Newshour Extra

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

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)

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.Photo Credit: Getty Images

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?Photo credit: Getty Images

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.Photo Credit: Thinkstock

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?Photo Credit: Getty Images

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)

In recent months oil prices have fallen to historically low levels. The impact is being felt from Saudi Arabia to Venezuela – revenues are collapsing, and producers are in trouble. Why has the price collapsed and what are the long term consequences? In this week’s Newshour Extra we ask whether global policies to cap carbon emissions could lead to a world in which alternative energy sources will force fossil fuels out of business. Join Owen Bennett Jones and his guests as they discuss the future of oil, and the changing world order it heralds.Contributors: Obiageli Ezekwesili - former Nigerian cabinet minister and World Bank official Luay al-Khateeb - Brookings Doha Jeffrey Mankoff - Centre for Strategic and Interanational Studies Tom Burke - Environmentalist Bill Walker - Governor of Alaska Bjorn Otto Sverdrup - Head of Sustainability, Statoil(Photo: An Oil drill against the backdrop of a setting sun. Credit: Getty Images)