Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
CGI influencers
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This week a major US talent agency signed its first ever "virtual client", a CGI character named Lil Miquela. Named as one of Time's 25 most influential people, Miquela has more than 2 million followers on instragram. But is she, as her creators argue, less fake than many of her real-life social media peers?
Razor wire
The bank holiday weekend saw record irregular migrants arrive in the UK via the Channel. But with Spain currently dismantling the razor wire fence along the border with Morocco, the migrants arrive at a time when “fortress Europe” is rethinking its walls.
Pinochet
Sebastian Pinera, Chile’s rightwing president, has appointed a new minister for women’s rights and gender equality – Macarena Santelices, the great-niece of Augusto Pinochet. Under Pinochet's dictatorship, hundreds of women were raped and sexually tortured. The appointment has sparked outrage from many Chilean women, but Santelices has insisted she must be judged on her actions. Does this mark a turning point for a country whose past still casts a lingering shadow over its future?
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped on the Global Player, Apple podcasts, SoundCloud or wherever you get you get your podcasts.
-
Why Gen Z in Nepal is dying over a state social media banIN THE SPOTLIGHT A crackdown on digital platforms has pushed younger Nepalis into increasingly violent clashes with government forces
-
Fly like you know what you're doing with these 5 tips for healthy air travelThe Week Recommends Yes to stretching. Even more yesses to hydration.
-
September 9 editorial cartoonsCartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include the shadow of Jeffrey Epstein, Russia's answer to peace talks, and tougher citizenship questions
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
