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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Pakistan: Trump’s ‘favourite field marshal’ takes chargeIn the Spotlight Asim Munir’s control over all three branches of Pakistan’s military gives him ‘sweeping powers’ – and almost unlimited freedom to use them
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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?
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The Week Unwrapped: Will US Catholics rebel against the Pope?Podcast Plus what are the ethics of freezing your late partner?
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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?
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The Week Unwrapped: Are British rappers the world’s best?Podcast Plus can the Maldives quit smoking? And can whales lead us to immortality?
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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?
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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?
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The Week Unwrapped: Can bullfighting win over young SpaniardsPodcast Plus, is online fandom inherently unhealthy? And is Putin’s economy running out of gas?
