The Week Unwrapped podcast: Assassins, audiobooks and animal sacrifice
Should Europe worry about Chechen death squads? Do audiobooks spell trouble for regular books? And why are some Hindus slaughtering animals?

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
Assassins
German authorities have expelled two Russian diplomats after a Chechen rebel was shot dead in broad daylight in a Berlin park. The murder is the latest in a string of hits on Chechen insurgency figures over the past decade, leading to suggestions that Chechnya is operating death squads across Europe and beyond.
Audiobooks
Audiobook sales are on course to overtake ebooks in the UK after trebling since 2014, according to new research by consultant firm Deloitte. But how does swapping our Kindles for headphones affect our relationship with the written word - and can listening to stories really compare with reading?
Animal sacrifice
This week, thousands of Hindus will descend on a remote corner of Nepal to witness the brutal slaughter of up to half a million live animals. To the devout, it’s an important ritual sacrifice. To outsiders, it’s an unjustifiable bloodbath. Who is right?
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped on the Global Player, Apple podcasts, SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. It is produced by Sarah Myles and the music is by Tom Mawby.