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The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Is the deck stacked against Zelenskyy? Inside the 23 May Guardian Weekly
Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week likened the ongoing rounds of high-stakes diplomacy around the Ukraine-Russia war to playing a poker game against several people at once. Caught in a nightmarish game of bluff, the Ukrainian president could hardly have reached for a better analogy (as well as providing kind inspiration for illustrator Pete Reynolds' striking Guardian Weekly cover art this week). Before entering politics, Zelenskyy was a TV sitcom actor who – absurd as it even feels to recall now – played the character of a teacher who was accidentally elected president. Amid the offers, counter-offers, ultimatums and deflections, Zelenskyy's unwavering ability to play the straight man under pressure from all sides has been vital to keeping alive his country's hopes of a halfway-acceptable peace deal. But, as Shaun Walker, Pjotr Sauer and Peter Beaumont outline, a hectic week of geopolitical manoeuvring does not seem to have brought peace in Ukraine any nearer, largely due to Russia's unwillingness to meaningfully engage. A phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump merely allowed the leaders to reaffirm their strange fondness for one another without making any tangible progress on talks. And even if the winds of justice do one day turn against Putin, commentator Simon Tisdall outlines why a discredited international legal system means he is unlikely to ever face punishment for his crimes in court. Get the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home address Spotlight | Gaza's fight for survival amid new offensive and hungerCeasefire rumours are of little interest, say the bereaved who face starvation after one of Beit Lahiya's 'hardest nights'. Jason Burke and Malak A Tantesh in Gaza report Science | Inverse vaccines offer hope against autoimmune diseaseScientists hope a potential breakthrough treatment, which suppresses a particular part of the immune system rather than amplifying it, could be available within f ive years, writes David Kohn Feature | Should the convictions of Lucy Letby be overturned?When the British nurse was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, a 1980s research paper was key to the prosecution. But the author of the paper believes there has been a miscarriage of justice – and so too do other doctors. David Conn investigates Opinion | Keir Starmer must regain his political nerveLabour has good ideas and years left to change Britain, argues John Harris. Why is it acting as if its time is almost up? Culture | Inside the British Museum's mesmerising look at Indian religionsA show full of deities, snakes and shrines puts three ancient faiths in the spotlight. David Shariatmadari seeks out its inspiration in the bustling metropolis of Mumbai Heart Lamp, a short-story collection centring the lives of Indian women, by Banu Mushtaq won the 2025 International Booker prize, but all the shortlisted books here are going on my reading list. Intriguing and very different in style from much English-language fiction and, as John Self points out, mostly coming in at under 200 pages so not heavy in a commuter-reader's rucksack. Isobel Montgomery, deputy editor My local football club Crystal Palace ended a 120-year wait to win a major trophy by beating Manchester City in last weekend's FA Cup final. Palace may not be one of London's glamour teams but the club has a deep-rooted connection to the diverse community in the capital's southern suburbs, as this poignant piece by lifelong Eagles fan and Guardian football writer Ed Aarons explains. Graham Snowdon, editor Audio | What does the Nationals' split from the Coalition mean for Australian politics? Video | It's Complicated: How 'forever chemicals' have seeped into almost everything Gallery | Nightclubbing Ibiza-style, 1998-2003 We'd love to hear your thoughts on the magazine: for submissions to our letters page, please email For anything else, it's Facebook Instagram Get the Guardian Weekly magazine delivered to your home address
The Guardian
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Kashmir in crisis / Carney's carnival: inside the 2 May Guardian Weekly
