Arion McNicoll 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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Nigerian gas
As Europe prepares for a winter without Russian gas, the EU is investigating whether Nigeria could help to fill the gap. The largest oil producer in Africa is planning to re-open a long-distance pipeline next month which could make that possible. But safety and security in the Niger Delta are likely to remain a major obstacle to reliable gas exports.
A city in the desert
Saudi Arabia has announced ambitious plans to build a brand new city in the desert. The unique settlement, intended to house nine million people, will consist of a single, mirror-clad building more than 100 miles long and taller than the Empire State Building, yet only 220 yards wide. It will also run entirely on solar energy. Is this a bold new approach to sustainability from the oil giant? Or a mere PR exercise?
Women and exercise
This week marked the release of a survey commissioned by the gym chain Nuffield Health which found that almost half of women in the UK have done no “vigorous exercise” – such as running, swimming, aerobics or gymnastics – in the past 12 months, compared with just over a third of men. What roles have both the pandemic and the patriarchy played in creating this so-called “gender fitness gap” – and what can be done to encourage more women to get moving?
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Music reviews: Chance the Rapper, Cass McCombs, and Molly TuttleFeature "Star Line," "Interior Live Oak," and "So Long Little Miss Sunshine"
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Film reviews: Eden and Honey Don't!Feature Seekers of a new utopia spiral into savagery and a queer private eye prowls a high-desert town
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Critics' choice: Three chefs fulfilling their ambitionsFeature Kwame Onwuachi's grand second act, Travis Lett makes a comeback, and Jeff Watson's new Korean restaurant
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Joggers told to wear helmets amid bird terrorfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to reopen embassies, resume flights in China-brokered thawSpeed Read
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An end to Iran and Saudi Arabia’s seven-year riftfeature Thawing of relations could transform the Middle East
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‘Cremated man’ found alive nine years later in Chinafeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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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: Chinese chips, the Pope in Africa and podcastingpodcast Is China losing the microchip war? What is the Vatican doing in South Sudan? And has the podcast tide turned?
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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?
