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
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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?
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Homes with great fireplacesFeature Featuring a suspended fireplace in Washington and two-sided Parisian fireplace in Florida
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Is $140,000 the real poverty line?Feature Financial hardship is wearing Americans down, and the break-even point for many families keeps rising
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Film reviews: ‘The Secret Agent’ and ‘Zootopia 2’Feature A Brazilian man living in a brutal era seeks answers and survival and Judy and Nick fight again for animal justice
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Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
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Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
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Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
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Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
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Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
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Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
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Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
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China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
