Our central and eastern Europe correspondent Shaun Walker was granted rare access to two Ukrainian prisons – one for men and one for women – where he spoke to prisoners jailed for collaborating with Russia. Alongside striking photography by Misha Friedman, Shaun’s interviews showed a complicated picture of the war, and the different shades of guilt that exist among the so-called turncoats.
In another week of heightened tensions and violence in the Middle East, Jason Burke spoke exclusively to demobilised Israeli troops who shared their experiences fighting in an almost-destroyed Gaza, while Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum reported powerfully from Hebron, one of the most heavily contested and heavily militarised places in the West Bank.
Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Shah Meer Baloch reported from Pakistan on this week’s crucial election, a vote which took place following the imprisonment of former president Imran Khan, whose party says it faced constant harassment and curbs on its ability to campaign. Nosheen Iqbal hosted a fascinating episode of Today in Focus which explained why this was a Pakistani election like no other.
An investigation last summer revealed claims that guards at a Del Monte pineapple farm in Kenya, which supplies most major supermarkets, had assaulted and killed people suspected of trespassing on its land. This week, the allegations went a step further: Del Monte representatives have been accused of offering bribes in a bid to cover up the circumstances of yet more deaths. Emily Dugan, working with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Edwin Okoth in Nairobi, continues to scrutinise the role of this major global food supplier.
Guardian US environment reporters Oliver Milman and Dharna Noor wrote an alarming piece on the potential ramifications of a second Trump administration for the climate. “A return of Trump would be, in a word, horrific,” one expert said.
In another new twist in the Michelle Mone scandal, David Conn revealed leaked emails in which the Conservative peer told the UK government she was not entitled to “any financial benefit whatsoever” from the company PPE Medpro. Five months later £29m of its profits were transferred into a trust for her benefit.
John Harris and Maz Ebtehaj travelled to Wellingborough for our Politics Weekly UK podcast to capture the mood in the English constituency as it prepares for a byelection. There, they witnessed a general sense of apathy towards all in Westminster, as well as concerns about immigration.
Our look back at the photographs that changed how Britain sees its leaders – introduced by Jonathan Freedland – was a fascinating journey through dynamic and often turbulent times in UK politics.
Our US sports team interrogated the dangerous partnership between the Super Bowl and gambling industry ahead of tomorrow’s big game. Tom Dart interviewed recovering gambling addicts, and detailed how the industry and professional sports are now dangerously intertwined in America.
As fasting sees an increase in popularity as a weight-loss solution, author Jeanette Winterson outlined her argument in favour of the technique, which she has been practising for years.
I loved Laura Barton’s touching and lyrical look at how she became a mother after she had given up all hope, and also this piece by our arts columnist Katy Hessel on why we should celebrate Saint Brigid of Ireland, an effortlessly progressive female figure who lived on her own terms, fought against forced marriage, brewed beer from lakes and cared for the land. Living the dream!
