Hardtalk

Western powers led by the United states would dearly like to deal with a well organised, united anti-Assad opposition in Syria; but right now there is no such thing. Which leaves the west's strategy tentative at best - supportive of the rebels, but not with arms; eager to see Assad ousted, but apprehensive about what will come after. HARDtalk speaks to Brian Sayers, chief Washington lobbyist for the Syrian Support Group, a collection of Syrian expatriates eager to back the rebels. Just how credible is Syria's opposition?

Maajid Nawaz is a British born Muslim who became a radical Islamist. He was arrested and imprisoned in Hosni Mubarak's Egypt but when he emerged from prison he renounced his former views and launched a campaign to counter Islamist ideology. To some he's a truth teller, to others a traitor. Stephen Sackur asks him to explain his extraordinary transformation.

The labour unrest in South Africa’s platinum mines has claimed the lives of dozens and produced the kind of violence not seen since apartheid. The strike has driven up the cost of platinum prices and shaken investor confidence. It has also drawn the world’s attention to the low wages and poor working conditions of South Africa’s miners. Stephen Sackur talks to Rob Davies, South Africa’s Minister for Trade and Industry. Is the call to invest in Africa’s biggest economy being stifled by the rage against social and economic disparity?

Angelique Kidjo has been hailed as Africa's premier diva - known for the passion in her voice and her fierce determination to help African girls fulfil their potential. Three decades ago she had to leave her continent to become an international star. Stephen Sackur asks her how much Africa and its music scene has changed between then and now.

The expenses scandal tarnished those at the very heart of British democracy. Some politicians in the Mother of Parliaments were shown to be greedy and a few criminal. A handful went to jail -- and one of those is the former Conservative peer and former leader of Essex County Council Lord Hanningfield. So why did he do it? Is there something fundamentally wrong with Britain's political culture -- and with those who go into politics? And what lessons can a lawmaker learn from prison?

Lord Moynihan is the Chairman of the British Olympics Association and Director of the London Organising committee of the Olympic Games. London 2012 has been a resounding success - applauded at home and abroad but what can be done to ensure an enduring sporting legacy? British sports are celebrating their best collective performance in over a century so now that the Games are over, Katya Adler asks why has Lord Moynihan submitted his resignation?

The Eurozone crisis has been a test not only for Europe's politicians but also its institutions. The European Union's response to the economic turbulence in its midst has been criticised as too slow and ineffective. Sharon Bowles is a British Liberal Democrat and the Chair of the EU Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. She has a big say in how economic legislation is drafted, but will it work?

The United Nations had hoped that by 2015 every child would be able to go to primary school. But the last time they reported on progress to that goal they said 69 million children were still not getting an education - most of those in sub-Saharan Africa. Michael Barber has advised governments around the world about education. He's now working for the international company Pearson. It recently announced it would invest millions in private schools for the world's poorest families. Is that the right way to tackle the problem or could it undermine what governments are trying to do?

London's reputation as a global financial centre has been tarnished yet again. This time another British bank, Standard Chartered, stands accused of irregularities. New York's top financial regulator claims the Bank carried out two hundred and fifty billion dollars of illegal transactions with Iran over the past decade. The Bank refutes the claim. This latest case follows on the heels of other scandals in the City of London. Moves are underway to tighten international banking regulation. So where does the problem lie? Zeinab Badawi talks to Mark Carney, who is in charge of steering these new rules as Chairman of the Financial Stability Board for the G20 Leading economies. He's also Governor of Canada's Central Bank.

Stephen Sackur talks to Nigel Farage the leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP)and self-styled scourge of the EU establishment in his role as a member of the European Parliament.

Zeinab Badawi talks to Amos Gilad, Policy Director at the Israeli Defence Ministry. Upheaval in the Arab world, especially in Syria, means that political realities are still evolving in the Middle East. Is the Iranian threat and Syrian instability raising the tension inside Israel?

Sheikh Hasina has been prime minister of Bangladesh for the last three and a half years. It’s her second term in office and throughout her time at the top she’s attracted controversy and criticism in equal measure. Bangladesh is densely populated, desperately poor and riven with corruption and political violence. Back in 2009 Sheikh Hasina vowed to clean up government and heal the country’s divisions. Has she delivered?

At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 a diminutive Moroccan runner named Nawal El Moutawakel won the 400 metres hurdles and so became the first Arab and Muslim woman to win Olympic gold. She says her victory changed her life forever and propelled her towards a career in sports administration and as a passionate advocate of women in sport, especially in the Islamic world. She’s now an influential member of the International Olympic Committee. With current IOC president Jacques Rogge due to step down next year, could she be in line to succeed him? Nawal El Moutawakel talks to Rob Bonnet.

The World Bank predicts a decade of African growth which Europe can only dream of, but how realistic is this talk of economic transformation in the world’s poorest continent? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur talks to Arnold Ekpe, CEO of Ecobank, which boasts eight million customers across 32 Sub-Saharan nations.

Extratime talks to the triple jump gold medallist Jonathan Edwards. He's the athletes represntative on the London Olympics Organising Committee overseeing preparations for the Games. Meanwhile his world record in the triple jump still stands after 17 years. Can anyone at the London Games beat his mark? Jonathan Edwards talks to Rob Bonnet