Guardian Weekly 22 July 2022

Farmers parade bicycles laden with pineapples at a market in the town of Madhupur, north-west of Dhaka. The use of bicycles reduces transportation costs for the farmers, who can carry up to 100 pineapples on each bike. The Guardian Weekly Founded in Manchester, England 4 July 1919 Vol207 | Issue№ 4 Guardian Weekly is an edited selection of some of the best journalism found in the Guardian and Observer newspapers in the UK and the Guardian’s digital editions in the UK, US and Australia. The weekly magazine has an international focus and three editions: global, Australia and North America. The Guardian was founded in 1821, and Guardian Weekly in 1919. We exist to hold power to account in the name of the public interest, to uphold liberal and progressive values, to fight for…

Less than 10 years ago, Sri Lanka was spoken of glowingly by global economists as the next “Asian Tiger ”. Such forecasts seemed otherworldly this week as MPs elected a new president, in response to street protests that had forced the previous incumbent, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country and resign (in that order). Against a backdrop of economic ruin brought about by disastrous mismanagement and corruption, our south Asia correspondent Hannah Ellis-Petersen examines how a popular uprising brought down a president – and if the protesters will now get their wish of lasting structural change in Sri Lanka, or simply more of the same. The big story Page 10 → The climate crisis visited western and northern Europe with a vengeance this week, as temperatures reached around 40C in many parts of…

Ivana Trump First wife of Donald Trump who established the trademark glitzy style of the Trump Organization. She died on 14 July, aged 73. Claes Oldenburg Artist whose monumental sculptures of everyday objects made him a leading figure in the Pop art movement. He died on 18 July, aged 93. John Radford Froines Chemist who, as an antiwar activist, was a member of the Chicago Seven, who were charged with conspiring to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. He died on 13 July, aged 83. Paul Ryder Happy Mondays bassist, and brother of frontman Shaun, whose bass lines drove the band’s sound. He died on 15 July, aged 58.…

CONSERVATIVES Johnson defends his record as government wins vote Boris Johnson defended his three years in power as his government survived a no-confidence vote, during a combative speech that hinted at a “deep state” plot to drag the UK back into the EU when he leaves office. The prime minister’s pugnacious speech in the House of Commons on Monday evening opened the debate on a vote of no-confidence that his government won by 349 to 238, a majority of 111. In a highly unusual move, No 10 called the vote of confidence in itself after it rejected a Labour motion that singled out Johnson. Standing beside the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, a day after she and other Tory leadership contenders had failed to say whether they would have him in their cabinet, Johnson…

There are few who have been stalwarts of Sri Lankan politics in the past half a century quite like the man often referred to as “the fox”. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who gained his nickname for his apparently wily ability to repeatedly resurrect his political career, has been prime minister six times since he first entered politics in 1977, though he has never completed a term. His first ascension to the role came in 1993 after the assassination of Ranasinghe Premadasa in a bomb attack by Tamil separatist militants during Sri Lanka’s three-decades-long civil war. But, in what would become a theme, his term did not last long. Over his various terms in office, as prime minister and opposition leader, Wickremesinghe became known for being economically capable and a pro-western reformer, particularly for his role…

Wildfires and heatwaves wreaking havoc across the globe show humanity facing “collective suicide”, the UN secretary general has warned, as governments scramble to protect people from extreme heat. António Guterres told ministers from 40 countries meeting to discuss the climate crisis on Monday: “Half of humanity is in the danger zone, from floods, droughts, extreme storms and wildfires. No nation is immune. Yet we continue to feed our fossil fuel addiction.” He added: “We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.” Wildfires raged last weekend across Europe and North America. In South America, the Macchu Picchu archaeological site was threatened by fire. Extreme heat has broken records as heatwaves have struck India and south Asia, droughts have devastated parts of Africa, and unprecedented heatwaves at both…