Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s surprise turn at last weekend’s G7 meeting in Hiroshima was the climax of a round of shuttle diplomacy in which the Ukrainian president secured yet more funds and equipment from western nations. But more than that was Zelenskiy’s apparent realisation that the balance of the war might not be swayed in London and Berlin but in the global south, a grouping of world nations that until now have largely avoided taking sides in the conflict.
Patrick Wintour ponders the complex wider issues at stake for western leaders who realise that more constructive relations with the global south could also be the key to containing an increasingly belligerent China.
E-cigarettes have been seen as useful and less health-damaging devices for weaning smokers off tobacco. But there are growing international fears at the rise of disposable e-cigarettes, which are fuelling a boom in vaping among children. Michael Safi looks at how different countries are responding, from sales curbs to outright bans.
In features, there’s an extract from a new memoir by the legendary Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee, in which she writes candidly about her privileged start in life and what it taught her about the subtle mechanics of class in Britain – as well as an early encounter with a naked future prime minister.
On the environmental front, Tess McClure reports from New Zealand where a series of marine heatwaves are starting to cause wider global concern. And don’t miss Gaby Hinsliff’s Opinion piece about why the climate crisis has yet to become a frontline political issue despite the growing body of disturbing evidence.
To round off, there’s a tribute by Geoff Dyer to his fellow English author Martin Amis, who died last week aged 73 and whose works defined the 80s and 90s literary scene.
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