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 January 24Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include 3D chess, political distractions, and more
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Ryanair/SpaceX: could Musk really buy the airline?Talking Point Irish budget carrier has become embroiled in unlikely feud with the world’s wealthiest man
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Claudette Colvin: teenage activist who paved the way for Rosa ParksIn The Spotlight Inspired by the example of 19th century abolitionists, 15-year-old Colvin refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus
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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
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US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
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Venezuela ‘turning over’ oil to US, Trump saysSpeed Read This comes less than a week after Trump captured the country’s president
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Delcy Rodríguez: Maduro’s second in command now running VenezuelaIn the Spotlight Rodríguez has held positions of power throughout the country
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Maduro pleads not guilty in first US court hearingSpeed Read Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to cocaine trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy
