The Week Unwrapped: Age and youth in politics, Cambodia and opera
What’s the right age for a politician? Have Cambodians given up on democracy? And has everyone given up on opera?
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.
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped wherever you get your podcasts:
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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?
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - December 21, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - losing it, pedal to the metal, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Three fun, festive activities to make the magic happen this Christmas Day
Inspire your children to help set the table, stage a pantomime and write thank-you letters this Christmas!
By The Week Junior Published
-
The best books of 2024 to give this Christmas
The Week Recommends From Percival Everett to Rachel Clarke these are the critics' favourite books from 2024
By The Week UK Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Has the rainbow lace campaign tied itself in knots?
Podcast Plus, could 'sexsomnia' claims derail more rape trials? And will 3D printing undermine gun controls?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Is population growth going into reverse?
Podcast Plus, will the Taliban stop women working as nurses? And are honey fans in a sticky spot?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Is Britain falling out of love with the cuppa?
Podcast Plus, is HIV in retreat? How is Bob Geldof reshaping the Band Aid story?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Are we any closer to identifying UFOs?
Podcast Plus, will deals with Tunisia and Kurdistan help Labour? And what next for the Wagner Group?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will China's 'robot wolves' change wars?
Podcast Plus, why are Britain's birds in decline? And are sleeper trains making a comeback?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Is the Big Apple drying up?
Podcast Plus, will we benefit from a phone company shake-up? And is marriage good for your mental health?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Should we talk to the voices in our heads?
Podcast Plus Macron charms Morocco, and do Americans really work harder than the rest of us?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Should we send fewer women to prison?
Podcast Plus will fungi get their own kingdom, and what is Meta doing with facial recognition?
By The Week Staff Published