Guardian Weekly 31st December 2021

Ride on time Jockeys compete in a traditional Gayo horse race in the Bener Meriah district of Aceh province. The races, in which children ride a local breed of horse without saddles, date back to at least the Dutch colonial period and have become a Gayo highland tradition held at significant times of the year. The Guardian Weekly Founded in Manchester, England 4 July 1919 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…

We look forward and back in this, our final edition of 2021. From page 19 onwards, our longstanding foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall offers his perspective on what to expect in 2022, a year that appears fraught with problems on almost every front. There’s also consideration of prospects for the environment, technology and space exploration. Then, from page 33, you’ll find cultural reflections on the year drawing to a close, with agency photographers of the year, memories of those we lost, and critics’ picks of the best film, music and more. 2022: the year ahead Page 19 → 2019: the year in review Page 33 → A year ago, Britain formally exited the European Union in one of the most traumatic and divisive political acts in the nation’s history. For our big story this…

1 RUSSIA Talks scheduled as Putin voices anger at Nato US and Russian officials will take part in security talks on 10 January as the countries confront rising tensions over Ukraine, a spokesperson for the Biden administration said. Russia and Nato are also likely set for talks on 12 January, while a broader regional meeting including Moscow, Washington and several European countries is set for 13 January, the spokesperson added. This month Vladimir Putin accused the west of “coming with its missiles to our doorstep” as he reiterated demands for no further Nato expansion in Europe. The Russian president said he would be prepared to launch an intervention if he felt Ukraine or its western allies were preparing an attack on Russia’s proxies in the country Analysts have said Russia may be seeking a casus…

Joan Didion US journalist and author known for her pioneering blend of the personal and political. She died on 23 December, aged 87. Keri Hulme Acclaimed author and poet, who was the first New Zealander to win the Booker prize in 1985 for her debut novel, The Bone People. She died on 27 December, aged 74. Richard Rogers Architect whose radically innovative buildings included the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Lloyd’s of London building. He died on 18 December, aged 88. bell hooks Author and activist whose acclaimed work explored race, feminism and romance. She died on 15 December, aged 69. Sarah Weddington Attorney who argued and won the Roe v Wade abortion case in the US supreme court. She died on 26 December, aged 76. The big story p10 →…

SPACE Successful launch for $10bn James Webb telescope The most ambitious, costly robot probe ever built, the $10bn James Webb telescope, has been blasted into space on top of a giant European rocket. The observatory – plagued by decades of delays and huge cost overruns – was reportedly operating perfectly after going through the most nervously watched lift-off in the history of uncrewed space exploration. Built by Nasa with European and Canadian collaboration, the observatory has been designed to revolutionise our study of the universe. Described as a “time machine” by scientists, the telescope will allow astronomers to study the beginning of the universe shortly after the big bang, 13.8 bn years ago, and to hunt for signs of life-supporting planets in our own galaxy. All this will have to be done in…

CORONAVIRUS England alone in holding off extra Covid curbs Boris Johnson did not introduce further Covid restrictions in England this week, giving mass events the go-ahead and leaving nightclubs open for New Year’s Eve – unlike the rest of the UK. Scientists criticised the decision, which came as England recorded its highest number of Covid infections. They said it was the moment of “the greatest divergence between scientific advice and legislation” since the start of the pandemic. Advisers had told Johnson that significant pressure on the NHS came from staff absences rather than overcrowded intensive care units. One model predicted that in London, where Covid rates are highest, up to 40% of staff could be absent because of sickness. Ministers are expected to continue to focus efforts on vaccination – including the booster rollout. The decision…