The Real Story

How has a country so rich in natural resources ended up so poor? That’s the question Owen Bennett Jones and his guests are discussing in this week’s Newshour Extra. Venezuela’s economy is in freefall, the shops are empty of even the most basic commodities, and its people are desperate. For a nation blessed with vast oil wealth, the descent into chaos has been spectacular. President Maduro’s government is widely blamed for the mess, but how much does the fault lie with the policies of former president Hugo Chavez, and, more recently, the low price of oil? Join Owen and his panel as they analyse these issues, and ask - what possible hope is there for a recovery in Venezuela?

(A child stands in front of graffiti in the 23 de Enero neighbourhood in Caracas, where the remains of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez are kept. Photo credit: Getty Images)

This week, Owen Bennett Jones and his guests are looking at a radical new economic and social vision for the country proposed by the Saudi monarchy. It’s not simply a set of proposals to end Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil. Beyond this, it seeks to provide new job opportunities for a generation of frustrated young Saudis, both men and women. With the end of the Saudi oil bonanza in sight, and draining military expenditure on foreign wars, the House of Saud is taking radical steps to maintain growth and stay in power. But can it successfully achieve these changes in the face of strong opposition both within and outside the country?

Photo: Saudi people walk through a sand and dust storm in Riyadh. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

This week, Owen Bennett Jones and his guests tackle the world of tax havens, financial transparency and money laundering. World leaders, activists and experts met in London for a major conference on fighting global corruption, but what practical measures can be taken to make financial flows more transparent, prevent the proceeds of corruption from being hidden away, whilst at the same time allowing legitimate business to flourish?

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

On Monday the Philippines holds what are seen as the most hotly contested elections in its history. The country is a key regional ally for the United States as part of its ‘Pivot to Asia’ strategy, but it is also a nation of extreme of wealth and poverty that has faced a long-standing Islamist insurgency. The leading candidates include the son of ex-dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and the front-runner for the presidency, Rodrigo Duterte, has drawn widespread comparisons to Donald Trump for his populist style and unscripted remarks.

The Philippines has experienced a period of sustained growth over the past few years, but there are fears that this could be undermined by politicians who reject the strategies that have led to that success. Owen Bennett Jones and his expert guests discuss the state of democracy in the Philippines, its economic prospects and its future as a regional power.

(Ferdinand Marcos Jr, a vice-presidential candidate and son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, campaigns in Manila. Photo credit: Getty Images)

Owen Bennett-Jones is at the University of Texas in Austin, discussing sport and empowerment in the United States. The major professional sports in America make billions of dollars in revenue, and great wealth to a select few top athletes. But college players, many of whom are African-American and whose sports generate huge amounts of money, are paid nothing. Join Owen Bennett-Jones and his panel made up of an academic, journalist, player and a coach, as they discuss the politics of top level sport in America.

(Photo: Kodi Burns of the Auburn Tigers runs for a 35-yard touchdown against the Oregon Ducks at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Credit: Getty Images)

Owen Bennett Jones is in New Orleans, debating with his guests the relevance of feminism today. In many ways things have never been better for women; there are more female college graduates than men, the gender pay gap is the narrowest it has ever been, and the next president of the United States could well be a woman. So, is feminism really a political movement with clear goals, or has it become just a marketing label? And how do feminists defend the charge that its cause is dominated by the voices of well-off liberal white women?

(Photo: A reveler makes her way through the French Quarter during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Credit: Getty Images)

Oklahoma has one of the largest Native American populations in the United States. By using their right to govern themselves, Oklahoma’s tribes have become economic powerhouses, contributing hugely to the state economy. But is Oklahoma as much of a success story as it seems? Has the political influence of Native Americans – and the treatment of their culture – changed in line with growing economic success? And, are there valuable lessons to be learned from Oklahoma for indigenous peoples in the rest of the United States and around the world?

(Photo: Native American's in traditional costumes and headdress. Credit: Elizabeth Davies)

This week, Owen Bennett Jones and guests are at the Oxford Literary Festival.

Across the world student bodies have been have been asking universities to distance themselves from historical symbols of oppression. In Oxford, the protests took the form of the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign which began in South Africa and targeted statues of Cecil Rhodes - a committed champion of the British Empire. How representative are these protests of current sentiments in Britain and its former colonies? So how Britain should acknowledge this part of its identity? Should it apologise and pay reparations, or embrace its history with pride?

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Ever since the invasion in 2003 Iraq has faced ceaseless conflict. Today there are two parallel crises. In Baghdad protesters are demanding an end to elite corruption. And, on the battlefield, the Iraqi army and Shia militias are fighting so-called Islamic State. But Iraqis are wondering about the battles to come. Will the central government have to cede power to armed groups that control their own areas? Owen Bennett-Jones is in Baghdad, along with his guests to discuss the forces threatening Iraq's fragmentation.

(Photo: Protest by supporters of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Credit: AP/Khalid Mohammed)

We travel to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania - a country that many believe can teach a lesson to others seeking unity and stability, because right from the start the first post-independence leader Julius Nyerere insisted that everyone should learn Swahili. Well over a 100 other languages are still spoken in Tanzania but many people believe that Nyerere – partly because of his language policy - was a successful nation builder. Join Owen Bennett Jones and his guests as they discuss language and politics in Tanzania.

(Photo: School children sitting in a classroom. Credit: Getty Images)