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| Frost speaks to Vaclav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic |
Vaclav Havel is one of the great icons of the Cold War.
In November 1989, Havel, a dissident playwright, led a 10-day Velvet Revolution that overturned four decades of communism in Czechoslovakia.
A man who had spent five years in prison was suddenly propelled into political office.
For the next 13 years, he served as the president of Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic.
He took the Czech Republic into Nato and also negotiated the Republic's entry into the European Union. Now retired, Havel has written his first play in 19 years. The play, Leaving, is about a politician's painful adjustment to a new life after leaving politics.
Havel tells Sir David that Russia today is "more dangerous" than the old communist regime and explains why accepting the presidency in December 1989 was the biggest decision of his life.
Watch Sir David's interview with Vaclav Havel here:
Sir Victor Blank
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| Sir Victor Blank, the chairman of Lloyds-TSB, talks about the HBOS bank takeover |
The global financial crisis is showing no signs of ending. In the last few weeks we have seen a number of venerable financial institutions collapse – not least the Wall Street investment bank Lehman Brothers.
In the UK, the struggling bank HBOS has been saved by Lloyds TSB.
Sir David talks to Sir Victor Blank, the chairman of Lloyds-TSB, who was at the centre of this buyout.
Sir Victor discusses how the deal was reached and tells Sir David about a very significant conversation he had with Gordon Brown, the British prime minister.
Watch the interview with Sir Victor Blank here:
Juliette Binoche and Akram Khan
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| Actress Juliette Binoche and dancer and choreographer Akram Khan |
In-I is not only a high-profile theatrical dance production, but also the result of putting together two award-winning stars: the acclaimed French actress Juliette Binoche and the leading British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan.
Juliette and Akram tell Sir David what In-I is all about and how they came up with the idea of working together.
Watch the interview with Juliette Binoche and Akram Khan here:
Charlie Wolf and Michael Tomasky
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| Michael Tomasky and Charlie Wolf discuss US politics |
It has been a tumultous week in US politics.
The two presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, are scheduled to meet on Friday evening for the first in a series of televised debates.
Sir David talks to writer and broadcaster Charlie Wolf and to Michael Tomasky, the editor of Guardian America, about whether the debate will go ahead and what impact it could have on the outcome of the elections.
Herb Keinon
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| Sir David talks to Herb Keinon from the Jerusalem Post |
Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, has become leader of the Kadima party and is now hoping to become the new prime minister of Israel.
She has just under six weeks to build a coalition government. If she fails, she says she will call a general election.
These are uncertain times in Israel and this uncertainty is reflected in the progress of the Middle East peace process.
Sir David talks to Herb Keinon, the diplomatic correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. He says that most Israeli politicians want the current coalition to remain in place.
Watch the interviews with Charlie Wolf and Michael Tomasky, and Herb Keinon here:
This episode of Frost Over the World airs from Friday, September 26, 2008.
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