The Week Unwrapped podcast: Google wars, golden passports and Wuhan tours
Should courts break up Google’s monopoly? Why do some countries sell citizenship? And would you visit Covid ground zero on holiday?
Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
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In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Google wars
In the US courts, Google stands accused of having a monopoly over web search, in what looks set to be the biggest antitrust battle in decades. The case may hinge on whether consumers genuinely prefer Google’s search engine, or they’ve been forced into using it by default because competitors have been unfairly sidelined.
Golden passports
The EU has threatened to take legal action against Malta and Cyprus after a string of corruption allegations linked to their "golden passport" schemes. The highly profitable "citizenship for investment" programmes are offered by 20 of the EU27, but have been long-criticised for facilitating money laundering and criminal activity. So is the crackdown too little too late?
Wuhan tourism
Once the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese city of Wuhan is now largely free of the virus - and is turning into a popular tourist destination. As Europe succumbs to a second wave, China seems to have found a way to keep the virus under control while returning to something like normality.
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