The Week Unwrapped: Trans chess, goalkeepers and twitching
Why is women’s chess bringing in a trans ban? Why was Nike so reluctant to sell Mary Earps’s shirt?
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.
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.
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?
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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 - October 11, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - gang warfare, sporting shocks, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Han Kang of South Korea wins literature Nobel Prize
Speed Read She is the first South Korean and first Asian woman to win the award
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
TD Bank accepts $3B fine over money laundering
Speed Read The US retail bank pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Are pig-butchering scams taking over the world?
Podcast Plus, could discarded gadgets solve the copper shortage? And will employers hire more over-50s?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is Iran texting Swedes?
Podcast Plus can Japan crack its demographic crisis, and what does national debt actually mean?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Are we in the Mattel Cinematic Universe?
Podcast Plus can Japan crack its demographic crisis, and what does national debt actually mean?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Who will be the first trillionaire?
Podcast Plus, what has the Pope been doing in Asia? And why is ketamine addiction on the rise?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Who shot Hvaldimir the 'spy whale'?
Podcast Plus, Chinese TV targeting African hearts and minds, and the former supermodel who sparked a cancer row
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Malaysia's 'orangutan diplomacy'
Podcast Plus, floating wind farms and new passport checks for UK travellers
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Afghanistan under the Taliban, three years in
Podcast Plus, the UK's energy superhighway, and Olympic boxing under scrutiny
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: The underwater internet threat
Podcast Plus, will Labour dare to replace the council tax? And how can we help ex-prisoners find a home?
By The Week Staff Published