The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann - podcast cover

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann

The Week Unwrappedwww.theweek.co.uk
Have you missed the biggest news of the week? Olly Mann and three of The Week's writers and editors decide which under-reported stories will have the biggest long-term consequences. Join Felicity Capon, Harriet Marsden and Jamie Timson to learn about three stories you won't hear on other news podcasts – but will remember in years to come.
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Episodes

#335 Ukraine memorabilia, prostitution and Barbie

What should we make of the trade in Russian trophies? Will Amsterdam evict its red light district? And how did Barbie get embroiled in a border dispute? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Abdulwahab Tahhan, Julia O’Driscoll and Emma Smith.

Jul 06, 202338 min

#334 Europe’s right turn, abortion and snakes

Why is the left in decline across the EU? How should the law differentiate between infanticide and abortion? And are snakes about to overrun Britain? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Jamie Timson, Felicity Capon and Arion McNicoll.

Jun 29, 202342 min

#333 EU vs. Apple, lab-made embryos and power naps

Will the bloc force another iPhone redesign? Why are scientists creating synthetic human embryos? And is napping the secret to better brain health? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Rory Reid, Rebekah Evans and Suchandrika Chakrabarti

Jun 22, 202334 min

#332 Russian spies, climate law and literary politics

Did Moscow sneak its agents into Homes for Ukraine? Why are kids suing Montana over climate change? And should novelists boycott rogue states? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Julia Macfarlane, Julia O’Driscoll and Jamie Timson

Jun 15, 202341 min

#331 Schoolgirl poisonings, accidental DNA and queer history

What is happening in Afghan schools? Could air pollution monitors help to track DNA? And is LGBTQ+ history joining the mainstream? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Harriet Marsden, Jess Hullinger and Emma Smith

Jun 08, 202335 min

#330 Streaming, postal prejudice and inside animals’ minds

Will a court ruling change the way we watch sport? What went wrong at the Post Office? And how do animals see the world? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Guy Anker, Leaf Arbuthnot and Arion McNicoll.

Jun 01, 202340 min

#329 Irish alcohol, world weather and British schools

Why is Ireland putting health warnings on drinks? Will a fall in deaths from extreme weather continue? And how should universities judge school leavers? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Abdulwahab Tahhan, Holden Frith and Felicity Capon.

May 25, 202343 min

#328 Crypto risk, stealth wealth and the end of Vice

Is crypto-currency investment just another form of gambling? Why are the rich getting harder to spot? And what caused the downfall of Vice Media. Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Guy Anker, Sorcha Bradley and Mariana Vieira

May 18, 202342 min

#327 Erdogan’s last stand, childbirth in prison and Cleopatra

Could Turkey’s strongman president really lose this weekend’s election? Are we failing women who give birth in prison? And why do depictions of Cleopatra hit a racial nerve? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Julia O’Driscoll, Harriet Marsden and Jamie Timson NB: This episode was recorded before third-party candidate Muharrem İnce withdrew from the Turkish election on Thursday afternoon. His absence is thought likely to...

May 11, 202339 min

#326 Chinese job creation, an olive crisis and private jets

Will Chinese graduates choose to head for the villages? Why are so many olive trees dying? And are private jets too popular for the planet’s good? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Cindy Yu, Holden Frith and Leaf Arbuthnot

May 04, 202338 min

#325 Argentinian lithium, airborne rights and cats

Is South America on the cusp of a ‘white gold’ rush? When is a ticket to ride not what it seems? And are cats really a human’s best friend? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Mariana Vieira, Rory Reid and Leaf Arbuthnot

Apr 27, 202341 min

#324 Latin America, true crime drama and social links

Why are journalists under threat in so much of Latin America? Can fiction ever do justice to real-life crime stories? And what is Instagram up to? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Jamie Timson, Julia O’Driscoll and Suchandrika Chakrabarti

Apr 20, 202340 min

#323 Crypto power, a Grenfell deal and Vaccine lawsuits

Will Bitcoin cost the Earth? Are victims of the Grenfell fire getting justice? And how should people be compensated for vaccine side-effects? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Felicity Capon, Guy Anker and Arion McNicoll

Apr 13, 202345 min

#322 Hostage policy, time poverty and squirrels

How should Britain deal with state-sponsored hostage-taking? Why do we all feel like we have less free time? And will a vaccine save red squirrels? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Holden Frith, Arion McNicoll and Emma Smith.

