The Week Unwrapped podcast: Swearing, treason and a PM’s murder mystery
Should swearing be banned? Why is Cambodia trying people for treason? And how does the PM of Lesotho connect to a murder trial?
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Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
Swearing
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Lawmakers in the US state of Virginia have voted to repeal a pre-Civil War law prohibiting profanity in public. But across the pond, a growing number of British cities are introducing fines for using “foul and abusive” language. So should swearing in “polite society” be banned - or can cuss words serve a positive purpose?
Treason
The European Union has this month withdrawn Cambodia’s preferential “Everything but Arms” (EBA) trade agreement, citing human rights abuses in the country. But, the country’s Prime Minister Hun Sen has vowed to continue the persecution of his enemies, notably the main opposition leader Kem Sokha, who is currently facing treason charges. The EBA is vitally important to Cambodian trade, but with China ploughing billions of dollars into the country, Europe’s influence is waning.
A prime ministerial murder mystery
Murder, lies, bitter rivalries and a political crisis - when it comes to riveting drama, the tiny African nation of Lesotho has been giving Netflix a run for its money following a sensational murder trial implicating Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and his first lady.
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