracy. Is Tunisia a model which the rest of the Arab world can follow?

Hardtalk is in Tunisia a year after the revolution which gave birth to the Arab Spring. Stephen Sackur meets Moncef Marzouki - a man who has undergone an extraordinary transformation from political prisoner and dissident exile to president of the Republic. He now heads a coalition government of Islamists and secularists. The country has become the test bed for the new politics of the Arab world. Can Tunisia make a success of its revolution?(Image: Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Over the past ten years Jacqueline Wilson has been the most borrowed author from British libraries. She's sold 30 million of her books just in the UK - and written nearly a hundred of them over the years - girls love them. They almost always focus on a young girl in a difficult family usually being brought up single-handedly by her mother, sometimes with an abusive stepfather. And often featuring drink or drugs. So why does she draw on such bleak territory?Jacqueline Wilson talks to Sarah Montague

Ghana has been hailed as a shining example to all of Africa - a model of democracy, decent governance and responsible economic management in a continent struggling to fulfil its potential. But if Ghana looks like a success story to outsiders, how does it look to Ghanaians themselves?Nana Akufo-Addo is the leader of the main opposition party and candidate for president. Stephen Sackur asks him if Ghana can use its resource wealth and inward investment to benefit the many, not just a few.

Turkey is a rising power in a strategically vital region, but does it have the ability to shape events beyond its borders? Officials in Ankara would like to see Turkey inside the EU and providing leadership in the Middle East, but both goals remain elusive.Stephen Sackur talks to Egemen Bagis, Turkey's minister for Europe. His country is flexing some diplomatic muscle, but is it having the desired effect.

Politics can be a cruel business. No one knows that better than Britain's former foreign secretary David Miliband. He was hot favourite to lead the UK's Labour party after its dismal 2010 election defeat, but he lost out to his younger brother Ed. His steady rise to the political summit was halted, but he remains a Labour MP, and he still makes carefully timed interventions in foreign policy and national politics. Without the trappings of power, how does David Miliband maximise his influence?