stephen sackur gave him a ha rd hardtalk. stephen sackur gave him a hard time.o say. the wto is in the eye of the storm at the moment. definitely. many people around the world want a trade war because they do not think the flows of trade that have lifted so the flows of trade that have lifted so many out of poverty are working for them. politicians around the world as a result are taking protective measures. if you were in charge of the wto, you would be very, very frustrated by that. charge of the wto, you would be very, very frustrated by thatm charge of the wto, you would be very, very frustrated by that. it is interesting. something was highlighted and we will hear rate —— a bit soon. the world trade organization has been seen as a bit benign and has a real threat is now. many people in the world have no idea what the wto does. it is supranational and sits in the background. all of a sudden countries start doing things which, over the last 50—60 years people are not used to seeing. if you are in charge of those organisations, it must be frustrating to be an

i'm stephen sackur. i'm at the imposing headquarters of the world trade organization, which is supposed to oversee free and fair global trade, but right now the risks looking impotent and even irrelevant. president donald trump is making good on his promises of tariffs and protectionism. the chinese are threatening to respond in kind. well, my guest today is the boss of the wto, roberto azevedo. what can he do to avert a global trade war? roberto azevedo, welcome to hardtalk. the wto has been in existence for 23 years. would you agree this is the toughest moment the wto has faced? if not the toughest, certainly one of the toughest, yeah, for sure. ah, given the nature of the challenges before the system, where it comes from, and so on and so forth, so yeah, it is really tough right now. you face the reality of an american president who says the wto has been a disaster, a catastrophe for the united states of america. that is a fundamental problem, isn't it? i think the us clearly has difficulties with the

i'm stephen sackur.ic republic of congo boasts assets that should make it the envy of all africa. plentiful land, natural resources, and a youthful population. but the drc has never come close to fulfilling its potential — thanks to political division, intercommunal violence, and epic levels of corruption. my guest today is the drc‘s prime minister, bruno tshibala. can his country finally find a pathway to prosperity? prime minister bruno tshibala, welcome to hardtalk. merci. mr prime minister, would you agree that no african country has been more let down by its political leaders over the last a0 years than it your own country, the democratic republic of congo? but isn't it your own leader, the president of the country today, president kabila, who has generated a huge amount of uncertainty and instability in your country by refusing to leave office when he was supposed to leave office? —— but isn't it your own leader, the president of the country today, president kabila, who has generated a huge amount

welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. doomed mission to rollback communism in vietnam. slaughtered with the powers that be. the truth to power?

i'm stephen sackur. the envy of all africa.

so my colleague stephen sackur asked mr azevedo if he was worried that unilateral actions, like thosef the trump administration, could lead to a global trade war. isaid i said that, and there is no reason to ta ke i said that, and there is no reason to take it back. unilateral actions can take us in the direction. you characterise donald trump's actions as unilateral actions? i do not characterise any one... they know what they are. you are not showing leadership. it does not matter. it does not matter whether you find that a measure is unilateral or not. the fact is when you announce certain types of measures and others deemed those measures are not in compliance and retaliate, that is a problem. the whole thing is a problem. the whole thing is a problem. it is a big problem. i have been saying it for quite some time. it isa been saying it for quite some time. it is a big problem. i do not think anyone believes this is something minor, even in the us administration. the reality is these are ongoing. they are ongoing precisely because people are beginning to understand, i hope, how se

welcome to hardtalk, i am stephen sackur.is ten years since kosovo became europe's newest nation. it has not been an easy decade. relations with neighbouring serbia remain hostile. international recognition has been patchy, and kosovo is still struggling to get on top of endemic poverty and corruption. my guest today is kosovo‘s prime minister ramush haradinaj. can kosovo escape its troubled history? ramush haradinaj, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. you have had ten years of kosovan independence. to the outsider, it looks like a story of hopes dashed and ambitions thwarted. is that what it feels like to you? the foundation of a state, it is there. it is ten years, if not anything else, it has been learning to be ourselves. facing and making mistakes, learning from our mistakes. and kosovo exists in strong foundation. do you really think so? yes. when one looks at kosovo today, one sees that, despite claims to independence, a significant nation, starting with russia and china, but five nations within the eu do not even recogni

i'm stephen sackur. nowadays, this city is associated with bill clinton. this is where he launched his political career, serving as state governor. but little rock has another important place in america's recent history. it was here at little rock central high school that one of the key battles of the civil rights era was fought. in september 1957, nine black students enrolled at this all—white high school. it followed a supreme court decision to end school segregation but the state governor here and his troopers were determined that that wasn't going to happen. after a protracted standoff, the little rock nine won their right to enter central high. and this is the monument to their achievement. like rosa parks before them, they came to embody the bravery behind the civil rights struggle. and my guest today is one of them, elizabeth eckford. she wasjust 15 in 1957, but one extraordinary photograph ensures that her role will be forever remembered. hardtalk theme music plays. elizabeth eckford, welcome to hardtalk and thank you very much for inviting me into

i'm stephen sackur. more than 150 journalists are currently imprisoned in turkey. president erdogan‘s government stands accused of an all—out assault on freedom of expression. my guest today is can dundar, former editor of the turkish cumhuriyet, who has experienced imprisonment, life—threatening violence and exile in the last couple of years, after publishing material which infuriated the turkish president. in the battle for turkey's future and its soul, who's winning? theme music plays. can dundar, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. you live in germany, you would like to live in turkey but it's not possible. do you feel a sense of freedom in germany that you could not enjoy in your last period inside turkey? you can't really feel as a free man while your friends are in jail, yourfamily is under — you know, away from you, and, at the same time, you are threatened by a very despotic government. if you are seen as a threat by the government, you can't be free, feel free, everywhere in the world, nowhere in the world. do you have security right now? because of course, p

i'm stephen sackur.even candidates are challenging vladimir putin in this month's russian presidential election, and not one of them has a hope of victory. to all intents and purposes, this is a show election to confirm the popularity and power of mr putin. but is there a danger for russia in this putinisation of politics? my guest is one of the seven hapless other candidates. boris titov, a vladimir putin appointee as government ombudsman for business. does russia need reform rather than authoritarianism 7 boris titov in moscow... hello. welcome to hardtalk. you are going to be in the election that comes ahead in just a few days from now. to the outside world, it looks at the charade, a mockery of a democratic process. is that the way it feels to you? no, it's a democratic process because we are all by our own will participating in it. but of course the popularity of putin is very high, and that's why we, of course, understand that the chances are very low — our chances are very low. you're not really a

i'm stephen sackur.d trump claimed he could broker the deal of the century between israel and the palestinians. this instead, he seems to have entrenched the hostility. my guest is veteran arab israeli mp and one—time adviser to yasser arafat, ahmad tibi. is the arab—israeli experience a sign that the uneasy, messy status quo is the only viable response to the conflict between jew and arab? hardtalk theme music plays. ahmad tibi, welcome to hardtalk. thank you, stephen. i think we have to start with the impact of the donald trump presidency on relations between palestinians and israelis. would you agree that it has fundamentally changed the dynamic in the region? yes, for the negative. i think that trump and his administration promoted and promoting anarchy in the region and anarchy in the world, by supporting, enhancing, encouraging violation of the international law and adopting one side, on behalf of another. president trump, via his speech aboutjerusalem, he totally adopted the israeli narrative and

i'm stephen sackur.ext couple of months will present president donald trump with foreign policy choices that just could define his presidency. a summit meeting with north korean leader kimjong—un is looming. so too a decision on whether to dump the nuclear deal with iran. and never far from the surface, how to handle relations with vladimir putin's russia. well, my guest is former clinton cabinet secretary, one—time us—north korea emissary bill richardson. what is trump's brand of disruption doing to us foreign policy? bill richardson in boston, massachusetts, welcome to hardtalk. thank you, stephen. nice to be with you. i want to tap into your wide experience in washington, inside an administration and as a congressman and, indeed, a former un ambassador for the united states. when you look at foreign policy—making in america today, how are the big strategic decisions being made? well, unfortunately, i think they're being made on the fly, on the spur of the moment by the president, by tweets, and i don'

now on bbc news, stephen sackur is in geneva for the latest episode of hardtalk.

