Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Harriet Marsden, Sorcha Bradley and Suchandrika Chakrabarti
In this week's episode, we discuss:
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.
Africa rising
The population of Africa is projected to nearly double over the next 25 years, to 2.5 billion. Already, the median age of the continent is 19 – compared with 38 in the US and China, and 40 in the UK. By 2050, about more than a third of the world's young people will live in Africa. But what are the implications for this so-called "youthquake"? How does this drive both cultural revolution, increasing unemployment and desperate migration? How will Africa support its people? And how will the world react?
Ticket offices
The government has reversed its decision to close rail ticket offices in England, abandoning proposals to shut nearly all 1,007 train station outlets. Have rail unions struck a blow against automation? And does rail ticketing need reform?
The Spanish infanta
Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne, stepped into the public eye as she celebrated turning 18 this week. On her birthday, she pledged allegiance to the Spain's constitution, cementing her place as the country's future monarch. But the ceremony faced a boycott from republican ministers and Catalan and Basque nationalist MPs, critical of the scandal-laden monarchy. Can Princess Leonor salvage the monarchy's bruised reputation? And are there lessons for the British monarchy?
-
Why quitting your job is so difficult in JapanUnder the Radar Reluctance to change job and rise of ‘proxy quitters’ is a reaction to Japan’s ‘rigid’ labour market – but there are signs of change
-
Gavin Newsom and Dr. Oz feud over fraud allegationsIn the Spotlight Newsom called Oz’s behavior ‘baseless and racist’
-
‘Admin night’: the TikTok trend turning paperwork into a partyThe Explainer Grab your friends and make a night of tackling the most boring tasks
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is China clearing out its generals?Podcast Plus, can the Conservatives win back the centre? And what’s gone wrong with Britain’s hearing aids?
-
The Week Unwrapped: What can we learn from a tool-wielding cow?Podcast Plus, have we reached ‘peak billionaire’? When should troops disobey their superiors?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will Uganda’s pop-star politician prevail?Podcast Plus, is dodgy data undermining medical research? And what does a new app reveal about Chinese society?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Is Elon Musk’s AI tool a platform for abuse?Podcast Plus can Mumsnet predict who will be the next PM? And who is still watching Avatar sequels?
-
The Week Unwrapped: What’s the cost of PFAs?Podcast Plus why is George Osborne joining OpenAI? And has universal basic income finally come of age?
-
The Week Unwrapped: what’s scuppering Bulgaria’s Euro dream?Podcast Plus has Syria changed, a year on from its revolution? And why are humans (mostly) monogamous?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will drought fuel global violence?Podcast Plus why did Trump pardon a drug-trafficking president? And are romantic comedies in terminal decline?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Have pedigree dogs had their day?Podcast Plus what can we learn from Slovenia’s rejection of assisted dying? And can politicians admit their weaknesses?
