Tag Archives: Xi Jinping

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – OCTOBER 31, 2025 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘Pressure Points’ – Will US sanctions put the squeeze on Putin?

Donald Trump’s sudden decision last week to sanction Russian oil producers suggested the US president has finally lost patience with Vladimir Putin after a series of fruitless talks over ending the war in Ukraine.

Could it break the deadlock? Oil sanctions have the potential to genuinely damage Moscow’s finances, as the Russian president himself admitted last week. It remains to be seen, though, whether economic pressure alone can bend Putin’s arm over a conflict he views as defining to his legacy.

In this week’s big story, Guardian Russia affairs reporter Pjotr Sauer asks whether sanctions could succeed where diplomacy has failed, while Christopher S Chivvis of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argues that a negotiated settlement remains the likeliest way to bring nearly four years of fighting to a halt.

In the frontline Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, senior reporter Peter Beaumont finds little hope of a quick resolution, with much of the population having left and the remaining soldiers stuck in a war they believe is “going nowhere for either side”.

Five essential reads in this week’s edition

Spotlight | The populist leaders’ economic playbook
From Milei to Meloni, are the economics of populism always doomed to failure? This long read from economics editor Heather Stewart tries to bridge the gaps between populist aspiration and fiscal reality

Environment | The deadly migration routes of elephants
Human-wildlife conflict has overtaken poaching as a cause of fatalities among elephants – and is deadly for people too. Now some villages are finding new ways to live alongside the mammals, reports Patrick Greenfield

Interview | Is Jimmy Wales the good guy of the internet?
The Wikipedia founder stands out from his contemporaries for being driven by more than money. But can the people’s encyclopedia withstand attacks from AI and Elon Musk? By David Shariatmadari

Opinion | Without genuine truth and justice, the war in Gaza cannot end
A fragile ceasefire is in place, but what’s needed is an international tribunal for resolution and reparation. That’s the only route to lasting peace, argues Simon Tisdall

Culture | The electrifying genius of Gerhard Richter
He has painted everything from a candle to 9/11, walked his naked wife through photographic mist, and turned Titian into a sacred jumble. A new Paris show reveals the German artist in all his contradictory brilliance, says Adrian Searle

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – OCTOBER 24, 2025 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘Youth Quake’ – How Gen Z protesters toppled Madagascar’s leader.

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.
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 Oltermann and 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.
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

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – OCTOBER 11, 2025 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘Day Of Darkness’ – With antisemitism on the rise in Britain, was the Manchester attack inevitable?

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 GUARDIAN WEEKLY – SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘Divided States’ – Will Charlie Kirk’s Death Change America?

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

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘The Axis of Upheaval…and what it means for the West’

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

The Economist Magazine – December 14, 2024 Preview

All weekly editions | The Economist

The Economist Magazine (December 12, 2024): The latest issue features ‘What Now?’…

How the new Syria might succeed or fail

The end of the house of Assad. Much will go wrong. But for now, celebrate a tyrant’s fall

What Spain can teach the rest of Europe

Our number-crunching suggests it was the best-performing rich economy in 2024

America’s searing market rally brings new risks

Financial innovation is just as much to blame as the technological sort

Multilateral institutions are turning away from the poorest countries

Even bail-outs are getting expensive

The Economist Magazine – December 7, 2024 Preview

The Economist Magazine (December 5, 2024): The latest issue features ‘America’s Gambling Frenzy’….

America’s gambling boom should be celebrated, not feared

The gambling frenzy is mostly about people being free to enjoy themselves

France steps into deep trouble

It has no government and no budget, and is politically gridlocked

Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea should resign, or be impeached

His coup attempt was foiled. But grave tests still remain for the country

Joe Biden abused a medieval power to pardon his son

The president’s reversal is understandable, hum

The Economist Magazine – November 23, 2024 Preview

All weekly editions | The Economist

The Economist Magazine (November 21, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Disrupter-In-Chief’….

The opportunities—and dangers—for Trump’s disrupter-in-chief

Elon Musk is given the ultimate target: America’s Government

Germany cannot afford to wait to relax its debt brake

It should move before the election

From Nixon to China, to Trump to Tehran

Iran is weak. For America’s next president that creates an opportunity

Too many master’s courses are expensive and flaky

Governments should help postgraduates get a better deal

The Economist Magazine – November 16, 2024 Preview

What’s about to hit the world economy?

The Economist Magazine (November 14, 2024): The latest issue features What’s about to hit the world economy?

Middle-class and minimum-wage – The strange politics of wage compression in Britain

Paying the climate bill – The energy transition will be much cheaper than you think

What to make of Trump’s picks – Loyalty, competence and an appetite for disruption are among the traits he is filtering for

Investing in Africa – Poor data and small capital markets make it hard to gauge risks and returns

Read full edition

The Economist Magazine – November 9, 2024 Preview

Welcome to Trump’s world

The Economist Magazine (November 9, 2024): The latest issue features: Welcome to Trump’s world

Donald Trump’s victory was resounding. His second term will be, too

Congress is not likely to be much of a constraint on him

Losers from Labour’s budget

Businesses and farmers will be hit with more tax

Germany’s political mess

Olaf Scholz finally runs out of patience with Christian Lindner

In praise of open-source AI

Their critics dwell on the dangers and underestimate the benefits

The best TV of 2024

The small screen claims some riveting shows this year, both new and returning

Read full edition