How difficult could it possibly be to pick up where I left off some 20 years ago, and study Japanese? The most obvious answer, which I failed to fully consider, was: very.
As I grapple with grammar, and the kana and kanji writing systems, the Weekly’s deeper-read section visits an elementary school just 80km from Tokyo with only six students. The dash to urban areas has meant dwindling populations in Japan’s more isolated communities, as this piece explores.
But it was politics, not education in Asia, that dominated the news agenda in many parts of the world in the week just passed.
A stunning electoral outcome in Britain clearly commanded centre stage here in the Guardian’s London newsroom, as David Cameron’s Conservative party swept to a surprising majority in the general election. The outcome felled two political leaders, with resignations in both the Labour and Liberal Democrat camps.
What does this mean for social programmes? What are the implications for the economy? Or for Britain’s engagement in Europe? We consider these aspects, and others too, in two pages of news coverage, a spread of Comment and Debate, and an editorial Leader. It will come as no surprise that there is much, much more on the website, which you can view by clicking here.
The British election wasn’t the only poll that caught our eye here at the Weekly’s news desk.
As Conservatism claimed success in Britain, a more left-wing outlook earned victory in the Canadian oil-producing province of Alberta, where the New Democratic party’s Rachel Notley secured victory. What this means for the politics of environment in the months before the crucial Paris climate conference, as well as for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who faces a federal election later this year, was certainly worthy of focus. And so we feature this story on our front page.
Elsewhere, another earthquake struck Nepal, there were fears of a refugee crisis in south-east Asia, the NSA’s mass surveillance program was deemed illegal in the US, Saudi Arabia’s king pulled out of an important summit organised by the US, and a shaky coalition formed in Israel spelled trouble for leader Binyamin Netanyahu. We cover it all on our news pages.
Finance considers the race to the top in cities such as New York, Toronto and San Francisco, and the implications of a high-rise building boom for sunlight at street level. Have these monsters, and the shadows they cast, created a new class of haves and have-nots?
In addition to the Japanese schools piece I mentioned earlier, our Review section opens with a wonderful read by Martin Woollacott on the fall of Saigon. Woollacott, a former foreign correspondent, was there at the time. I thoroughly enjoyed his reflections as the 40th anniversary of this event is marked.
Our Books pages roam widely, and reviews range from biology’s quest to unravel evolution, to a history of swimming in the Thames (not something I am keen to do!).
Culture considers the meaning of luxury through an exhibition of bling at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. This show runs until the end of September, so if you plan to be in London over the summer, this is one to see!
Notes & Queries wonders about the concept of raining cats and dogs. Why not prawns and fishes, one contributor asks. I can’t think of a clever riposte, though I am quite certain that many of you will. Please do send in your replies by clicking here.
In keeping with our front-page Canadian theme, this week’s featured reader in our Good to meet you column is David Malcolm, who lives in the far north. David (who I had the pleasure of coffee with here in London some years ago) claims he is one of the Weekly’s northernmost readers. Who is our southernmost, I wonder?
As always, thank you for reading. If you’d like to share any feedback, you can email me directly by clicking here. With a test looming in my language class, I’m also keen for any tips on learning kana, and remembering kanji!
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