Apr 06, 202339 min

#321 Reincarnation, Jack Ma and the nature of time

Who will be the next Dalai Lama? Why has China’s leading entrepreneur gone home? And will we stop fiddling with timezones? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Jamie Timson, Mariana Vieira and Julia O’Driscoll

Mar 30, 202338 min

#320 Life expectancy, Palestinians and summing up Sturgeon

Why aren’t Brits living as long as they might have hoped? Who is questioning the existence of Palestinians? And what will be the legacy of Nicola Sturgeon? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Leaf Arbuthnot, Abdulwahab Tahhan and Cindy Yu

Mar 24, 202338 min

#319 Russia vs Bali, AI upgraded and a plague of seaweed

Do Russian tourists in Bali deserve their reputation? What will Chat GPT do next? And why is sargassum causing a stink in Florida? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Suchandrika Chakrabarti, Rory Reid and Sorcha Bradley

Mar 17, 202344 min

#318 Weight-loss jab, Fox News and the high seas

Are weight-loss "wonder drugs" really so wonderful? Should we care if political pundits are parroting bogus claims? And why is a new high seas treaty making waves? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Jamie Timson, Arion McNicoll and Felicity Capon

Mar 10, 202343 min

Introducing: Richard Wiseman's On Your Mind

"In today's special collaboration, we're featuring an episode from the new podcast "Richard Wiseman's On Your Mind," hosted by Richard Wiseman, Britain's only professor in the Public Understanding of Psychology, and science journalist Marnie Chesterson. Together, they explore the fascinating topic of laughter, discussing why humans have evolved to laugh and the numerous benefits that laughing has on our mental and physical health. Richard also reveals details from the biggest ever scientific stu...

Mar 07, 202331 min

#317 Connectivity costs, Syrian diplomacy and French football

Why are broadband customers facing hefty price hikes? Are Arab nations about to re-engage with Syria? And what's going on with the French women's football team? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Julia Macfarlane, Guy Anker and Emma Smith

Mar 03, 202339 min

#316 Korean succession, terror by algorithm and German disquiet

Could a 10-year-old girl rule North Korea? Will an Isis victim upend web law? And why is Germany upset with its Oscars contender? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Sorcha Bradley, Jamie Timson and Arion McNicoll

Feb 24, 202338 min

#315 The male pill, consultants and a green trade war

Will men finally get an oral contraceptive? Is the government using too many consultants? And why are the US and EU at loggerheads over green tech? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Holden Frith, Leaf Arbuthnot and Cindy Yu

Feb 17, 202343 min

#314 Chinese chips, the Pope in Africa and podcasting

Is China losing the microchip war? What is the Vatican doing in South Sudan? And has the podcast tide turned? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Rory Reid, Mariana Vieira and Suchandrika Chakrabarti

Feb 10, 202339 min

#313 Presidential secrets, stolen art and a new Barbie

Why are US presidents in trouble with the National Archives? Is art confiscated by the Nazis heading back to its rightful owners? And will a doll with a back brace break down barriers? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Arion McNicoll, Julia O’Driscoll and Suchandrika Chakrabarti

Feb 03, 202341 min

#312 Sex and health, the Earth’s core and another new year

Is the NHS failing British women? What’s going on at the centre of our planet? And what’s in a date? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Leaf Arbuthnot, Holden Frith and Abdulwahab Tahhan

Jan 27, 202343 min

#311 Antisocial Saudis, hormone therapy and retro tech

Why is Saudi Arabia investing in – and banning – social networks? Will new research make life easier for trans women? And is the future of technology dumb? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Arion McNicoll, Emma Smith and Jess Hullinger

Jan 20, 202341 min

#310 AI in court, Germans in Taiwan and ghostwriters

Could artificial intelligence replace lawyers? What does Taiwan want from Germany? And are ghostwriters becoming less ghostly? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Jamie Timson, Mariana Vieira and Kate Samuelson

Jan 13, 202341 min

#309 Millennial politics, Japanese payments and Swedish wolves

Are today’s young voters staying leftier for longer? Will cash incentives get people to leave Tokyo? And why are endangered wolves facing a cull? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Julia O’Driscoll, Arion McNicoll and Suchandrika Chakrabarti.

Jan 07, 202340 min

The Year Unwrapped: Aegean wargames, white refugees and why gossip matters

Are Greece and Turkey spoiling for a fight? Does skin colour determine how we view asylum seekers? And is gossip good for us? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past 365 days. With Julia Macfarlane, Abdulwahab Tahhan and Jamie Timson

Dec 30, 202246 min

#308 Factories, drug money and scanners

Will a UK lawsuit lead to better working conditions in Thailand? Could a new way of funding antibiotics help tackle resistance? And is airline security about to change for the better? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Julia O’Driscoll, Holden Frith and Rory Reid

Dec 23, 202241 min
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