Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Harriet Marsden, Guy Anker and Rebekah Evans
In this week's episode, we discuss:
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Mayoral strife
Sadiq Khan has accused the Conservative candidate for London mayor, Susan Hall, of "promoting divisive and racist content on social media". She has liked tweets praising Enoch Powell and retweeted the far-right Islamophobic trope "Londonistan". The mayoral election in May will likely be "the first test of whether the extreme right can be held back", said the Labour incumbent. Although Khan is still in the lead to win, could the government's changes to the electoral system work in Hall's favour? What does her rising profile say about politicians and social media?
Tax changes
As of 1 January, digital platforms like Vinted, Etsy, Ebay and Airbnb are obliged to pass on extra information about sellers to the HMRC, including how many sales they have made and how much income they have generated. What are the tax rules for selling goods online and how are they changing? Will the new policies catch out tax cheats? And how many of us use such platforms as part of a so-called "side-hustle" to earn extra income ?
Disney unbound
The first version of Disney's famous Mickey Mouse has entered the public domain in the United States, in a landmark day following years of the animation company lobbying for longer copyright terms. What will we do with the first copyright-free Disney cartoon? And could it spell trouble for Disney?
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Can Europe regain its digital sovereignty?Today’s Big Question EU is trying to reduce reliance on US Big Tech and cloud computing in face of hostile Donald Trump, but lack of comparable alternatives remains a worry
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The Mandelson files: Labour Svengali’s parting gift to StarmerThe Explainer Texts and emails about Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador could fuel biggest political scandal ‘for a generation’
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Magazine printables - February 13, 2026Puzzle and Quizzes Magazine printables - February 13, 2026
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
