In this episode we speak with Nick Bryant, author, former BBC correspondent and occasional columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, about the big events across the globe this year. Unlike the so-called Roaring 1920s, Bryant notes that the 2020s have gotten off to a rather wretched start. From war in the Middle East to the harsh effects of climate change, to the consolidation of power by strongmen such as Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, Bryant laments the state of play right now. And that's before we even get to the spectre of another Donald Trump term in the White House.

Hosting this conversation, which also canvasses some of the high points of the year, from our fervour for the Matilda's to the Barbie and Taylor Swift phenomena, is the editor of Good Weekend, Katrina Strickland.