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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October books: an academic analysis of Taylor Swift and the solution to your digital addictionThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Taylor’s Version’ by Stephanie Burt, ‘Enshittification’ by Cory Doctorow and ‘Minor Black Figures’ by Brandon Taylor
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Auto loans: Trouble in the subprime economyFeature The downfall of Tricolor Holdings may reflect the growing financial strain low-income Americans are facing
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6 eye-catching rounded homesFeature Featuring a central spiral staircase in Michigan and a Balinese-style estate with ocean views in Hawaii
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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?
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The Week Unwrapped: Why is horse-racing going on strike?Podcast Plus, will the South Korean women who worked in state-run brothels set up for US soldiers succeed? And what’s behind a surge in leg-lengthening surgery?
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The Week Unwrapped: What does Bake Off say about Channel 4?Podcast Plus, why are Scottish drug deaths so stubbornly high? And are women in their 30s too anxious about their eggs?
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The Week Unwrapped: Could robotic dogs help clear landmines?Podcast Plus, what can we learn from a new approach to urban renewal? And how much power rests with political spouses?
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The Week Unwrapped: Is it time for a new world map?Podcast Plus, why is the pope getting flatmates? And why are seagull 'muggings' on the rise?
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The Week Unwrapped: Has Donald Trump secured his Nobel Peace Prize?Podcast Plus, what does the use of North Korean and Indian labour tell us about the Russian war economy? And why have we all gone crazy for pickles?
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The Week Unwrapped: Why are we watching the ocean floor?Podcast Plus, what can we learn from a football club on the brink? And which jobs will fall to AI first?
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The Week Unwrapped: Could AI replace catwalk models?Podcast Plus, should countries sue each other for climate damage? And what does Grand Theft Auto 6 tell us about the video game industry?
