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Economy
The devolution revolution
Giving local leaders more control of taxation could help Andy Burnham unlock prosperity, but it might leave struggling areas further behind, Ben Zaranko writes
Benjamin Zephaniah
‘Benjamin lives on’
Ahead of a celebration of the poet’s life at the Southbank Centre, Michael Rosen remembers his eloquence, bravery and generosity
World Cup
The perils of fast-forward
I decided to get a good night's sleep instead of staying up to watch England v Mexico. That was a mistake, Tim Adams writes
For today
NHS
James Tapper
Call for ‘normal birth’ culture to be investigated by maternity taskforce
Malta
Ceri Thomas
Nine years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s death, businessman goes on trial
Climate change
Sam Mumford
Yoga teacher becomes first to cross melting Icelandic glacier
Football
Rory Smith
Craven Fifa put spectacle over substance in its Folarin Balogun ruling
Editor’s picks
Basia Cummings
Childbirth in Britain in 2026: ‘Fear was the mood music of my pregnancy’
Alex Moshakis
Himesh Patel: ‘Ambition is still something I’ve not come to terms with’
Patricia Clarke
Silenced Facebook whistleblower could be fined for merely nodding
Simon Parkin
‘I poked the bear and the bear ate me’: Alfie Brown, the last cancelled comedian
Ideas
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Politics
Andrew Rawnsley
No 10 in the North isn’t such a bad idea, so long as Burnham is willing to do battle with No 11
America turns 250
Erica Wagner
A 250th birthday party to unite America? That ship has sailed
World Cup
Kenan Malik
This World Cup shows how contradictory and messy it is to define who we are
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Razmi Farook
Our writers’ unique voices are an anathema to AI
Lifestyle
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Design and interiors
Matt Alagiah
Come for the kebabs, stay for the champagne
Photography
Hayley Myers
Jodi Rogers’s intimate portrait of love and sex work
Fashion
Jo Jones
We love: fashion fixes for the week ahead
Do not disturb
Hayley Myers
‘I’ve always looked for places where I feel welcome’: Ravinder Bhogal
Culture
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Film
Wendy Ide
The Invite is a savagely funny study of marital despair
Music
Kitty Empire
With Confessions II, Madonna dances in the middle of the road
Design and interiors
Emily Nathan
In Copenhagen, the house of the founders of Ganni is filled with comforting contrasts
Interview
Poppy Sebag-Montefiore
The poet of China’s factory floors
World
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US
Hugh Tomlinson
Trump’s damage laid bare in ‘razor edge’ ruling on US birthright citizenship
Iran
Ruth Michaelson
Iran’s ‘funeral of the century’ for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei draws regime’s top brass out of hiding
US
Marine Saint
Prediction markets enjoy their own big day as fans bet on Taylor Swift wedding
Sport
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Wimbledon
Ben Coles
Eala steals the show on a day of upsets in the fiery crucible of Wimbledon
Interview
Jessy Parker Humphreys
Natalie Pirks: ‘You have to prove yourself more as a woman’
Queue fever
Jessy Parker Humphreys
Courts of appeal: live sport reaps rewards from fans’ social-media induced Fomo
World Cup 2026
Rory Smith
In Maga country, fans find themselves in a state of World Cup fervour
In Real Life
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Observations and scenes from beyond your phone screen
Meet the Observers
To meet more of our team, click here
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?
