Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Emma Smith, Julia O’Driscoll and Harriet Marsden.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Trans chess ban
Chess’s world governing body FIDE has banned trans women from competing in female events for two years while it conducts an investigation into their participation. The decision has led to a backlash in many quarters, including some of its own affiliate organisations. National chess bodies in both the UK and US have said they will ignore the ban. What is FIDE trying to accomplish, and will it have to back down?
Replica kit
Nike, manufacturer of the official England football kits, came under fire this week for its decision not to produce a replica of goalkeeper Mary Earps’s kit. Fans made their own version of the sports star’s shirt to wear during Sunday’s World Cup final, and a petition calling on the brand to release the shirt for public sale was signed by more than 150,000 people. Nike has now secured limited numbers of the shirt to go one sale — but why was it so reluctant to do so in the first place?
Birdwatching
More and more of us are turning our eyes to the skies, as the popularity of birdwatching continues to grow. Interest in twitching increased during the pandemic, as cities went quiet and birdsong rang out. Now new apps, social media networks and technologies are attracting a younger demographic. Aficionados say birdwatching is cheap, inclusive and beneficial to mental health. But could it also help conservation efforts?
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Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-warTalking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
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A tour of Sri Lanka’s beautiful northThe Week Recommends ‘Less frenetic’ than the south, this region is full of beautiful wildlife, historical sites and resorts
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Crossword: September 14, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
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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?
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The Week Unwrapped: Are electric bikes 'invading' London?Podcast Plus, why is Volodymyr Zelenskyy opposing anti-corruption laws? And how will US withdrawal affect Unesco?