welcome to hardtalk i'm stephen sackur. donald trump's mantra is "america first" but in his mental map of the world, which continent comes last? africans see signs that they are at the bottom of the presidential priority list. mr trump wants to slash the aid budget, he's kept key diplomatic posts in africa unfilled. and he fired his secretary of state, rex tillerson, halfway through an important mission to the continent. my guest is acting assistant secretary of state for african affairs donald yamamoto. is america fast losing friends and influence in africa? donald yamamoto, in washington, dc, welcome to hardtalk. thank you very much, sir. let me start with the personnel situation inside your department, the state department. from the outside looking in, it seems there is a profound personnel crisis with too many very senior jobs, and many of them concerning africa, simply left unfilled. for our side, the africa bureau, we have about 46 embassies and many consulates in the field. we only have five embassies without an amba

i'm stephen sackur.n in the movie industry have taken the lead in a movement for equality, respect and an end to abusive male behaviour. the mantra, #metoo, has become a cultural phenomenon in the united states, but how far can it reach? my guest today is pakistan's biggest female movie star, mahira khan. in a culturally conservative, male—dominated country, can she be an agent of change? mahira khan, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. is this a good time to be a female actor in pakistan? yes, i would say so. i think it's a good time to be a female in this world at the moment. it's a good time for us. but in pakistan, being female and being in the public eye, as you are, it's quite a sensitive place to be. yes, um, i would say it used to be, it used to be. right now, i don't think it is sensitive to be in the public eye. i think it's sensitive or it's a little bit challenging to break barriers, to sort of do the things that you want to do, you know. there's a particular question about the movie industry bec

on stephen sackur.ll be presented with foreign policy choices that could define, from's presidency. a meeting with kim jong—un is define, from's presidency. a meeting with kimjong—un is looming, so to a decision on whether to dump the nuclear deal with iran. never far from the surface, how to handle relations with vladimir putin's russia. my guest is one—time us north korea emissary bill richardson. what is trump‘s brand of disruption doing to us foreign policy? bill richardson, welcome to hardtalk. thank you, nice to be with you. i want to tap into your wide experience in washington, inside and administration and as a congressman and a former un ambassador for the united states. when you look at foreign policy—making in america today, how are the big strategic decisions being made? well, u nfortu nately, decisions being made? well, unfortunately, i think they are being made on the flight, on the spur of the moment by the president, by tweets, and i don't like the disarray. i am a traditionalist. i thin

i'm stephen sackur.lobalisation is based on movement — of money, goods, ideas and people, across continents and national borders. in a world of glaring inequality, it has stirred a powerful backlash, manifested in the rise of nationalism and identity politics. and this clash of human impulses is fertile territory for my guest today, the pakistani novelist mohsin hamid. in his novels, he has explored cultural, economic and religious tensions between east and west, rich and poor. his latest book focuses on migration. why does it frighten so many of us? mohsin hamid, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. i want to start with this interesting idea of yours, that you, you say, are a mongrel through and through. what do you mean by being a mongrel? well, i was born in pakistan, i moved to california when i was three, back to pakistan at nine, america 18, london 30, and back to pakistan about nine years ago. and along the way, i have become a mixture of things. so i can't think of myself as just pakistani, orjust bri

welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. 50 years ago, us soldiers committed a war crime that came toaunt the doomed mission to roll back communism in vietnam. more than 500 men, women and children were systematically slaughtered in the village of my lai. the terrible truth was exposed thanks to the work of my guest today, seymour hersh, whose lifetime of investigative reporting has been punctuated with scoops, prizes, and plentiful confrontation with the powers that be. 50 years on from my lai, are journalists able to tell the truth to power? theme music plays seymour hersh, welcome to hardtalk. hello. you have always said that key to yourjournalism was this idea you had of being the outsider. where did that mindset come from? you know... i can't psychoanalyse myself, i don't understand it, but... i was an outsider. i grew up in... my parents were immigrants, neither one graduated from high school. the only learning i did, the real pressure i had, was when i was 13, i was getting the book of the month club, which is a non—fiction every month, reading about — sometimes about the peril

welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur.ional politics is a hothouse world where the inhabitants can seem far removed from the rough edges of modern life. so maybe it's no surprise that there is a disconnect between our governors and the governed. my guest today is a rarity, a british mp who was a front—line soldier. johnny mercer served three tours in afghanistan. he entered politics to make a difference on issues he cared about, defence, veteran's welfare, and mental health. but in a britain preoccupied with brexit, is anyone listening? johnny mercer, welcome to hardtalk. thanks. it was quite a leap that you made four or so years ago, when you left the british army and decided that you would enter politics. has that transition been harder or actually easier than you thought it would be? well, i didn't actually have any preconceptions around going into politics because i knew nothing about it. i'd never voted, been to westminster... never voted? never voted, and i know that's not a great thing to have done. but when you're

so my colleague stephen sackur asked mr azevedo if he was worried that unilateral actions like thosethe trump administration could lead to a global trade war. i said that and there's no reason to take it back. i think that unilateral actions can take us in that direction. and you characterise donald trump's actions as unilateral? i don't characterise anybody‘s actions, you know what they are. they talk over each other. you seem to be abdicating any responsibly take to show leadership. it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter whether that you find that a measure is unilateral or not. the fact is that when you announce certain types of measures and others deem that those measures are not in compliance with the obligations and threaten to retaliate, that is a problem. that's where we are today. the whole thing is a problem. how big a problem is it? it's a big problem, i have been saying this for quite some time, it is a big problem. i don't think anybody believes that this is something minor, even in the us administration. and the reality is that these conversations are now ongoing and that

he's been speaking to my colleague stephen sackur.u characterise donald trump's actions as unilateral actions? i don't characterise anybody‘s actions. they know what they are. what i am... but you seem to be abdicating any responsibility to show leadership. it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter whether you find a major is unilateral or not. the fact is that when you announce certain types of measures and others deem that those measures are not in compliance with their obligations and threaten to retaliate, that is the problem. that's where we are today. the whole thing is a problem. how big a problem is it? it's a big problem, i've been saying this for quite some time. it is a big problem. i don't think anybody believes that this is minor, even in the us administration. the reality is that these decisions are now ongoing. that was not the original announcement. the truth is... conversations are ongoing precisely because people are beginning to understand, i hope, how serious this is. joe miller is in new york. one thing you can help me

i'm stephen sackur. nowadays, arkansas, little rock, is associated with bill clinton. little rock has another import blaze in american recent history. it was here at little rock central high school that one of the key battles of the civil rights era was fought. in september 1957, nine african american students, including elizabeth eckford, entered the all—white little rock central high school in arkansas, thereby breaking the racial segregation barrier in us schools for the first time. they became known as the little rock nine. two years earlier the us supreme court had ruled segregation in schools to be unconstitutional. little rock nine one of their right to enter little rock central high school. like rosa parks before them, they came to embody the bravery behind the civil rights struggle. my guess today is one of them. elizabeth eckford. she wasjust 15 in 1957 but one extraordinary photograph ensures that her role will be forever remembered. little rock central high school little rock central high elizabeth eckford, welcome to hardtalk and thank you very much for in