One hundred days in office, and how the world has changed. China is America’s new friend and Russia is now the foe, Canada and Mexico have made the case for retaining, rather than ripping up, Nafta, and the spectre of war hangs heavy over the Korean peninsula.
We kick off the latest edition of the Weekly with a report from the village set to be a focal point of any new Korean conflict. Guardian correspondent Justin McCurry, who is based in Japan, travels to South Korea to meet the people of Seongju, who woke up last week to find missile defences installed in a community that was previously best-known as a retreat for amateur golfers.
As US President Donald Trump contributes to tensions in North-east Asia, Washington correspondent David Smith captures for our international news pages the first 100 days of his presidency. As a regular Weekly reader, you will no doubt be familiar with the many twists and turns: I’ll leave it to Smith to fill in the details. We also profile Democrat Elizabeth Warren, one of those “nasty women” who is happy to take on Trump. She may well be the opponent of choice in the presidential election to come (that’d be 2020, which seems a long way off).
Our international coverage roams widely, as you’d expect. We report from the Middle East on the flight of Islamic State fighters as the caliphate crumbles, from South Africa on divisions within the ANC, from Spain on the risky business of being an environmental ranger, and from the UK, where Tim Hortons, Canada’s most-loved coffee chain, hopes to make inroads.
With a general election in Britain in June, we keep you informed on the latest political developments, including a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Theresa May for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that was described as disastrous for Britain’s hopes of a clean and simple Brexit. There would seem to be a significant disconnect when it comes to expectations around the split.
Comment weighs in on politics and protest in Hungary, the need for strong leadership at the World Health Organisation, and sings the praises of British inventor Richard Browning, who has been dubbed “Wiltshire’s Iron Man”. And yes, that likely is what you imagine.
On our letters page, you shared thoughts on protest, protectionism, and the music that made you cry. Please do send along your thoughts on our coverage. We welcome letters for publication, which you can email to us at weekly.letters@theguardian.com.
There’s more great reading at the back of the book, where our Review opener explodes the myth of the lone wolf terrorist. The Discovery pages marvel at the mysteries revealed by blood. Our book reviews unpick digital monopolies, revisit a radical, and explore the lasting allure of the hardboiled detective story.
Culture offers up some super distractions from the daily grind. Artist Chris Ofili finds new inspiration in Trinidad, musician Bruno Mars shows he’s a mover onstage, and Unforgettable proves a bit of film-goer fun.
Nature watch is especially eloquent as naturalist Paul Evans puts the countryside of Figsbury Ring, in Wiltshire, into poetic perspective. I hope you find it a deeply calming piece of writing.
Speaking of the daily grind, an interesting statistic stayed with me from this edition. Coffee chain Tim Hortons sells four out of every five cups of coffee sold in Canada. I must confess, in my frequent visits to see family and friends, that I have contributed to this statistic with the occasional filter coffee, though not necessarily with the country’s favourite order (that would be a double-double – a uniquely Canadian phrase to indicate two creams, two sugars). The grind doesn’t always need to feel draining, it would seem!
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