The Guardian Weekly – 28 August 2026

Summary

"The health emergency the world forgot" — The Guardian Weekly 28 August 2026 reports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the 17th Ebola outbreak has passed 100 days, spreading exponentially while frontline health workers remain unpaid and at risk of infection (p10). The issue also covers Pedro Almodovar on being the villain in his own movie, Sonic the Hedgehog at 35, and Ukraine's struggle under renewed attacks.

The big story (p10) reports on the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo with interviews from health workers who have not been paid in two months. Spotlight stories cover Ukraine's renewed defence struggles (p15), the growing gulf between Hezbollah and the Lebanese state (p18), the future for Harry and Meghan (p22), orphan bears dying in the wild after overfeeding (p24), and the landmark trial against Meta (p33). Features include growing up under Argentine dictatorship (p34) and the ice-cream industry facing a chill wind (p40).

Opinion features Mujtaba Rahman on Marine Le Pen, Dave Schilling on Halloween creep, and Hugh Muir on journalism ethics. Culture covers Almodovar on his new film (p51), Sonic the Hedgehog (p55), and the bond between readers and writers (p57). Tim Dowling's out-of-office auto-reply is never on in Lifestyle (p60).

—————

Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / World Affairs / Features / Culture / Lifestyle

p10 · DR Congo — Health workers fight to contain Ebola outbreak
On-the-ground reporting from the 17th Ebola outbreak, now past 100 days with case numbers rising exponentially. Health workers describe working without hazard pay and insufficient protective equipment. International NGOs should check their supply-chain partners against the logistics-difficulty map printed with the article — three border crossings are currently closed.

p15 · Ukraine — Kyiv struggles to cope under renewed attacks
Report on the capital's air-defence capacity and civilian infrastructure damage. The piece names specific districts hit in the most recent barrage and the number of energy substations destroyed. Residents of cities with air-raid sirens can compare Kyiv's warning-system protocol against their own city's procedures using the timeline printed here.

p18 · Lebanon — Gulf between Hezbollah and Lebanese state grows wider
Analysis of the political and economic rift as Hezbollah operates increasingly independently of state institutions. The article cites central bank data showing parallel financial flows. Middle East analysts can use the organisational-chart comparison between Hezbollah's structure and the official military command.

p24 · Environment — Why well-fed orphan bears die in the wild
Report on orphaned bear cubs raised by well-meaning rescuers who feed them human food, making them unable to forage when released. The piece names three rehabilitation centres that have revised their feeding protocols. Wildlife rescue volunteers should follow the 100%-natural-diet rule outlined in the article before accepting cubs.

p33 · United States — Inside the landmark trial against Meta
Report on the ongoing legal proceedings against Meta, covering the key testimony and potential regulatory outcomes. The piece explains what the verdict could mean for users outside the US. Technology journalists should save the timeline of Meta's legal history printed alongside the main article.

p51 · Pedro Almodovar on being the villain in his own movie
The director discusses his latest film and the autobiographical elements that cast him in an unflattering light. He explains why he chose to reveal personal failures in the narrative. Screenwriters can study his structure of self-critique — explained in a sidebar — as a model for writing anti-hero protagonists.

p55 · How Sonic the Hedgehog has stayed sharp all these years
A 35th-anniversary retrospective on the video-game character's evolution from 16-bit platformer to Hollywood franchise. The article credits Sega's character-design philosophy for the longevity. Game designers can extract the "three rules of mascot design" printed in a breakout box.

p61 · Recipe — Blackberry and almond cake
A late-summer cake recipe using 6 ingredients, with a 15-minute prep and 40-minute bake. The recipe offers a frozen-berry substitute for cooking outside blackberry season. Bakers short on time can skip the almond topping without changing the cake structure.

—————

Editor's Take

The Ebola cover story is crucial journalism — a disease outbreak that the world has stopped paying attention to, reported from the ground with health-worker interviews that name specific failures. The ice-cream industry feature is the surprise gem: a business-and-environment angle that nobody else is covering. The weakness is the Harry and Meghan piece, which feels like filler in an issue with serious global news. This issue is for readers who want global-health reporting and a broad world-news scan.

Strengths
• DR Congo Ebola report with unpaid-worker testimonies
• Ice-cream industry feature linking business to climate policy
• Sonic retrospective with specific game-design principles

Weaknesses
• Harry and Meghan piece reads as royal-news filler amid hard news
• Ukraine report lacks frontline access; relies on official briefings

Verdict: Recommended — the Ebola reporting is vital; skip the royal coverage.