The covers of our Global and North America editions of the Guardian Weekly take different directions this week. The North America edition showcases Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, who achieved a remarkable victory in Monday's federal election. As our reporter in Ottawa Leyland Cecco explains, Carney reversed a huge Liberal party poll deficit after voters backed him over his conservative opponent, Pierre Poilievre, to stand up to the threats of Donald Trump. Can the dour but tough former central banker succeed in fending off the aggressive advances of his US counterpart? For all other international editions of the magazine, the cover focuses on the crisis over Kashmir, where a terrorist attack on tourists last week brought relations between India and Pakistan back to boiling point. Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Aakash Hassan and Peter Beaumont report on the latest turmoil engulfing the Himalayan region. Get the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home address The big story | Kharkiv suffers in the shadow of a peace dealWhile US-led negotiations threaten to carve up Ukraine, deadly Russian attacks continue amid deep cynicism about the process. Luke Harding reports from a city under siege Science | Why f ish farms on the moon aren't such a wild ideaThe Lunar Hatch project is studying whether aquaculture might be able to provide a source of protein for astronauts on space missions. Kim Willsher paid them a visit Feature | The dirtiest race in Olympic historyHow did the 2012 Olympics women's 1500m get its reputation? Athletes cheated out of medals talk to Esther Addley about what happened – and how the results unravelled Opinion | Will Pope Francis's compassionate legacy endure?Some, especially within the US, see the forthcoming conclave as an opportunity to establish a more conservative leader, says Guardian associate editor Julian Coman Culture | The genius of Barrie Kosky and his Wagner phantasmagoriaHe put Carmen in a gorilla suit and had Das Rheingold's Erda represented by a naked elderly woman. What are the the opera director's plans for his edge-of-the-seat Die Walküre? Fiona Maddocks finds out The photographs of Georgia and train travel pulled me into an inspiring piece on following the old hippie trail as far as it can now go. I'd happily follow in the writer's footsteps, but would stop in Tbilisi and then take the train back home by a different route. Isobel Montgomery, Guardian Weekly deputy editor How did the niche UK publication Dogs Today score an exclusive interview with Barack Obama? And why did Somerset Life get much-coveted access to Johnny Depp? This strange and rare insight into the engine room of UK celebrity journalism is every bit as intriguing as the thought of Jack Sparrow tending his English country garden. Graham Snowdon, Guardian Weekly editor Audio | Why did Just Stop Oil just stop? Video | Could the West Bank become the next Gaza? Gallery | Blackouts tip Spain and Portugal into darkness – in pictures We'd love to hear your thoughts on the magazine: for submissions to our letters page, please email For anything else, it's Facebook Instagram Get the Guardian Weekly magazine delivered to your home address
Business Mayor
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Mayor
The UK supreme court and the definition of a woman
On paper it does not sound like something that would spark nationwide interest. Last week the UK supreme court gave its judgment on a case brought by a women's group against the Scottish government over the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018. But its judgment – that the word 'woman' in equality law refers only to biological sex – has upended years of legal interpretation. And the news of the ruling led to celebrations, protest and an outpouring of emotion. For some, such as the Guardian Weekly deputy editor, Isobel Montgomery, who is a trustee of the domestic violence charity Rise, the court's decision is reassuring. The Brighton charity offers women-only services based on biological sex, as well as separate LGBTQ services. This, she says, is essential for women who have been subject to male violence and only feel safe if they are in a space with other cis women. 'You are dealing with a cohort of people who are in great distress and deserve to be met where their trauma is,' she says. But for others, such as Ellie Gomersall, an activist for the Scottish Greens who campaigns for trans rights, the judgment is heartbreaking. 'I think this ruling means that, as trans people, it's now completely impossible for us to ever be able to just put our trans-ness behind us and go about our normal day-to-day lives. It's always going to be a question for us – are we going to be told: 'Actually, no, you can't come in here'?' The Guardian's Scotland correspondent, Libby Brooks, explains how the ruling came about and what it could mean. She tells Helen Pidd that some legal experts have explained that this legal ruling means organisations can exclude trans women from women-only facilities – but they're not obliged to do so. Read More Firm loses appeal over under-settlement amputation claim Yet with the head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission saying trans people must use toilets that fit their biological sex at birth, and that changing rooms and hospital wards should use the same criteria, it marks a serious change in public life.
