Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Leaf Arbuthnot, Abdulwahab Tahhan and Cindy Yu.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Life expectancy
Figures released this week revealed that where a child is born can make a difference of up to 12 years in how long he or she can expect to live. Glaswegians are the most likely to die young, while those born in Hampstead, north London, live the longest. Even taken as a whole, Britain’s mortality data gives pause: another set of statistics, published last week, showed the UK slipping to 29th in the world life expectancy chart.
Palestinian identity
Bezalel Smotrich, the Israeli national security minister, claimed this week that “there are no Palestinians, because there isn’t a Palestinian people”. His comments provoked a fierce response in the Palestinian territories, and the rest of the Middle East. They also divided opinion within Israel, which is embroiled in a political and constitutional crisis.
Sturgeon’s legacy
Nicola Sturgeon chaired her final cabinet meeting as first minister of Scotland this week, as the SNP prepares to announce the winner of the race to succeed her on Monday. While the hard-fought leadership contest has attracted plenty of attention, Sturgeon’s domestic legacy has been less widely discussed. How will she be remembered in the long run?
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Shohei Ohtani is caught in a financial controversy — againIn the Spotlight The controversy concerns Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo
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A descent into academic Hell, a ferocious feminist fable and the adult debut of a beloved children's authorThe Week Recommends August books include R.F. Kuang's 'Katabasis,' Xenobe Purvis' 'The Hounding' and Louis Sachar's 'The Magician of Tiger Castle'
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What is an upside-down car loan and how do you get out of it?the explainer This happens when the outstanding balance on a car loan exceeds the vehicle's worth
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The Week Unwrapped: Has Donald Trump secured his Nobel Peace Prize?Podcast Plus, what does the use of North Korean and Indian labour tell us about the Russian war economy? And why have we all gone crazy for pickles?
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The Week Unwrapped: Why are we watching the ocean floor?Podcast Plus, what can we learn from a football club on the brink? And which jobs will fall to AI first?
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The Week Unwrapped: Could AI replace catwalk models?Podcast Plus, should countries sue each other for climate damage? And what does Grand Theft Auto 6 tell us about the video game industry?
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The Week Unwrapped: Are electric bikes 'invading' London?Podcast Plus, why is Volodymyr Zelenskyy opposing anti-corruption laws? And how will US withdrawal affect Unesco?
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The Week Unwrapped: Should women be conscripted?Podcast Plus, are digital ID cards inevitable? And why do women get more ACL injuries?
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The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?
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The Week Unwrapped: Could the Greens ape Reform UK?Podcast Plus, are more people opting out of public services?
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The Week Unwrapped: How did South Korea become a cultural powerhouse?Podcast Plus, what does a vote on citizenship tell us about Italy? And is the future of football six-a-side?
