Just when you thought it was safe to look at the money pages again, two things happened last week that had economists scrambling for their calculators. The first was the price of a barrel of crude oil falling below $85: in this week’s Guardian Weekly you’ll find an extended financial package on the international winners and losers, and how a future of cheap oil could shape global thinking.
The second was a plunge on the world financial markets, prompted in part by a slowdown in the eurozone. At the heart of that lies Germany. As growth continues to stall in France and Italy, and amid doubts about Germany’s domestic investment levels, can Europe’s powerhouse keep its own financial prosperity on track? On our cover this week, Philip Oltermann looks at growing evidence of cracks in Germany’s “miracle” economy.
At last the western world seems to be waking up to the severity of the Ebola crisis, but is it too late to contain the spread of the virus? As the official death toll passes 4,500 we examine the work of volunteers on the frontline with the aid charity MSF, and consider the lessons to be learned from Nigeria, which was this week officially declared Ebola-free.
On a very different frontline, it seemed this week that efforts were finally succeeding to push back Islamic State fighters from the Syrian-Turkish border town of Kobani, aided by weapons drops from US planes and (highly guarded) support for Kurdish fighters from Turkey. Martin Chulov and Constanze Letsch bring you the latest.
In the US, Ebola and Islamic State are the topics increasingly preoccupying voters in the buildup to the midterm elections. On our Comment pages, meanwhile, Jonathan Freedland considers how both crises have severely exposed the limitations of western global diplomacy.
Elsewhere, hopes were high that Russia and Ukraine could agree a deal over gas supplies for the winter, as evidence emerged of increased Russian military activity in the Arctic.
Pro-democracy protests flared up again on the streets of Hong Kong. In Japan, two female politicians were forced to resign in a blow to those who hoped for greater equality in the country’s government. In Uruguay, gender quotas are being trialled as a means of getting more women into government.
In the UK, David Cameron was talking tough on his plans for European immigration reform, despite EU commissioner José Manuel Barroso warning that a cap on migrants would never be accepted.
Who’d be a farmer in Britain? That’s the question our Weekly Review lead asks this week. The answer, it seems – despite gruelling hours and squeezed profit margins – is quite a lot of people. We ask some of them why. Elsewhere, Le Monde reveals how subtle changes on the supermarket checkouts of Riyadh are evidence of wider social change in Saudi Arabia.
The Discovery pages take a female focus on science this week, first with a look at some of the truths surrounding menopause, and also regarding new mothers’ dilemma over whether to go with breast or bottle when it comes to baby feeding.
Books includes a review of Henry Kissinger’s geopolitics, goes in search of the perfect loaf of bread and considers the changing face of travel handbooks. Culture meets the Turner prize-winning British artist Grayson Perry.
Notes & Queries considers the secret of a good cup of coffee, and we are delighted to hear from a newcomer to the Guardian Weekly in Good To Meet You this week. (We know there are plenty more of you out there, so don’t be shy, drop us a line!)
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