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:
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Afghan attack
An assault on Kabul University earlier this week went largely unreported, but it helps to shed light on more widely covered attacks in France and Austria. What connects them - apart from the inspiration they take from the Islamic State group - is the weight they add to the idea that there’s a limit to the extent to which Western countries can explain Islamic extremism by examining their own cultures.
Mafia vs. lockdown
With Italy heading back into lockdown, concerns are growing about struggling businesses and rising unemployment. So where do you go when you need a favour? For a rising number of Italians, the mafia. Calls to extortion hotlines have doubled during the pandemic, with reports of crime families orchestrating violent anti-lockdown rallies. So are desperate Italians falling victim to offers they cannot refuse?
Military mindfulness
British troops are being taught to meditate as part of a Ministry of Defence push to use mindfulness to improve combat performance and manage stress in the military. So does the so-called Op Smart programme mark a healthier approach to tackling mental health issues - or a new low in the West’s “McMindfulness” take on Buddhist teachings?
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The Week Unwrapped: Korean succession, terror by algorithm and German disquietpodcast Could a 10-year-old girl rule North Korea? Will an Isis victim upend web law? And why is Germany upset with its Oscars contender?
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The Week Unwrapped: Sex and health, the Earth’s core and another new yearpodcast Is the NHS failing British women? What’s going on at the centre of our planet? And what’s in a date?
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The Week Unwrapped: Antisocial Saudis, hormone therapy and retro techpodcast Why is Saudi Arabia investing in – and banning – social networks? Will new research make life easier for trans women? And is the future of technology dumb?
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The Week Unwrapped: AI in court, Germans in Taiwan and ghostwriterspodcast Could artificial intelligence replace lawyers? What does Taiwan want from Germany? And are ghostwriters becoming less ghostly?
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The Year Unwrapped: White refugees, Aegean islands and celebrity gossippodcast Was 2022 the year of the white refugees? What’s really going on in the Aegean sea? And why are we so obsessed with showbiz scandals?
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The Week Unwrapped: Tracking apps, BTS and stay-at-home girlfriendspodcast Does China’s U-turn mark the end of Covid-tracking apps? Has South Korean pop passed its peak? And are we really seeing the rise of the stay-at-home girlfriend?
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The Week Unwrapped: Africa alert, ticket touts and the words of the yearpodcast Is South Africa at risk of terrorist attacks? Why are ticket touts in such high demand? And are we really in a ‘permacrisis’?
