There’s been a dearth of in-depth writing from the Philippines since Rodrigo Duterte became president in June. Sure, there’s been news of the foul-mouthed former mayor insulting world leaders, of alliances he intends to forge - or forego - in Asia, and pieces about the rising death toll in the country’s war on drugs.
But there was no deep look at the shocking violence that’s unfolding, how it has been incited, and why it is being sanctioned. Then came a quite exceptional piece of reporting from journalist Kate Lamb, who often files to the Guardian on events in South-East Asia. It was a piece that delved into the secret squads sanctioned to murder. Disturbing and important, it is brave reporting. You will find it in the deeper-read Review section of the edition this week.
Our cover has been given over to equally compelling and important writing from another part of the world where social issues are at the forefront. Latin America correspondent Jonathan Watts travelled through Venezuela to discover how that country is coping with an economic implosion that’s unstitching society. Supermarket shelves sit unstocked, medicines are in short supply and the once-proud bolivar now fails to function as a proper currency (sort of like sterling, but more on that later...). It’s a very good piece indeed.
Inside the paper, we report on rebel-held Aleppo’s spiral of despair, the latest debate in the US presidential race, Hurricane Matthew’s impact on Haiti, and the state of the free press in Russia (hint: it’s not great).
Our UK coverage takes in the flash crash that stunned sterling last week, as the pound lost more than 8% of its value in a mere eight minutes, likely because of the government’s tough position on Brexit. From the political side of things, the prime minister, Theresa May, has positioned herself as an agent of change in efforts to give the Conservative party a populist spin. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, consolidated his grip on the party with a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet roles.
Our Comment section is rock solid. In Britain’s post-referendum reality, columnist Jonathan Freedland bemoans the absence of strong political representation for the 48% who voted to remain within the European Union. And rightly so. Opinion-maker Natalie Nougayrède looks for the anger over Aleppo, and we consider the impact of US-Russia discord. On a more upbeat note, our writers hail the ratification of the Paris climate accord and laud the awarding of the Nobel prize for peace.
There are some wonderful people pieces elsewhere in the paper. We profile an adventurer who is searching doggedly for the truth about flight MH370. On the Discovery pages, we find 97-year-old James Lovelock, the father of the Gaia hypothesis, on very good form indeed. And endeavouring to offer something for everyone, our Books pages review Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography. Who could resist notes from inside the Boss’s mind?
I find myself amazed every week, once the edition is completed, by the depth and range of the Weekly’s coverage. It truly is a place where the world comes together. I hope you find this week’s reading satisfying, and welcome your thoughts on the editorial content, which you can send to me by clicking here.
Would you like to change your delivery address? Your email address? Suspend delivery? You can manage your account online here.
Are you a subscriber looking for our digital edition? Click here. This edition can be viewed by subscribers on desktops, laptops, iPads, iPhones, some Kindles, Android tablets and smartphones. Log in on the device to the digital edition and the technology should take you to the correct format.
