Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Mariana Vieira, Rory Reid and Leaf Arbuthnot.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Lithium rush
Argentina is preparing for what it hopes will be a boom in lithium production. Selling licences to mine the mineral, which is a critical ingredient of the batteries that power electric cars and other consumer goods, is a rare bright spot for a country that has endured years of economic and political turmoil. Many in the West are hoping that, along with its South American neighbours, it will offer a counterbalance to China, so far the principal lithium exporter.
First-class error
This week All Nippon Airways announced that it was cancelling scores of first-class tickets it mistakenly sold for a twentieth of the intended price. In some cases, travellers were snapping up $10,000 fares for just $300. The story drew attention to two underlying issues: the rights (or lack of rights) afforded to airline passengers when they buy a ticket – and the value of premium tickets to airlines, many of which could not survive without them.
Feline feelings
The shortlist for the National Cat Awards, announced this week, included Zebby, 2, from Derbyshire, who helps his deaf owner by alerting her to phone calls and knocks at the door. That story followed research published in New Scientist suggested that cats are more attuned to humans than was previously thought. So have we been wrong all along about man’s best friend?
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Is Andrew’s arrest the end for the monarchy?Today's Big Question The King has distanced the Royal Family from his disgraced brother but a ‘fit of revolutionary disgust’ could still wipe them out
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Quiz of The Week: 14 – 20 FebruaryQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
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The Week Unwrapped: Do the Freemasons have too much sway in the police force?Podcast Plus, what does the growing popularity of prediction markets mean for the future? And why are UK film and TV workers struggling?
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The Week Unwrapped: Do the Freemasons have too much sway in the police force?
Podcast Plus, what does the growing popularity of prediction markets mean for the future? And why are UK film and TV workers struggling?
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The Week Unwrapped: Have televised confessions quelled protests in Iran?Podcast Plus, why has Elon Musk turned from Mars to the Moon? And will the BBC prove to be a puzzles champ?
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The Week Unwrapped: Why are there so many Russian ships in the Channel?Podcast Plus, what does a ‘feminist’ approach to cancer involve? And who is Mickey’s new boss?
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The Week Unwrapped: Why is China clearing out its generals?Podcast Plus, can the Conservatives win back the centre? And what’s gone wrong with Britain’s hearing aids?
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The Week Unwrapped: What can we learn from a tool-wielding cow?Podcast Plus, have we reached ‘peak billionaire’? When should troops disobey their superiors?
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The Week Unwrapped: Will Uganda’s pop-star politician prevail?Podcast Plus, is dodgy data undermining medical research? And what does a new app reveal about Chinese society?
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The Week Unwrapped: Is Elon Musk’s AI tool a platform for abuse?Podcast Plus can Mumsnet predict who will be the next PM? And who is still watching Avatar sequels?
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The Week Unwrapped: What’s the cost of PFAs?Podcast Plus why is George Osborne joining OpenAI? And has universal basic income finally come of age?
