What fun we have selecting an image for the front page of the Weekly. Well, most of the time.
The cyberwar theme, which holds sway as our opener this edition, could have been illustrated in many different ways. We did, in fact, try the page out with several photo options. In the end, the story seemed best illustrated with a circuit board, adorned by an electric blue bug.
Not all is well in the high-tech world, where computer attacks are considered by the likes of Nato to be as dangerous as conventional warfare. We think the image helps to tell this highly newsworthy tale. We also hope it’s eye-catching on the highly competitive newsstand.
There are more great reads inside.
The Guardian’s award-winning Saeed Kamali Dehghan, a true Tehran insider, considers Iran after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. With Khamenei recently ailing, it’s a timely and considered piece of analysis.
Still with the region, Guardian Middle East editor Ian Black brings his expertise to bear in analysing the wider ambitions of the United Arab Emirates in leading the battle against Islamic State. From New York, meanwhile, Spencer Ackerman reports on the foreign jihadis flocking to Iraq and Syria in support of Isis.
Has Ebola reached a turning point? That’s an idea that was floated last week by one medical expert, though it’s probably too soon to tell. We keep you current on efforts to stem the epidemic, and on moves by some countries to keep the virus out. It’s not often that Canada, North Korea and Australia slip into the same sentence. Our page 7 coverage on the Ebola outbreak will explain why. Further along in the paper, our Discovery spread looks at efforts to develop a vaccine.
And keeping with our in-depth look at issues, Guardian European editor Ian Traynor brings us an interview with the EU’s new foreign policy chief, Italian Federica Mogherini, providing some initial insights into her stance on Ukraine and the Middle East. Traynor also gives us a special report on the state of politics in Hungary, where the rightwing prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has truly consolidated his grip on power.
Comment is full of attitude and intelligence.
Timothy Garton Ash writes on the opening of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, finding an occasion for real hope. And Martin Kettle weighs in on British Labour leader Ed Miliband, urging the party to connect with its southern marginal seats if it’s to stand a chance in next year’s general election.
It has been 25 years since the Berlin Wall came down. No doubt many of you will marvel at that, as I do, and recall where you were, and what you were doing at the time. (I was in Japan and recall vividly showcasing this stunning event on the international news pages of the Daily Yomiuri, where I worked.) Author Will Self walks the wall, and ponders Germany’s 20th-century history. I loved this piece, and hope you find it a thoughtful and insightful read.
Turning to lighter coverage, partner paper Le Monde brings us a good read on the triumphs of the woman who ensured Veuve Clicquot’s success. This is something I’ll happily raise a glass to! Further along, Le Monde also brings an interesting piece of reportage on the battle over objects of colonial origin.
On our Books pages, meanwhile, our other partner paper, the Washington Post, reviews what sounds like an excellent read on the invention of the birth control pill. This week, like so many others, I feel that I must purchase most of what we review. Our book reviews should come with some sort of warning, since buying and carrying that many books could be potentially hazardous to health!
As always, your contributions abound. I marvel at the amazing readers in our Good to meet you column. Notes and Queries is, as always, full of jolly japes. Over on Letters, you folks get serious, and we love that too! Why not contribute?
Don’t hesitate to share your feedback. You can send me an email by clicking here. And thanks for reading.
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