Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Abdulwahab Tahhan, Julia O’Driscoll and Emma Smith.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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War trophies
One unexpected side-effect of the war in Ukraine is a brisk online trade in battlefield trophies captured from Russian soldiers. These items, ranging from shell casings to helmets and body armour, are being sold to collectors, mostly in the US. Many of the sellers say the proceeds will go towards funding the war effort. Is this a reasonable exchange in desperate times – or is there something unseemly in putting a monetary value on mementoes taken from dead or captured Russian soldiers?
Red-light row
Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Haslema, has plans to build a new “erotic centre” – and to move 100 of the Wallen district’s red-lit brothels out of the city centre and into the new zone. Sex workers, property developers and local residents have come out strongly against the plans, and are making their stance clear with a widespread campaign to preserve the district.
Barbie on the border
The Vietnamese government has banned Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”, after it emerged that the film contains a scene depicting a map with the “nine dash line”, a representation of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam says the claim violates its sovereignty, and has banned films before for showing maps depicting China’s preferred border. Is this another sign of Beijing’s sway over Hollywood – or an overreaction in Hanoi to an inadvertent error?
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The broken water companies failing England and WalesExplainer With rising bills, deteriorating river health and a lack of investment, regulators face an uphill battle to stabilise the industry
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A thrilling foodie city in northern JapanThe Week Recommends The food scene here is ‘unspoilt’ and ‘fun’
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Are AI bots conspiring against us?Talking Point Moltbook, the AI social network where humans are banned, may be the tip of the iceberg
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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?
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The Week Unwrapped: what’s scuppering Bulgaria’s Euro dream?Podcast Plus has Syria changed, a year on from its revolution? And why are humans (mostly) monogamous?
