The Week Unwrapped: Financial class, zombie viruses and drugged monks
Does the City have a diversity problem? Should we let sleeping pathogens lie? And why are Thailand’s monks on meth?
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Suchandrika Chakrabarti, Jamie Timson and Mariana Vieira.
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped wherever you get your podcasts:
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Social class in the City
A report published this week by the City of London Corporation, a governing body for the financial services industry, revealed that 36% of senior leaders came from a working-class or lower socio-economic background. It set companies the challenge of raising that proportion to 50% by 2030. Is social class a neglected part of the diversity question, and what can finance and other industries do to address it?
Zombie viruses
French scientists have delved deep into the Siberian permafrost this week to study deadly viruses from 50,000 years ago. The slow melting of the permafrost makes the release of these viruses more likely and the scientists believe it's important to get ahead of the curve and get these zombie pathogens under the microscope before it's too late. But studying deadly viruses can come at great cost and with the global pandemic hardly ancient history, is it wise to bring these viruses back to life?
Monks on meth
An abbot and his monks were defrocked this week after failing drug tests. Thai authorities said the four, who tested positive for methamphetamine, would be sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation, leaving the monastery empty. The revelation has added to tensions between the monks, who play a prominent role in Thai society, and the population at large. Will they be able to rebuild their reputation?
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Why the Roman Empire is suddenly everywhere online
The Explainer It fell more than 1,500 years ago — so why is it dominating social media?
By Justin Klawans Published
-
How climate change is going to change the insurance industry
The Explainer Some regions will soon be 'uninsurable'
By Devika Rao Published
-
TV to watch in October, from 'Loki' to 'The Fall of the House of Usher'
The Explainer Celebrate spooky season with some eerie streaming shows
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Hotel guest jailed over negative reviews
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Dalai Lama tongue controversy: playful joke or ‘abusive’?
Talking Point Video of the leader of Tibetan Buddhism asking a child to ‘suck my tongue’ has gone viral
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Korean succession, terror by algorithm and German disquiet
podcast 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?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: The male pill, consultants and a green trade war
podcast Will men finally get an oral contraceptive? Is the government using too many consultants? And why are the US and EU at loggerheads over green tech?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Chinese chips, the Pope in Africa and podcasting
podcast Is China losing the microchip war? What is the Vatican doing in South Sudan? And has the podcast tide turned?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Sex and health, the Earth’s core and another new year
podcast Is the NHS failing British women? What’s going on at the centre of our planet? And what’s in a date?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Antisocial Saudis, hormone therapy and retro tech
podcast 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?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Meditating monks have better gut bacteria
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published