Madagascar rarely makes front page news but the toppling of its president by protesters led by Gen Z Madagascar is part of a phenomenon that stretches from Nepal to Indonesia and the Philippines to Morocco. Leaderless groups, formed online, have learned from one another as they take to the streets to vent their frustration against what they see as corrupt older elites and a lack of economic opportunity for their generation.
Our southern Africa correspondent, Rachel Savage, explains how a tumultuous month unfolded on the Indian Ocean island and explores the deep-seated discontent that led to the military siding with student demonstrators to force President Andry Rajoelina out of power.
Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Spotlight | A far-right fight club on their hands Ben Makuch reports on security service monitoring of ‘active clubs’ as they move across borders to spread extremism, mixing the behaviour of football hooligans with the ideology of the Third Reich
Benin bronzes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Photograph: Art2010/Alamy
Spotlight | Nothing to see here? Due to open within weeks,Nigeria’s Museum of West African art is intended to showcase the Benin bronzes and other masterpieces stolen by 19th-century colonisers. But the project has been beset by political rows that mean, as Philip Oltermannand Eromo Egbejule report, visitors will see more replicas than original pieces
Science | Waiting for graphene to explode Two decades after the material was first produced and then much hyped, graphene has dropped from business and general discussion. Julia Kollewe reports on the successes and setbacks of taking it from lab to mainstream use
Opinion | An A-level in English won’t make integration work A government demand that immigrants get a qualification that most British citizens don’t have if they want to earn the right to stay is the latest absurd way to focus on ‘outsiders’ rather than address domestic problems, argues Nesrine Malik
Culture | The hardest part David Harewood reflects on returning to play Othello after almost 20 years and with fellow Black actors looks at how attitudes to Shakespeare’s most difficult tragedy have changed
What else we’ve been reading
The year’s Stirling prize has gone to a social housing complex for older people in south-east London. Catherine Slessor writes with great enthusiasm about how the award-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann have completely reimagined accommodation for later life. Out with disorientating corridors, in with bright, informal, nature filled spaces, described by the Stirling judges as “a provision of pure delight”. Emily El Nusairi, deputy production editor
Kathryn Lewek as the Queen Of The Night in The Magic Flute at the Royal Opera House. Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian
I saw The Magic Flute in Paris last year, and it was fascinating to see how different opera houses interpret the staging. This review of a London production made me reflect on the way different directors handle staging and sound to bring the story to life. It reminded me of listening to the Queen of the Night’s aria when I was growing up and the experience of seeing opera live. Hyunmu Lee, CRM executive
Last week was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. A day of prayer and staying away from news. As people made their way to Heaton Park synagogue in north Manchester, they saw a small car being driven erratically before it crashed into the gates. In seconds, Jihad al-Shamie had jumped from the vehicle and started stabbing those nearby. Within six minutes three people had been killed, including the attacker, who was shot by armed police.
For our cover story, Chris Osuh and Geneva Abdul speak to members of the Jewish community about how they feared such an assault was likely, as well as their hopes for unity in the face of hatred. Our reporting team pieces together what is known about Shamie, and Jonathan Freedland says the terror attack was no surprise amid rising antisemitism, but must be a turning point.
Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Spotlight | A chilling message David Smith reports on how Donald Trump is stepping up attacks on Democratic donors little more than a year before the midterm elections for Congress
Science | Catching Zs If you’ve ever found yourself awake in the small hours, mind whirring, you’re not alone. Jillian Pretzel asks experts about what causes maintenance insomnia – inability to stay asleep – and which treatments can help to tackle it
Feature | Broken connection A volcanic eruption in the South Pacific in 2022 ripped apart the underwater cables that connect Tonga to the world.Samanth Subramanian examines how losing the internet catapulted the archipelago back in time
Opinion | Man without a plan? Latin American governments are fretfully watching a big US military buildup around Venezuela as Donald Trump steps up action against drug cartels. The president’s efforts to act as a neighbourhood policeman, writes Simon Tisdall, are regressive, dangerous and almost certain to backfire
Culture | Boss mode New biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere captures the musician at a pivotal point in his career. Alexis Petridis speaks to the film’s cast and crew about bringing the musical icon to life
The killing of Charlie Kirk last week sent shock waves through America among both supporters and opponents of his views. Yet until last week, the young rightwing activist was relatively unheard of – by older generations anyway – outside the US.
As the ripples and implications of his death continue to spread across the US and beyond, our big story takes a step back. Washington bureau chief David Smith explains how the young activist rose to prominence and gained a place within Donald Trump’s inner circle, his provocative brand of populism and charisma playing an outsize role in the Republicans’ 2024 election victory. As Steve Bannon, the prominent rightwing commentator, told the Guardian, Kirk’s popularity with young voters “changed the ground game” for Trump and the Maga movement.
Spotlight | Why has England become festooned with flags? Chief reporter Daniel Boffey visits a Birmingham suburb to track down the genesis of a movement that wants to see the union jacks or the flag of St George displayed across the country
Special investigation | Boris Johnson’s pursuit of profit A cache of leaked documents show a blurring of lines in the former prime minister’s private business ventures and political role after leaving office, our investigations team reveals
Feature | The porn business stripped bare In Amsterdam, at Europe’s biggest pornography conference, Amelia Gentleman discovers the perils of a booming industry, from burnout to the advent of AI
Opinion | Trump is just a paper tiger While the US president likes to present himself as the biggest, baddest strongman, he crumples in the face of Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin’s belligerence, says Simon Tisdall
Culture | The power of pure pop Famous for getting us through lockdowns with her kitchen disco and a stream of catchy hits, Sophie Ellis-Bextor tells Rebecca Nicholson about why the perimenopause is a gift to renewed creativity
Xi Jinping had been waiting for the right moment to serve notice of China’s growing might and influence to the rest of the world, and the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war provided the Mao-suited Chinese leader with the perfect opportunity.
Last week’s bombastic (or should that be bomb-tastic?) military parade in Beijing – in the presence of Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and a host of other global strongmen – was intended as a show of force and stability to contrast sharply with the chaotic unpredictability of Donald Trump’s America. And, as the leaders of the world’s most notorious pariah states bear-hugged and strolled around Tiananmen Square like the cast of Reservoir Dogs, the optics did not disappoint.
But behind the scenes, how robust actually is the so-called “axis of upheaval”? As our big story this week explores, the illiberal alliance is riven by internal fractures and mistrust between China, Russia and North Korea that date back many years and cannot be discarded as quickly as Xi, or anyone else, might like.
Spotlight | France’s latest political crisis The fall this week of prime minister François Bayrou exposed a political malaise that is likely to sour French politics well beyond the 2027 presidential election, reports Paris correspondent Angelique Chrisafis
Interview | Leonard Barden, chairman of the chess board From honing his game in air raid shelters during the second world war to beating grand masters, our record-breaking chess columnist has lived an extraordinary life. Now aged 96, he chats to our chief sports reporter Sean Ingle
Feature | Syria’s cycle of sectarian violence Over a few brutal days in March, as sectarian violence and revenge killings tore through parts of the country, two friends from different communities tried to find a way to survive. By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad
Opinion | Angela Rayner’s exit is a bombshell for Keir Starmer The UK deputy prime minister’s fall will exacerbate all the doubts about the PM himself and his ability to keep Labour in power, writes Jonathan Freedland
Culture | Spinal Tap turn it up to 11, one last time More than 40 years since the film This Is Spinal Tap was mistaken for a comedy, its hard-rocking subjects are back for a legally obligated final gig. Our writer Michael Hann smells the glove
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