Could a trade war escalate between the US and some of its trading partners? It’s not an easy time to be involved in international trade, with the world’s two biggest economies- the US and China trading insults and imposing tariffs on each other. Beijing says it is reporting Washington to the World Trade Organisation. The current tensions were sparked by President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on billions of dollars on imports from China, the EU, Canada and Mexico. HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi speaks to Arancha Gonzalez, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, which is co-owned by the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. Her mandate is to help small and medium businesses in developing countries participate in global trade. But with an international trading system that some believe is discredited and outmoded, is she pursuing the wrong ambitions?

Stephen Sackur is in Bogotá for an exclusive interview with Colombia’s new President Iván Duque. He is a youthful centre-right technocrat who faces momentous decisions early in his Presidency. Will he uphold his predecessor’s fragile peace deal with the FARC guerrilla group? How will he respond to the economic and humanitarian crisis unfolding in neighbouring Venezuela? President Duque is a relative political novice in a volatile region and he is about to be sorely tested.

Image: Iván Duque (Credit: European Photopress Agency)

World figures have been paying tribute to the former UN secretary-general and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan, who has died at the age of 80. HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi spoke to him in April at a special event to mark his birthday and the tenth anniversary of the Kofi Annan Foundation. In a career spanning six decades at the United Nations, he held several senior positions including two terms as Secretary-General. There were high points such as the award of the Nobel Peace Prize as well as tragic events such as the Rwandan genocide and the Srebrenica massacre of Bosnian Muslims. But what were his biggest worries and did he have any regrets?

Image: Kofi Annan (Credit: Getty Images)

Never before in the history of humankind have we had so much information, so many facts at our finger tips, and yet much of what we think we know is wrong. What on earth is going on? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Bobby Duffy, social scientist, opinion pollster and managing director of the Ipsos Mori Social Research Institute. How can we the people make informed decisions if we're not truly informed?

A tiny proportion of Muslim women in Britain wear the burqa or niqab; forms of dress which keep the face partially of fully covered. Nonetheless, those women find themselves at the heart of a sometimes bitter argument about religion, values and tolerance in Western society. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the Islamic scholar and imam- Taj Hargey, who has long stirred controversy amongst fellow Muslims by condemning the burqa and demanding a new form of Islam. Will his ideas ever gain traction in the Muslim community?

When Iran’s President Rouhani was convincingly re-elected last year, Iranians seemed hopeful their living standards might improve. However, inflation, poverty, water shortages and corruption are all things that appear to be getting worse. Now, Iran is again facing US sanctions after President Trump walked away from the nuclear deal with Tehran. Stephen Sackur speaks to Iranian political analyst and erstwhile nuclear talks adviser Mohamed Marandi. Is Iran on the brink of an economic and political crisis?

(Photo: Professor Mohamed Marandi)

The Christian religion is divided on issues of sexuality; not least the degree of acceptance and inclusion offered to gay men and women of faith. Amid the fierce theological arguments are stories of individuals torn between their faith and sexual orientation. Stephen Sackur speaks to Vicky Beeching, a popular Christian singer-songwriter, turned public advocate for LGBT rights, whose remarkable story has seen her described as one of the most influential Christians of her generation. Has she found peace after years of turmoil?

(Photo: Vicky Beeching in the Hardtalk studios)

Stephen Sackur speaks to Dutch MEP, Sophie Int’ Veld, deputy to the European parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator. British Prime minister Theresa May is running out of time to avoid the Brexit cliff edge. Her proposals for a post Brexit trade deal with Brussels got short shrift from the EUs chief negotiator – she seems to be hoping to get more joy from some of Europe’s national leaders. But with every passing day the prospect of a no deal, potentially chaotic Brexit grows more real. Is Brexit brinkmanship a game no one can win?

(Photo: Dutch MEP, Sophie Int’ Veld)

Anger is a powerful force in politics and there's a lot of it about. Donald Trump, Brexit and a host of populist movements have been fuelled by anger with the way things are. Where does it come from? How best to respond?

One much discussed, provocative perspective comes not from a politician but the Canadian clinical psychologist, Jordan Peterson, whose defence of traditional values has won him a worldwide following. Is his diagnosis liberating or dangerous?

(Photo: Dr Jordan Peterson. Credit: Carlos Osorio/Getty Images)

Zeinab Badawi speaks to Bambang Brodjonegoro, Indonesia's Minister of National Development Planning. President Widodo of Indonesia was recently re-elected to a second term in office and he says he has big ambitions to raise the standard of living of his people. Indonesia is the most populous country in South East Asia and has the biggest economy. But it faces a series of challenges from poor infrastructure to corruption and extreme income inequality. He is in London to try and attract investors, but is the government doing enough to tackle its problems?