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Nigel Farage
The Clacton chameleon
The Reform leader knows he is increasingly seen as a member of the establishment. His resignation is a cynical attempt to recast himself as the man he once was, Rachel Sylvester writes
BTS
All grown up
Back in the UK after seven years, the K-pop titans evolve away from their all-singing, all-dancing boyband days with an attitude-heavy stadium show, Michael Cragg writes
World Cup 2026
Once more with feeling
Argentina’s remarkable recovery to beat Egypt reduced their talisman Lionel Messi to uncharacteristic tears. They seem to regard victory as manifest destiny, Rory Smith writes
Ideas
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Economy
Ben Zaranko
‘Buying British’ could be smart politics but poor economics
Politics
William Keegan
The right person in No 11 will do more for growth than a Department of Economics
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
Culture
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Books
Lily Isaacs
All about Eve: Joan Didion’s literary rival captures Britain’s heart
Architecture
Rowan Moore
In Cambridge, it’s town v gown over rival plans for a college library
Music
Kitty Empire
With Confessions II, Madonna dances in the middle of the road
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
Xavier Greenwood
Arthur makes Centre Court his kingdom
Interview
Jessy Parker Humphreys
Natalie Pirks: ‘You have to prove yourself more as a woman’
Queue fever
Jessy Parker Humphreys
Live sport reaps rewards from fans’ 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?
