Observer | The Guardian (2024)

Front page NHS queues mean most Britons expect to pay for healthcare, says report Oasis fans frustrated by technical issues in battle to nab reunion show tickets ‘It’s just black sky up there’: 50 years on, the transatlantic flight speed record remains unbroken Female NHS consultants are closing the ‘gender promotion gap’ Olympic champion Toby Roberts’ example is sending young people up the wall Seven years after Grenfell disaster, thousands live in fear of cladding fire ‘They’re about two years behind’: fears for children born during lockdown as they start at school Ignore ‘vicious’ social media criticism, Blair tells Starmer Scrapping two-child benefit limit ‘would still leave 100,000 young Britons in poverty’ Rachel Reeves under renewed fire from MPs and charities over cuts to winter fuel allowance Branded UK school uniforms cost more than double high-street prices, analysis reveals ‘Written in the stars’: Norwegian princess and California shaman tie the knot, with Netflix in waiting Mother ‘devastated’ after rapist ex-partner given access to their daughter ‘Red Dawn conservatives’ and ‘Dobbs dads’: anti-Trump groups aim to peel off voters How a little-known 17th-century female scientist changed our understanding of insects African nations hit by mpox still waiting for vaccines – despite promises by the west ‘There was no mercy, even on children’: trauma in the West Bank after Israeli raids ‘People feel the election has been stolen’ – French left’s Lucie Castets on Macron’s political deadlock An epidemic of falls on the ‘mean streets’ of Athens ‘She was right and they were wrong’: the female astronomers hidden by science’s male elite ‘In Britain, we are still astonishingly ignorant’: the hidden story of how ancient India shaped the west ‘We are in danger of being the doom and gloom government’: can Starmer’s hardline strategy actually work? Voters believe Labour on UK’s woes, but not on its proposed fixes Oasis are back. So why all the hatred? Putin’s war is raising risk of another Chernobyl, says historian who inspired hit TV show The Grenfell inquiry is exposing a culture of contempt that has run deep in Britain for decades Is Sir Keir Starmer’s cautious ‘reset’ with Europe enough to undo the damage done by Brexit? I love the nanny state, but let’s leave outdoor smokers to puff away in peace Academic free speech is too crucial to be used as a political football by left or right Is the Taliban-friendly Imran Khan really the best choice as Oxford’s next chancellor? If you build hospitals, roads and railways, growth will follow Don’t rejoice yet, Elon Musk and his tech bros-in-arms are winning the global battle for the truth Chris Riddell on Keir Starmer’s endangered Ming vase – cartoon In an unheroic age, Putin, Trump and Netanyahu are sick parodies of great men All of London’s seedy poetry is there to see in the setting for TV thriller Slow Horses China’s deadly divide-and-rule tactics in Myanmar risk shock waves across region Editorials & Letters The Observer view on Russia: Putin’s retaliation against Ukraine must persuade Biden to relent over arms The Observer view on the autumn budget: Labour must break this cycle of sluggish growth Slow down. Stay offline. Be bored Pay-as-you-go schooling: parents under pressure to fund essentials Amazon is trying to trick me into signing up for Prime services Can new towns give Keir Starmer the answer to Britain’s housing crisis? Why are Starmer and Reeves so determined to bring Britain down? Former Leeds and Cardiff defender Sol Bamba dies aged 39 Lee Carsley praises England’s era of calm youngsters bursting into squad Andy Robertson calls on Liverpool to tighten up defence for Old Trafford test Guglielmo Vicario: ‘If we win, Spurs fans will remember us for eternity’ Erik ten Hag urges Manchester United to ‘bring the fire’ against Liverpool Young and Hahn miss out on medals as new stars surge to world records Jodie Grinham shoots into history with Paralympic archery bronze while pregnant Pep Guardiola salutes ‘unstoppable’ Erling Haaland after West Ham hat-trick West Ham resigned to their fate against footballing cheat code Erling Haaland ‘It gives you energy’: Joe Root credits England spirit for Test century record Liverpool trio’s contract situation amplifies every miffed moment this season Reviews Mark Kermode on… Martin Scorsese’s love of British cinema Sing Sing review – Colman Domingo is magnetic in moving real-life US prison drama Fontaines DC review – Dublin rockers strike out into the stratosphere The Shape of Things: Still Life in Britain review – compelling proof that objects do talk… Tony Blair: ‘I would have stayed if I could, is the truth’ ‘Everyone recognises her now – me, not so much’: Arthur Harari on how Anatomy of a Fall catapulted him and Justine Triet to film power couple status Going up: Can Britain’s empty department stores be brought back to life? Philosophy professor Jeffrey J Kripal: ‘Thinking about a UFO as some kind of extraterrestrial spaceship is naive’ On my radar: Alan Cumming’s cultural highlights The best new novels for autumn 2024, from Sally Rooney to Jonathan Coe and Haruki Murakami Alan Hollinghurst: an exclusive extract from his new novel Our Evenings ‘I feel like when I’m 50 people will take me seriously’: novelists Eliza Clark and Julia Armfield in conversation Apple Intelligence is coming. Here’s what it means for your iPhone On my radar: Jon Hopkins’s cultural highlights Oasis: a guilty pleasure without fringe benefits Saskia Reeves: ‘Where else could you find yourself in a taxi between Jonathan Pryce and Gary Oldman?’ The big picture: the hollowing out of the American dream Ferdia Lennon: ‘I was tired of Merchant Ivory accents’ ‘There is no doubt I have appetites. I like my dinner. And my lunch’: Jay Rayner on food, diet and cooking at home ‘What we know would freak everyone out’: meet the detectives hunting down the paranormal Dadhood and me: how becoming a father made me reflect on my own childhood I find conversations with dates dissatisfying, specially when they tell me the plots of films ‘Enthusiasm propels you through anything’: Alison Hammond’s rise to fame, from Big Brother to Bake Off Ruth Davidson: ‘It took me ages to work out that people weren’t any better than me’ Myth and misogyny: how male representations of the female form have changed the way women are viewed I love Springsteen and my daughter is a huge Swiftie – and that’s created a bridge between us I miss my adult children so much it feels like grief ‘Why did I hurt?’ A writer on grieving the father she never really knew Viennese waltz: top travel tips for a spin around Austria’s capital Learning about personal space is a hard lesson for my affectionate son Notes on chocolate: sometimes the best things are found close to home Cool Bretagne: a converted depot with a sea view Six great summer barbecue recipes: from grilled mussels to chicken – and peach melba Adrian Edmondson: ‘I don’t think I ever fell out with Rik. But things became thinner’ St John: 30 ways the ‘nose to tail’ restaurant changed the way we eat A hard day’s night: life with the food workers who are up all hours The 20 best easy summer salad recipes Nigel Slater’s summer tomato recipes to enrich the soul Welcome to August’s Observer Food Monthly Monica Galetti’s secret ingredient: fennel What makes a neighbourhood restaurant great? Perfection – but in a slightly wonky way Sharleen Spiteri: ‘Two slices of bread, proper butter, a pack of crisps and squeeze it down’ Don’t give me precision in recipe quantities – I like a glug, a splash or a bunch Refreshing, thirst-quenching, distinctive: 20 best wines for the summer Nigel Slater’s recipes for salads to share Welcome to July’s Observer Food Monthly Most viewed Most viewed in UK news Most viewed Across the guardian References