Olly Mann and The Week debate the big changes that didn’t necessarily make headlines this year but began slowly affecting our lives. With Harriet Marsden, Holden Frith and Jamie Timson.
In this end-of-year episode, we discuss:
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Venezuela
Venezuela is coming in from the cold, with the US agreeing to ease some sanctions on the country's beleaguered oil industry. In exchange, President Nicolás Maduro has promised to hold free elections for the first time since he came to power in 2013 – a tenure marked by economic devastation, poverty and the mass exodus of his citizens. But why is the US courting an anti-western dictator, and ally of Russia and Iran? How important is Venezuela to the oil trade? And will Maduro comply with the deal, or will he start Latin America's first continental war for 75 years?
Gold price
The price of gold has been a puzzle for economists during 2023. They had expected it to stay fairly flat, as inflation began to decline, but in fact it has risen by more than 13%. This month it reached an all time high of $2,135 per ounce. Various theories have been put forward to explain the rise, from increasing demand for jewellery in China and India to central banks seeking to boost their gold reserves. What does it mean for the world's economic outlook?
Pandemic art
The first pieces of culture about Covid (either based on, or written during the lockdowns in 2020/21) have appeared this year, and unlike other historical traumas – the first and second world wars, or September 11th – the pandemic’s impact on art has so far been fairly muted. Is it too difficult to accurately portray what it was like? Are we still too close to it? And why have horror films done so well at the box office?
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Political cartoons for February 7Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include an earthquake warning, Washington Post Mortem, and more
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5 cinematic cartoons about Bezos betting big on 'Melania'Cartoons Artists take on a girlboss, a fetching newspaper, and more
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The fall of the generals: China’s military purgeIn the Spotlight Xi Jinping’s extraordinary removal of senior general proves that no-one is safe from anti-corruption drive that has investigated millions
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Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
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Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
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Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
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China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
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Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
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How oil tankers have been weaponisedThe Explainer The seizure of a Russian tanker in the Atlantic last week has drawn attention to the country’s clandestine shipping network
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Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
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Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
