The Week Unwrapped: Flash floods, Tunisian turmoil and rich racing

Are cities ready for a rise in extreme weather? Why has Tunisia’s president sacked the prime minister? And is the ‘most expensive race on earth’ worth the cash?

Olly Mann and The Week Unwrapped podcast panel
(Image credit: SpaceX)

Arion McNicoll and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.

In this week’s episode, we discuss:

A watery future

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Over the last few weeks, the news has been dominated by shocking images and video footage of flash flooding in cities across the world, from London to New York to Zhengzhou. Climate change is very much to blame and it’s likely that things will only get worse. So how can we continue living in cities which are increasingly vulnerable to flash flooding – and what are the solutions being put in place?

Turbulent Tunisia

Earlier this week, the president of Tunisia dismissed the country’s parliament and prime minister and took all judicial and executive power into his own hands. President Kais Saied also dismissed a large number of senior officials, including the head of the national TV channel, and had his officers invade Al Jazeera’s bureau. So what does this disturbing move against democracy mean for the country’s future and the Arab world in general?

Expensive endurance

A new ultra-marathon race is launching in Scotland, covering 120 miles of the west coast over four days. But unlike other similar challenges, the Highland Kings Ultra costs just under £16,000 to enter and is also being billed as the most exclusive and luxurious ultra-run experience on the planet, with perks including butlers, hydro-therapy pools, speed boats and Michelin starred chefs. But who does a trip like this appeal to and will all this luxury take the fun out of the challenge?

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