Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Harriet Marsden, Jess Hullinger and Emma Smith.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Afghan school poisonings
Nearly 90 girls at two schools in Afghanistan were hospitalised after being allegedly poisoned by someone with “a personal grudge”. The incident, which echoes a recent spate of what seem like mass poisonings of schoolgirls in Iran, and a series of events in Afghanistan in the 2000s, has intensified fears about sending girls to school in a country where women’s education after primary level has been banned by the Taliban.
Atmospheric DNA
Researchers discovered that ubiquitous air pollution monitors have a second use: monitoring biodiversity by collecting something called eDNA. This is a potential “game changer” for monitoring and perhaps even preventing the decline of plant and animal species across the world. What are the challenges? And why are some experts worried about how eDNA might threaten our privacy?
LGBTQ+ history
Oxford University has appointed the first permanent fellowship in LGBTQ+ history. Professor Matt Cook will become the first Jonathan Cooper Chair of the History of Sexualities, a role he says will help to end the idea that queer history is a “marginal pursuit” in academia. Does Oxford’s decision symbolise a continued shift towards inclusivity in historic institutions?
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‘The issue isn’t talent but moral guidance’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Paramount, Comcast, Netflix bid for WBDSpeed Read The outcome of this bidding war ‘could alter the trajectory of the entertainment business’
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The Week Unwrapped: Will US Catholics rebel against the Pope?Podcast Plus what are the ethics of freezing your late partner?
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The Week Unwrapped: Can musicians challenge Putin?Podcast Plus who were the ‘human hunters’ of the Bosnian war? And what should happen to captive penguins?
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The Week Unwrapped: Are British rappers the world’s best?Podcast Plus can the Maldives quit smoking? And can whales lead us to immortality?
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The Week Unwrapped: Should we be eating less fat – or more?Podcast Plus who will benefit from the surprise Dutch election result? And how can art improve our health?
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The Week Unwrapped: Will Grace Wales Bonner change Hermès for the better?Podcast Plus will nuclear fusion deliver us from climate change? Is humour the best way to take on Trump?
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The Week Unwrapped: Can bullfighting win over young SpaniardsPodcast Plus, is online fandom inherently unhealthy? And is Putin’s economy running out of gas?
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The Week Unwrapped: Who had the last laugh in Riyadh?Podcast Plus are imported eggs undermining animal welfare? And what can we do about AI deepfakes?
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The Week Unwrapped: Was life sent to Earth by aliens?Podcast Plus why did Nepali voters use a gaming app to pick their next PM? And will a new national park boost the case for Welsh independence?
