The Guardian Weekly (October 31, 2024) – The new issue features ‘The Balance Of Power’ – What the U.S. election could mean for the world…

Five essential reads in this week’s edition

1

Spotlight | Israel and Iran’s war comes out of the shadows
The Observer’s Simon Tisdall considers the consequences for the region of Israel’s weekend missile strikes on Iran

2

Environment | The Colombian warlord who reneged on deforestation
As the Cop16 nature summit in Colombia comes to a close, Luke Taylor tells a story that highlights the country’s complex relationship between environmental aspiration and political will

3

Feature | The brain collector
Using cutting-edge methods, Alexandra Morton-Hayward is unravelling the extraordinary mysteries of grey matter – even as hers betrays her. By Kermit Pattison

4

Opinion | It’s time to tell it how it is: Trump has fascist instincts
Those who know him best use the F-word to describe the former president. Every warning light is flashing red, argues Jonathan Freedland

5

Culture | The intersection of art and war in Ukraine
Poets, artists, playwrights and musicians are fighting and dying in Ukraine, and their work is capturing the horror and emotion of the conflict, finds Charlotte Higgins