The Week Unwrapped podcast: Mercenaries, Malawi and infidelity tests

The Week delves behind the headlines and debates what really matters from the past seven days.

In this week’s episode, we discuss:

Mercenaries

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Michael ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare, the world’s most famous mercenary and the man behind the botched “package-holiday-coup”, might not sound like he would have much in common with the UK prime minister. But Hoare, who died this week aged 100, embodies a very British kind of swashbuckling adventure that Boris Johnson regularly says he admires. Why are Brits so drawn to a devil-may-care persona?

Malawi

For only the second time in history, an African court has annulled the result of a presidential poll, ordering a fresh election in Malawi. Yet there could be turmoil ahead. Peter Mutharika, the incumbent known as the ‘Tipp-ex’ president due to widespread allegations of voting irregularities in last May’s vote, has said he will contest the court ruling. So is this a major victory for democracy in Africa, or will it simply lead to angst and upheaval in the small southern African country?

Infidelity tests

A newspaper investigation has revealed that DNA analysis firms are selling “infidelity tests” to suspicious partners, raising questions about the legality of DIY detective kits. Is this the perfect way to catch a cheating spouse or could it fall into the wrong hands?

You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped on the Global Player, Apple podcasts, SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. It is produced by Sarah Myles and the music is by Tom Mawby.