The Real Story

Is half a century of civil war about to come to an end in Colombia? Negotiators from the government and the FARC rebels are currently hammering out the final terms of a deal. The agreement will ultimately see disarmament and re-integration of FARC fighters, but serious hurdles remain. Colombia is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of cocaine, and the hope is that a lasting peace will enable drug control policies to be tackled more effectively. Join Owen Bennett Jones and his panel of guests as they discuss Colombia’s future and the prospects for a lasting peace after decades of violent conflict.

What does North Korea’s leader want? And, what do we really know about who runs the country? As the international community ramps up sanctions in response to Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test, will anything change? Join Owen Bennett Jones and his panel of experts – including a young North Korean defector – as they take an in-depth look at one of the world’s most secretive political systems.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

What if governments paid all their citizens a basic income? Whether rich or poor, you would receive the same amount of money, and you would keep it whether you went out to work and received a salary or not. It is an idea that has been around for centuries, but one that has been gaining traction in recent times as welfare payments become ever more complex and expensive to administer. Proponents also argue that it would remove the 'poverty trap' where people are dissuaded from seeking work because they would lose their benefits if they did so. There is also the issue of machines taking over many of the jobs that we all do to earn a living - not just basic manual tasks, but increasingly 'intelligent' work that will in the future be carried out by robots. Join Owen Bennett Jones and his panel of expert guests as they discuss the future of work and how we pay for it. Should we give free money to everyone and let robots take the strain?

Photo: One hundred dollar notes. Credit: Getty Images)

Iran is holding its first elections since the nuclear agreement was signed last year under which international sanctions against Iran were lifted. We take a look inside Iran and asking whether real social, economic and political change is taking place inside the country, and if so, in what direction and what will it mean? Join Owen Bennett Jones and his panel of Iranian guests living both within and outside the country as they discuss Iran’s future.

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In the four years since the Syrian conflict began, a quarter of a million people have been killed and 11 million people - half the country’s population - have fled their homes. Despite each new set of talks, peace seems no closer to hand and as the fighting drags on, international powers become more and more involved. Owen Bennett Jones and his panel of experts discuss what each of the players in the conflict actually want, and what would their future Syria look like? Could the country remain united, or is it more likely to resemble the Balkans, broken up into smaller parts? Can we learn any lessons from resolutions of other civil wars? Or is the Syria conflict more likely to spark a wider regional conflagration?

(Photo: A rebel fighter, reportedly belonging to the Faylaq al-Rahman brigade, looks up from his hiding spot. Credit: Amer Almohibany/Getty Images)

Billions of the world’s poorest people have no access to the internet. Connectivity is growing fast in many parts of the globe, but not everywhere. In large parts of Africa and South Asia, for example, the barriers to joining the information age are simply too great. So why has the Indian government just banned Facebook and others from operating free-access platforms to provide internet access? And why do some of the most influential advocates of a free-for-all internet support the Indian ban? In this week’s Newshour Extra, Owen Bennett Jones and his guests discuss why it matters that the world’s poorest are able to use the internet, and ask what can be done to achieve universal access for all?

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As fears grow over the impact of the Zika virus and its suspected links to birth defects, Newshour Extra brings together a panel of global experts to discuss how best to tackle the virus and the dangers of global transmission. Owen Bennett-Jones and his guests also ask whether global health authorities should be taking more drastic steps to combat the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, and whether we can predict and prevent the next global pandemic.

(Photo: Mosquito on a person's arm. Credit: Thinkstock)

What will the cities of the future look like, and will we like living in them? Vast mega-cities are emerging, notably in the developing world, as people migrate towards urban centres in search of work. Cities in the richer world also need to find ways improve the quality of life for their inhabitants. How should urban planners cope with these pressures and develop strategies for the future? Owen Bennett Jones and his guests discuss how best to make these urban spaces the best possible places to live and work.

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The world’s wealthiest business executives and most influential politicians are meeting this weekend in the exclusive Swiss ski resort, Davos. They’ll be striking deals, making decisions that will affect all our lives and fawned over by the world’s media. But how accountable are they? Join Owen Bennett Jones and his guests as they discuss whether a tiny fraction of the world’s wealthiest live by different rules when it comes to national laws, taxation and citizenship, and if so whether this is a problem – do the super-rich bring benefits to us all?

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After the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has descended into a chaos of warring factions. Western forces that initially supported the uprising are now largely absent and Islamic State militants have taken advantage of the power vacuum. The breakdown of a coherent administration has also allowed Libya to become a major route for African migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean into Europe. Now, after lengthy and difficult negotiations, there is a glimmer of hope with the main factions agreeing to form a unity government, and the deadline for the formation of this administration this weekend. Join Owen Bennett Jones and his panel of guests on Newshour Extra as they discuss the prospects for peace in Libya.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)