Manumission: the story behind Ibiza’s house of hedonism In the 1990s, Claire Davies and Mike McKay created the naughtiest nightclub in Ibiza – a Circus Maximus of sex, dancing and drugs. Three decades later, they’re bringing Manumission back, writes Craig McLean https://bit.ly/4f3v5Qc

It’s always something: a brief history of England at the World Cup since 1966 Simonn Barnes reflects on the many forms that football failure can take https://bit.ly/4vymkm4

The state-sponsored murderers of Britain’s ‘dirty war’ Journalist John Ware uncovers the secret, sordid history of the British Army assets whose atrocities were aided, abetted and covered up by the authorities, writes Martin Fletcher https://bit.ly/4vDHake

England’s simple problem – running into a team that is better The teeth-gnashing over the Three Lions’ exit is to be expected, but once again they lost to a team that they couldn’t handle, writes Rory Smith https://bit.ly/4ptFng2

How Fossil Free Books turned the page on festival funding In 2024 campaigners forced the investor Baillie Gifford to withdraw its funding from some of the UK’s biggest book events. What happened next? Ellen Peirson-Hagger reports. https://bit.ly/4gJ7FRs

Social media promises connection but leaves us all alone in the same room The technology is forcing distinct groups such as family, friends, coworkers and strangers to merge into a single unit, all at a cost to our character ✍️ John Naughton https://bit.ly/4b0ZQ5P

Despite integrity concerns, the World Cup has delivered on its promise Gianni Infantino has yet again let incredible football cover his back, writes George Simms https://bit.ly/4fqQwtz

The man inspiring Spain’s new golden generation Luis de la Fuente was unemployed 13 years ago – he now stands on the brink of history having made several masterful decisions during this World Cup, writes Dani Gil https://bit.ly/4wba78b

The queens of ’cue: women are firing up the barbecue scene Meet the chefs bringing much-needed passion, instinct and innovation to the UK’s growing barbecue scene, writes Helen Graves https://bit.ly/4gJbhTu

Andy Burnham’s first lesson as PM will be to learn to say no The next inhabitant of No 10 will soon be leader of the Labour party and will soon be forced to make decisions that upset people. Will he deal with telling people what they don’t want to hear? ✍️ Rachel Sylvester https://bit.ly/4gEinbR

The Ebola outbreak in the Congo may be worse than feared Conflict and a rare strain of the virus have created a perfect storm, writes Layla Mahmood https://bit.ly/4fhRYxZ

England got caught in Argentina’s spell Thomas Tuchel got his tactics wrong last night. But there is magic about Argentina in World Cups that teams become powerless to stop, writes Rory Smith https://bit.ly/4w2nS93

Millions of us are appealing to AI as a relationship referee – is it helping or harming us? Patricia Clarke writes: We don’t know what happens if we outsource not only our judgement, but also the difficult work of understanding one another https://bit.ly/4w7glWA

This is going to hurt: England v Argentina semi-final looms This evening’s match is almost impossible to call, and for both sides will be a contest of destiny and desire, writes George Simms https://bit.ly/3TCrgsI

Bellingham and co have put an end to the 90s nostalgia industry The past decade of English football means we can move past an era that has held a grip on the imagination for 30 years, writes Xavier Greenwood https://bit.ly/4gXQPhV

Bellingham and co have put an end to the 90s nostalgia industry The past decade of English football means we can move past an era that has held a grip on the imagination for 30 years, writes Xavier Greenwood https://bit.ly/4gXQPhV

England v Argentina: an old conflict rears its head in song and on the World Cup pitch Argentinian passion is still fuelled by events almost half a century ago, writes Rory Smith https://bit.ly/4wa0ruw

Regulators accused of stubbing out Sweden’s ‘solution’ to smoking Tighter European controls on tobacco-free pouches threaten the market of a product hailed for helping Swedes quit cigarettes, reports Marine Saint https://bit.ly/4vXyZ2R

Bryony Kimmings: ‘I’m a bit perimenopausal, I’m not gonna lie’ The writer and performer talks to Vanessa Thorpe on tackling class inequalities and the climate disaster in TV’s The Rapture, and making sense of her own life on stage https://bit.ly/4w7VqCK

How Eric Huntley revolutionised Black British publishing Co-founded with his wife Jessica, Huntley’s Bogle L’Ouverture imprint and shop weathered racist attacks, blazed a trail through literary London – and turned me into a real writer, writes Lemn Sissay https://bit.ly/3RE0NKO

We Call her Emma: The Observer's latest investigation from Chloe Hadjimatheou and Gary Marshall 'Asma’s case appears to be unique. No other British citizen in the modern era has been such a central figure in a government widely accused of mass atrocities.' https://bit.ly/4w1gsD5

An English family split by the far right In her memoir This Wild English, Nicola Wilding’s search to understand her mother’s drift to the Tommy Robinson right sheds light on liberal Britain’s betrayal of the white working class, writes Andrew Anthony https://bit.ly/4vzWBd0

Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI could spell trouble for an entire sector AI wars have taken on a new dimension, writes Xavier Greenwood https://bit.ly/4bD9njF

Reform donor lost thousands betting on Iran and Starmer Farage ally George Cottrell, previously convicted of fraud in the US, lost more than $1m in crypto gambling on prediction markets, reports Catherine Neilan https://bit.ly/4f6iGJX

Peaceful World Cup is about to face its toughest test Greedy ticketing policy means fans will not be segregated as a hostile rivalry resumes, writes Rory Smith https://bit.ly/4wICZo1

The case for raising taxes on older people People are living longer, pushing up health and pension spending, and making debt projections look scary, writes Ben Zaranko https://bit.ly/4vsIIx4

Spain’s tiki taka has curdled as France stand in the way of control The 2026 iteration of what made Spain so effective in a previous era may not be enough to see them into the World Cup final ✍️ Rory Smith https://bit.ly/4f0eE7h

Too little too late? Government pledges to boost air-con in hospitals and care homes Climate Change Committee warns that infrastructure must be upgraded to cope with intense heat, as the lack of cooling systems in NHS buildings is causing serious harm ✍️ James Tapper https://bit.ly/4vuNw53

A vaguely worded Iran deal has come back to bite Donald Trump Iran and the US have different interpretations of the agreement ✍️ Fred Harter https://bit.ly/4bbYENh

“Andy Burnham’s a nice guy but he wants to be liked,” a minister told Rachel Sylvester. “He doesn’t enjoy telling people what they don’t want to hear. The question is: is he ready to make the difficult decisions?” https://bit.ly/4wdxZaY

Fire on the mountain: mistaken identity Ademola Adedeji was wrongfully identified as a gang member and jailed for conspiracy to commit GBH. Ciaran Tracey tells the story of how a nine second clip from a rap video upended his life. https://bit.ly/4pk2yJr

The World Cup final four have somehow justified their rankings England, Argentina, France and Spain may be the best teams in the tournament – but they have had to prove it, writes Rory Smith https://bit.ly/4f03Ndz

Andy Burnham’s welfare conundrum He is likely to focus on reducing demand rather than throttling supply ✍️ Fred Harter https://bit.ly/4gFL20h

Jude Bellingham is channelling the spirit of Duncan Edwards Bellingham is lighting up England’s 2026 World Cup campaign, and he has a lot in common with his 1950s Black Country counterpart ✍️ Tim Adams https://bit.ly/44qhdti

Red cards, VAR, disallowed goals: conspiracy theories thrive at the World Cup Egypt v Argentina; USA v Belgium; Mexico v England; Croatia v Portugal. The disputes have mounted up but the football itself has done enough – so far – to keep the focus, writes Andrew Butler https://bit.ly/4w0hVtm

Homer: enigmatic Greek poet on an odyssey to Hollywood His account of Odysseus’s journey home – now an epic blockbuster by Christopher Nolan – has endured for millennia, but his own story remains a mystery, writes Xavier Greenwood https://bit.ly/4yg7inB

The brain scan that could help fight Alzheimer’s Scientists have shown how the NHS could double the number of patients it diagnoses with dementia, which could help them to get vital treatment ✍️ James Tapper https://bit.ly/4bEQr46

The ‘economy or the planet’ is a false choice: without a healthy Earth, business cannot flourish Far from being a threat to our prosperity, bringing in hard laws to combat climate change is the only way to build a future that will support us all, writes Monica Feria-Tinta https://bit.ly/4ywXu94

The Jude Bellingham Show The 23-year-old is arguably having the greatest major tournament run for any England player ever ✍️ George Simms https://bit.ly/3SOyytl

Detectives piece together Widdecombe’s last morning as murder hunt continues Former Tory MP’s body may have lain undiscovered at her Devon bungalow for 24 hours, say police https://bit.ly/4f8Ibue

The Prince Harry case is only the first salvo in the free press war The Mail publisher’s resounding victory in the high-profile privacy lawsuit throws open the press standards debate afresh ✍️ Ceri Thomas https://bit.ly/44Xtqpg

The case against Asma: how a London schoolgirl helped lead her husband’s bloody regime The British wife of toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has been revealed as a central figure in his murderous operation and at the heart of its decision-making https://bit.ly/4w1gsD5

South Africa’s xenophobic violence is a warning for a world searching for someone to blame Anti-migrant sentiment is being exploited by elites to deflect from their own role in economic hardship ✍️ @kenanmalik.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4fjFAOm

Could Count Binface turn out to be Nigel Farage’s nemesis? Crazier things have happened The Reform UK leader’s cynical gambit is backfiring. By triggering a farcical byelection, he risks being humiliated ✍️ Andrew Rawnsley https://bit.ly/4vrnuQj

Faces of the World Cup 2026 After 100 games, Observer Sport picture editor Matthew Glynn selects the good, the bad and the bizarre of the past 31 days https://bit.ly/4eWcHst

British countryside at ‘extreme’ risk of wildfires As the third heatwave of 2026 continues to grip western Europe, firefighters battle to contain countryside blazes and agencies issue red alert ✍️ Jon Ungoed-Thomas https://bit.ly/4eXPCWr

The Observatory: Burnham Blueprint Leaders from business, politics, technology and culture share their views on a timely topic https://bit.ly/44UAlQa

The case against Asma: how a London schoolgirl helped lead her husband’s bloody regime The British wife of toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has been revealed as a central figure in his murderous operation and at the heart of its decision-making. https://bit.ly/4w1gsD5

Detectives piece together Widdecombe’s last morning as murder hunt continues Former Tory MP’s body may have lain undiscovered at her Devon bungalow for 24 hours, say police ✍️ Nick Irving and John Simpson https://bit.ly/4f8Ibue

Too little too late? Government pledges to boost air-con in hospitals and care homes Climate Change Committee warns that infrastructure must be upgraded to cope with intense heat, as the lack of cooling systems in NHS buildings is causing serious harm ✍️ James Tapper https://bit.ly/4vuNw53