大象传媒

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has warned of hard times ahead. The economy has been hit hard by falling oil prices and by Western sanctions imposed in response to its interventions in the crisis in neighbouring Ukraine. It seems set to slip into recession next year. In his annual state-of-the-nation address the President outlined his plans to revive the country, so we gauge whether his proposals are likely to succeed.

Also, we talk to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, John Sopko. The US has contributed more than $100bn in taxpayers' money to the reconstruction of the troubled country and we ask him if he thinks that aid is being wisely spent.

Plus, many areas in Italy can struggle to get a mobile signal or internet connection. We hear from the entrepreneurial Italian academic who got so fed up waiting for his local telephone company to connect up his small village near Turin that he went ahead and set up a link of his own.