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:
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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?
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Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
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Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
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Philadelphia’s Calder GardensFeature A permanent new museum
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The Week Unwrapped: Was life sent to Earth by aliens?Podcast Plus why did Nepali voters use a gaming app to pick their next PM? And will a new national park boost the case for Welsh independence?
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The Week Unwrapped: Why is horse-racing going on strike?Podcast Plus, will the South Korean women who worked in state-run brothels set up for US soldiers succeed? And what’s behind a surge in leg-lengthening surgery?
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The Week Unwrapped: What does Bake Off say about Channel 4?Podcast Plus, why are Scottish drug deaths so stubbornly high? And are women in their 30s too anxious about their eggs?
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The Week Unwrapped: Could robotic dogs help clear landmines?Podcast Plus, what can we learn from a new approach to urban renewal? And how much power rests with political spouses?
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The Week Unwrapped: Is it time for a new world map?Podcast Plus, why is the pope getting flatmates? And why are seagull 'muggings' on the rise?
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The Week Unwrapped: Has Donald Trump secured his Nobel Peace Prize?Podcast Plus, what does the use of North Korean and Indian labour tell us about the Russian war economy? And why have we all gone crazy for pickles?
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The Week Unwrapped: Why are we watching the ocean floor?Podcast Plus, what can we learn from a football club on the brink? And which jobs will fall to AI first?
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The Week Unwrapped: Could AI replace catwalk models?Podcast Plus, should countries sue each other for climate damage? And what does Grand Theft Auto 6 tell us about the video game industry?
