The Week Unwrapped: Nuclear testing, flat-hunting and the other megxit

Why are we only now learning about France’s atomic legacy? Is social networking changing the rental market. And why are migrants leaving the UK?

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(Image credit: SpaceX)

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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Nuclear testing

New research has revealed the full extent of the fallout from France’s nuclear testing programme in the 1960s. Long suppressed official reports reveal that negligence and miscalculations led to large numbers of people being exposed to high levels of radiation. And the problem extends beyond France: all the nuclear powers are having to reckon with the toxic legacy of testing.

Migrant exodus

The UK’s migration statistics are notoriously unreliable, but with official figures showing a decline of almost a million in the country’s foreign-born population, it seems clear that we’re in the midst of a dramatic change. In the short-term the result could be positive, particularly if it results in a reduction in unemployment, but after the pandemic we might start to feel the effect of labour shortages.

Digital flat-hunting

The difficulty of viewing flats and houses during a pandemic has led to some new developments in the property market, many of which shift the balance of power away from estate agents. Renters stand to benefit the most, as a social networking element to flat-finding apps allows tenants to share their experiences with landlords and letting agents.

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