The Guardian Weekly magazine is a round-up of the world news, opinion and long reads that have shaped the week. Inside, the past seven days' most memorable stories are reframed with striking photography and insightful companion pieces, all handpicked from The Guardian and The Observer.
Editor’s notes
Global report • Headlines from the last seven days
United Kingdom
Eyewitness
SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT
Meltdown Is Trump’s presidency spiralling? • The president has opened widening fissures in his base by starting a war he couldn’t finish with Iran, stoking inflation and offending Christians. Barred from running again, he may feel he has nothing to lose
‘Just war’ doctrine • Popesplaining Vance merely exposes his own lack of knowledge
Pulp friction • Defence chief Hegseth channels his inner Tarantino
Trump’s fall guy • Vance was Maga’s great hope. How much more of this can he take?
Bittersweet return south to villages destroyed by airstrikes
Global player • Islamabad pushes for peace and raises its prof ile
Shifting ties Is the EU about to change its stance on Gaza? • With Orbán gone and Meloni pulling back, the prospect of sanctions on trade and settlers is edging closer
Under pressure • How safe is Starmer after the Mandelson vetting failure?
‘Staggering’ • How the vetting scandal unfolded
‘Pure shock’ • Revelations about Peter Mandelson’s vetting failure will be pored over in coming weeks, and inquiries into who knew what, and when, could decide Keir Starmer’s fate
The families still fighting for justice after 30 years • Hearings into the atrocities of apartheid began with hope in 1985. But the long road to justice symbolises the limitations of the commission
Older users answer call to make the most of smartphones
Bay watch • Shipwrecks give up centuries of sunken tales
Ground force • ‘Without them there is no life on Earth’ Fungi play a key role in ecosystems and storing carbon, so African scientists are championing the preservation of ‘funga’ as much as flora and fauna
‘This is a racist state’: first Black VP on four tough years
Out of office • A rebirth or a rebrand for Justin Trudeau?
The lost joy of doing things • From art to education and singing to sex, many things seem to be sold to us for the material benefits they can bring. What if instead we just appreciate things for their own intrinsic merits and live in the moment?
Far rights and wrongs • It starts with a ‘back in my day’ Facebook post or the sharing of a nostalgic meme – then suddenly Grandma is repeating conspiracy theories and praising Tommy Robinson. Family members open up about how they are coping with older relatives who have drifted towards extremism
Larry Elliott • AI is destroying jobs – and our governments are far from ready
Brigid Delaney • The scapegoating of Meghan reveals hidden anxieties of the public
George Monbiot • In a war of unintended consequences, green technology is a winner
The Guardian View • Japan’s cherry blossom data is a record of longevity and of changing times
Opinion Letters
BECKY BARNICOAT ON MILLENNIAL LIFE
The look of love • How the female gaze is finally bringing the desires and interior lives of women to film, TV and fiction
Hold fire The shooter game where chat reigns • In Arc Raiders’ cut-throat world, players are opting to team up and open up – a phenomenon that’s intriguing game developers and psychologists alike
The new circus of curiosities • The V&A’s latest museum created by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey in London’s Olympic Park is a honey-hued triumph of human ingenuity
Reviews
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