I often write about the latest edition of the Guardian Weekly rolling off the presses. This week, it was a treat to actually see the Weekly being printed at the Guardian’s towering presses in east London. The visit was a wonderful reminder that we are not the only ones, here in the newsroom at King’s Cross, who are passionate about this newspaper, and who bring care and attention to the work of the Weekly.
The Guardian Weekly is much more than paper and ink. It is a community of writers from four different publications; of journalists on the Weekly team here in London who edit with integrity; and of exceptional support staff, such as our Stratford printers.
But, ultimately, the Weekly is you.
With this in mind, we’ll be contacting some of you in the weeks ahead to ask for your participation in a project that helps celebrate the Weekly’s community. We’re working up an innovative online interactive to better connect our audience. Please do watch your email for a message from gwcommunity@theguardian.com for more. Also watch this space!
This week’s cover focuses on the first-round vote in presidential elections in Austria. We’ve chosen this piece for the front because of the shock nature of the rightwing win, and what it says about the shifting political dynamics of Europe. Not surprisingly, immigration was a key issue in the poll for president, a role that has been largely ceremonial. The victor, Norbert Hofer, of the Freedom party, made clear the result was an “intermediary step” on the way to a wider challenge to Austria’s political system. A reason, indeed, to play this on the front.
We report on moves by Donald Trump’s Republican rivals to block him from reaching the number of delegates needed to secure the party’s presidential nomination, we catch up with an independent report that condemns official errors and omissions in the case of Mexico’s 43 missing student teachers, and we check in with the Nepalese, still grappling, a year on, with the aftermath of a massive earthquake.
We also report extensively on environmental issues, from the official signing of the landmark Paris climate accord, to the impact of drought in southern Africa, to mounting rubbish problems in India. Knowing the environment is a concern to Weekly readers, I do hope you find this coverage informative.
US President Barack Obama passed through London for lunch with the Queen (celebrating her 90th birthday), and also took the time to speak extensively on the dangers of Britain exiting the European Union. We feature this story on our UK news pages.
The Comment pages consider Norway’s treatment of mass killer Anders Breivik, executive pay, and the stance of Indigenous Australians when it comes to climbing Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock).
One of our most moving pieces appears in Review, and meets the Vietnamese boat people who, having been rescued by a British ship in 1978, lived to tell the tale. I dabbed a tear or two from my eye at the end of this fine piece by senior writer Chris McGreal (don’t tell the rest of the Weekly team!). I hope you find it equally engaging.
Of course there’s lots more in Discovery, Books, Culture, Diversions and Sport to keep you fixed to the edition. But as members of the Weekly family, you’ll likely know this well! As always, thank you for taking the time to sit down and read deeply. We value your feedback on the editorial content, which you can email to me directly by clicking here.
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