The Guardian
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
The UK supreme court and the definition of a woman
On paper it does not sound like something that would spark nationwide interest. Last week the UK supreme court gave its judgment on a case brought by a women's group against the Scottish government over the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018. But its judgment – that the word 'woman' in equality law refers only to biological sex – has upended years of legal interpretation. And the news of the ruling led to celebrations, protest and an outpouring of emotion. For some, such as the Guardian Weekly deputy editor, Isobel Montgomery, who is a trustee of the domestic violence charity Rise, the court's decision is reassuring. The Brighton charity offers women-only services based on biological sex, as well as separate LGBTQ services. This, she says, is essential for women who have been subject to male violence and only feel safe if they are in a space with other cis women. 'You are dealing with a cohort of people who are in great distress and deserve to be met where their trauma is,' she says. But for others, such as Ellie Gomersall, an activist for the Scottish Greens who campaigns for trans rights, the judgment is heartbreaking. 'I think this ruling means that, as trans people, it's now completely impossible for us to ever be able to just put our trans-ness behind us and go about our normal day-to-day lives. It's always going to be a question for us – are we going to be told: 'Actually, no, you can't come in here'?' The Guardian's Scotland correspondent, Libby Brooks, explains how the ruling came about and what it could mean. She tells Helen Pidd that some legal experts have explained that this legal ruling means organisations can exclude trans women from women-only facilities – but they're not obliged to do so. Yet with the head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission saying trans people must use toilets that fit their biological sex at birth, and that changing rooms and hospital wards should use the same criteria, it marks a serious change in public life.
The Guardian
16-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Advantage China? Plus saving British Steel
In all the confusion of Donald Trump's trade policies, two things have become clearer. First, that China is the White House's main tariff target and, second, that Beijing has a strategy that may result in its economy coming out in better shape than America's. As Patrick Wintour explains for our big story, the Chinese government looks to have game-played how to 'fight to the end' against Trump's economic animus. Beijing's signal to the rest of the world that it is committed to multilateral trade and remains a stable partner has been met with a guarded welcome in Europe. As Rebecca Ratcliffe reports, China's leader Xi Jinping is also taking that message to Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia, countries that fear US tariffs may heavily damage their US export-reliant economies. Veteran China watcher Isabel Hilton also examines how the tariff wars could pay off both politically and ideologically for the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home address Spotlight | Keeping the home furnaces burning What was behind the UK government's urgent recall of parliament to pass a law taking back control of Chinese-owned British Steel? Jasper Jolly and Jessica Elgot explain. Spotlight | Still no sign of peace in UkraineDan Sabbagh reports from the eastern front as Ukrainian soldiers resign themselves to fight on into a third summer. He also analyses whether Russia's horrific Palm Sunday attack on residents of Sumy will alter the White House's attitude to Vladimir Putin. Feature | How thieves are rolling off with cheese (and salmon too) Thefts of artisan cheese and other expensive delicacies are on the rise in the UK via scam orders that, as Will Coldwell finds out, have broken the trust between producers and their wholesale customers. Opinion | Canadian pride swells after Trump's attacksBranding his northern neighbour the 51st state has done the US president no favours, says Chris Michael, who charts the ways in which such a ridiculous claim has only boosted unity in Canada. Culture | The fabric of homeSean O'Hagan meets South Korean artist Do Ho Suh ahead of a major Tate Modern exhibition of how places he has lived have influenced his work. Having just got back from an idyllic weekend of fell walking in England's Lake District, I was intrigued to learn about a new trail dedicated to the region's most famous bard, William Wordsworth. In truth, the spirits of the Lake Poets will accompany you along pretty much any path, but for first-time visitors this makes a fine starting point. Graham Snowdon, editor The novelty of travelling by train from London to cities in Europe has still not worn off after three decades of journeys on Eurostar. However, the operation is in severe need of a refresh, with Covid and Brexit both taking their toll on the service. Jonn Elledge has his fingers crossed for a brighter future. Anthony Naughton, assistant editor Audio | Ta-Nehisi Coates on why stories matter in the age of Trump – podcast Video | Atomic secrets: Ukrainian scientist Dmitry Kalmykov Dmitry debates Kazakhstan's nuclear future Gallery | Dylan Hausthor's small town dreamscape delve into faith, folklore and nature We'd love to hear your thoughts on the magazine: for submissions to our letters page, please email For anything else, it's Facebook Instagram Get the Guardian Weekly magazine delivered to your home address
