Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Rebekah Evans, Mariana Vieira and Arion McNicoll.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Age in politics
This week, Keir Mather became the “baby of the House of Commons” as he was elected at the age of 25. The simultaneous elevation of Baroness Owen, who is just five years older, to the Lords has led to a debate about youth and experience in politics. In the US, meanwhile, politicians seem to be increasingly elderly: the next presidential election is likely to pit an 81-year-old Joe Biden against a 78-year-old Donald Trump. Does age matter, or should we prioritise other issues?
Cambodia’s election
This week an election described as the least competitive in Cambodia’s history returned Hun Sen to power with an overwhelming majority. But are voters as enthusiastic for him as that result would suggest. Amnesty International has accused the government of human rights abuses, and suggested that democracy is under threat in the country. A new generation seems ready to take over, but are they just offering more of the same.
The slow, melodramatic death of opera
Tickets for the Bayreuth opera festival in Germany were still available this week, in what The Times described as “a warning for the world of opera”. Audiences once had to join a years-long waiting list for the celebration of Wagner’s work. In Britain, too, the status and funding of opera has been questioned by politicians from both the left and the right. Are its days numbered, or has it already evolved into other formats?
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China’s single mothers are teaming upUnder the Radar To cope with money pressures and work commitments, single mums are sharing homes, bills and childcare
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Employees are branching out rather than moving up with career minimalismThe explainer From career ladder to lily pad
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‘It is their greed and the pollution from their products that hurt consumers’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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The Week Unwrapped: Have pedigree dogs had their day?Podcast Plus what can we learn from Slovenia’s rejection of assisted dying? And can politicians admit their weaknesses?
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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?
