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Politics
Burnham’s first test
The new prime minister has had a smooth ascent to No 10. But rumbles of discontent can already be heard, Tom Baldwin writes
Bashar al-Assad
Show me the money
The Syrian dictator may have left millions in a London bank account. Campaigners say it should be given to his victims, Ruth Michaelson reports
World Cup 2026
The tacky curtain falls
The final’s opening, closing and half-time ceremonies were as trashy as we expected, George Simms writes
Editor’s picks
Investigation
Jon Ungoed-Thomas
Environmental watchdog accused of ‘giving away’ billions of litres of pure water to bottling giants
Athletics
Ben Bloom
The months of meticulous planning that made Josh Kerr’s miracle mile
Clubbing
Craig McLean
Manumission: the story behind Ibiza’s house of hedonism
Interview
Megan Nolan
Colson Whitehead: ‘A lot of America is pretty scary’
Burnham begins
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Sam Freedman
Don’t stop school leavers going to university – just make sure the courses are fit for purpose
Helen Barnard
Too many are going hungry. The ailing welfare system needs attention
Bernard Gray
Andy Burnham’s problems on defence are twofold – he must spend to solve them both
John Dickie
Manchesterism is not about replacing London, but unlocking the capital’s full potential
Ideas
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Adele Zeynep Walton
This online curfew is a PR stunt. Internet users don’t need to be regulated – internet platforms do
Kate Maltby
Badenoch’s attacks on net zero and ECHR supporters won’t win back floating voters
John Naughton
When social media causes context to collapse, we all end up in the same room
The Observer view
Things can also get better
Culture
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Books
Lily Isaacs
The TikTok romantasy craze bringing readers back to bookshops
Interview
Vanessa Thorpe
Bryony Kimmings: ‘I’m a bit perimenopausal, I’m not gonna lie’
Film
Wendy Ide
Christopher Nolan’s big, fat Greek epic
Interview
Alice Vincent
Joan Barfoot: ‘My career was wrapped – now suddenly this magic is happening’
In Real Life
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Observations and scenes from beyond your phone screen
Lifestyle
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Fashion
Jo Jones
Trends that influence how to style the summer wardrobe
Do not disturb
Hayley Myers
Ione Gamble: ‘Film has always been the best form of escapism for me’
Design and interiors
Grace Watford
A design-focused home in Antwerp
What’s on my mind
Beatriz Serrano
Beatriz Serrano: ‘All writers envy other writers’
Sport
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World Cup 2026
Rory Smith
Messi, Knicks in New York and US-England affection – The Observer’s World Cup memories
TV
Patrick Kidd
No World Cup final send-off for Keir Starmer, but there’s always the golf
F1
Matt Majendie
Antonelli hoping for more relaxing weekend at Spa after qualifying on pole
Cricket
Cameron Ponsonby
This is the world we live in – the Test game is in thrall to franchise cricket
Meet the Observers
To meet more of our team, click here
Slow Newscast
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Weekly investigations in audio
Tortoise Investigates
Deep Water
In the high-stakes sport of freediving, athletes descend as deep as they can on a single breath. They are used to putting their lives at risk. Through her diving instructor, Lydia Gard discovered a new threat that could tear their community apart: drug use
Sweet Bobby
Kirat is a successful radio presenter. On Facebook she meets Bobby, a handsome cardiologist. He’s a catch. Soon, they get tangled up in a love affair full of lies and manipulation. Then… Kirat discovers a deception of almost unimaginable proportions. Alexi Mostrous investigates a very modern love story
Lucky Boy
Gareth’s whole life has been defined by a relationship he had 35 years ago when, as a 14-year-old schoolboy, he fell in love with an attractive young teacher at his school. He spent most afternoons in her bedroom. But when she walked out of his life, everything started to unravel. Chloe Hadjimatheou asks: who gets to be a perpetrator, and who gets to be a victim?
