The Interview

Does the daughter of Martin Luther King believe racism is on the rise again in the US? Hardtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to Bernice King, CEO of The King Center and the youngest of Martin Luther King's four children. They are in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the most picturesque cities in the American South – yet one that holds an ugly truth. It was the main port for the slave trade; around half of the Africans brought to the United States passed though there. The fight for freedom and justice has been long and bloody. One of the most iconic figures of that struggle was the black civil rights leader Martin Luther King. It is nearly 50 years since he was assassinated in April 1968.

(Photo: Bernice King attends Rosa Parks Library Museum, Alabama, 2015. Credit: Jason Davis/Getty Images)

Albie Sachs is a survivor. He survived imprisonment, exile and being blown up by the country's security forces. He helped write the post-apartheid constitution and thinks it's one of the world's best. So why do others, especially the young, say "the constitution is against us, especially when you are poor"? HARDtalk’s Shaun Ley speaks to the former South African Constitutional Court Judge as South Africa's ruling party, the ANC, chooses a successor for the beleaguered president Jacob Zuma in December. Corruption allegations, denied by the President, continue to swirl, yet he's survived them all. How does Albie Sachs view his country today?

As research and development into artificial intelligence intensifies is there any sphere of human activity that won’t be revolutionised by A.I. and robotics? Stephen Sackur speaks to Alan Winfield, a world renowned Professor of Robot Ethics. From driving, to education, to work and warfare are we unleashing machines which could turn the dark visions of science fiction into science fact?

In 17 months time, Britain - barring a sensational political U-turn - will be out of the European Union. But on what terms remains to be seen. How will post-Brexit Britain relate to the club it has just quit as well as the rest of the world? These are questions that Theresa May's Government has been struggling to answer, but they’re just as difficult for the opposition Labour Party. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry - what would the opposition do about Brexit?

(Photo: Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry speaks on stage following her win at UK snap elections, 2017 in Islington. Credit: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

As the world continues to follow the plight of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanamar, condemnation has been heaped on the Burmese authorities for not doing more to protect them from attacks from Buddhist militants. Hardtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to the acclaimed Swiss film director Barbet Schroeder. His latest documentary is about an influential Buddhist monk in Myanmar who uses strong anti-Muslim rhetoric in his speeches and writings. Barbet Schroeder has made the subject of evil the focus of many of his documentaries and films. He has worked in Hollywood and Europe and has been directing films for nearly 50 years. What has he learned about the nature of evil?

(Photo: Director Barbet Schroeder attends Le Venerable W photocall at Cannes Film Festival. Credit: Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images)

Is there still public appetite for Dan Brown’s high fibre blockbuster novels? He’s one of the biggest selling authors of all time. His 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code challenged the story of Christianity and sparked outrage in the Vatican. Now he’s back with another epic tale, this time about man’s quest to understand the beginnings of life on earth. Stephen Sackur speaks to Dan Brown about his new book - Origin.

(Photo: American author Dan Brown during a press conference at the 2017 Frankfurt Book Fair. Credit: Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images)

Oscar winning actor, activist and fitness guru Jane Fonda is a special guest on Hardtalk as it celebrates 20 years of being on air. In a career spanning six decades she has never shied away from speaking her mind. This is a trait that has not always been welcome in the movie business, where sexism and abusive behaviour are currently in the spotlight as never before. How dark is the reality behind Hollywood's glitz?

(Photo: Actor Jane Fonda attends the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater, California. Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Seventy years ago, the leader Mustafa Barzani made a declaration of Kurdish independence which was ignored. Last month, his son -Masoud, won a referendum in Iraq intended to achieve it. However, Baghdad says it will impose its rule instead. If the Kurds are to succeed, Masrour, grandson of one Barzani, son of the other, will need all the clout he's acquired waging war on the group that calls itself Islamic State. He believes that has earned Kurds the right to a state of their own. But with Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria and much of the world against them, could this referendum end up delivering the Kurds even less than the autonomy that they enjoy now?

We're all familiar with rock music's living legends, but perhaps more intriguing are rock and roll’s cult heros - the artists who've inspired other artists without getting massive rewards. Wilko Johnson fits that bill. His raw guitar sound in the band Dr Feelgood paved the way for punk, and he kept on rocking through cancer, depression and changing musical tastes. In 2017, he spoke to Stephen Sackur about what kept him going.

(Photo: Wilko Johnson in the Hardtalk studio)

What difference will the Alternative for Germany party make to the country? Nearly six million people voted for AfD in last week's election, making it the third biggest party in the Bundestag. But within days of its stunning electoral success, its co-leader declared she was out. She said that the party was too anarchic, too focused on Russia, discrediting its moderate members and would be ineffective in opposition. Sarah Montague talks to the AfD's deputy leader, Beatrix Von Storch.