Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Cindy Yu, Harriet Marsden and Jamie Timson
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.
China vs Kenya
President William Ruto of Kenya has sought a $1 billion loan from China to revive stalled infrastructure projects in the country. Kenya was once enthusiastic participant in President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative — a decade-old effort to revitalise the ancient Silk Road and expand China's global influence through infrastructure — but many projects have since stalled or fallen short of promised returns. How successful has China's Belt and Road Initiative been? And what does its stalling economy mean for Chinese-funded infrastructure projects elsewhere?
Mexico's fentanyl issue
Mexico's top drug trafficking organisation is reportedly considering a ban on the production and sale of fentanyl. The Sinaloa cartel was the biggest exporter of the synthetic opioid, but the US is increasingly cracking down on the deadly drug that's ravaging the country. Despite prominent billboard warnings and a spate of disappearances linked to the 'ban', is this a PR move designed to ease US heat? Will the cartel step up sales of cocaine, heroin and even guns to make up the shortfall? And how will allies Mexico and the US resolve the crisis, given that most of the opioid chemicals originate in China?
Album reviews
Differing views on music journalism came to the fore this week with hip hop luminaries Ice Spice and Drake offering competing opinions on the worth of music critics. Where it was once a guide to which album to buy, the terms are now very different with a new culture of streaming that gives you every release at your fingertips. Is there still a space for the humble album review or are music journalists going to have to face up to the fact that the times they are a-changin'?
-
Jane Austen lives on at these timeless hotelsThe Week Recommends Here’s where to celebrate the writing legend’s 250th birthday
-
‘Mexico: A 500-Year History’ by Paul Gillingham and ‘When Caesar Was King: How Sid Caesar Reinvented American Comedy’ by David Margolickfeature A chronicle of Mexico’s shifts in power and how Sid Caesar shaped the early days of television
-
GOP wins tight House race in red Tennessee districtSpeed Read Republicans maintained their advantage in the House
-
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?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will US Catholics rebel against the Pope?Podcast Plus what are the ethics of freezing your late partner?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Can musicians challenge Putin?Podcast Plus who were the ‘human hunters’ of the Bosnian war? And what should happen to captive penguins?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Are British rappers the world’s best?Podcast Plus can the Maldives quit smoking? And can whales lead us to immortality?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Should we be eating less fat – or more?Podcast Plus who will benefit from the surprise Dutch election result? And how can art improve our health?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will Grace Wales Bonner change Hermès for the better?Podcast Plus will nuclear fusion deliver us from climate change? Is humour the best way to take on Trump?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Can bullfighting win over young SpaniardsPodcast Plus, is online fandom inherently unhealthy? And is Putin’s economy running out of gas?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Who had the last laugh in Riyadh?Podcast Plus are imported eggs undermining animal welfare? And what can we do about AI deepfakes?
