Europe Why Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen suffered electoral setbacks The resilience of the Socialists and conservatives on a regional level suggests a growing fracture between national and local politics. By Ido Vock
Europe How the Second World War was won On the 80th anniversary of the Nazis’ attack on the Soviet Union, arguments still rage about the Eastern Front and the cost of supporting Stalin By David Reynolds
The Staggers The biggest threat to Boris Johnson is Tory MPs’ shallow loyalty As soon as Conservatives no longer view the Prime Minister as a winner he will struggle to retain their support. By Stephen Bush
Culture Barbican Stories: the arts centre’s lack of action against racism feels like a “punch in the gut” A new book, written by Barbican employees of colour, details more than 100 instances of alleged racist behaviour at the London institution. By Ellen Peirson-Hagger
Economy How the cost of HS2 has surged The high-speed rail project is now expected to cost at least £107.7bn, up from £32.7bn in 2012. By Aisha Majid
Observations Peter Tatchell: “It’s important the left doesn’t resort to the methods of the right” The human rights campaigner reflects on cancel culture and life as an activist. By Freddie Hayward
Music & Theatre How Joni Mitchell’s Blue became pop music’s ultimate expression of loving and leaving Fifty years on, the record still feels like a puff of air between your ribs. By Kate Mossman
Books How politics lost touch with everyday life Two new books argue politics is too often arrogantly distant from the things that really matter. By Melissa Benn
UK Martin Rees and Steven Pinker: Wagering on catastrophe Four years ago these two eminent scientists bet on the likelihood of a man-made global biological disaster. Is it time to decide a winner? By Martin Rees and Steven Pinker
The Staggers Dominic Cummings can’t work out what he really wants Boris Johnson’s former aide is trying to do too much with his attacks on the Prime Minister. By Stephen Bush
The Staggers Why the Tories’ defeat in Chesham and Amersham is a shocking blow The Liberal Democrats' extraordinary victory in a previously safe seat shows the perils of the Tories' electoral strategy. By Ailbhe Rea
Elections The biggest by-election swings in the last 30 years The 25.2 per cent swing to the Lib Dems in Chesham and Amersham is the ninth largest of any by-election since 1991. By Ben van der Merwe
Elections The threat of Labour defeat in Batley and Spen shows the party is facing a perfect storm By Paul Mason
The Staggers The DUP’s woes are a symptom of a bigger crisis for Northern Ireland and the Tories The current arrangement of ever greater divergence between Northern Ireland and Great Britain surely cannot last. By Stephen Bush
8519, 8520 Prime Day: the innovation that made Amazon an everything company Prime membership has helped Amazon become McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Facebook and Google all rolled into one.
8519, 8300, 8302, 8415, 8493, 8495, 8457, 8459, 8472 Why Lina Khan could be Big Tech’s new worst enemy Newly appointed as chair of the FTC, the 32-year-old competition lawyer has become the face of America's “hipster antitrust” movement.
8519, 8520, 8522 Did Cristiano Ronaldo give Coca-Cola a kicking? The footballer's preference for water has been credited with a plunge in the company's stock price.
8268, 8328, 8415, 8416, 8472 The US and the EU’s stimulus policies show they have learned from the mistakes of the past We have entered a new economic era of higher public spending and greater government intervention.
8519, 8520, 8303, 8496 How social media companies help authoritarian governments censor the internet Increasingly, the price of access to a global digital market is assisting the policing of online speech.
8519, 8268, 8328, 8415, 8493, 8494 Andy Haldane is right to warn that the UK’s recovery might not be sustainable – or fair If inflation is not controlled early, it will be those on lower incomes who are less able to cope.
Books The ruthless, self-questioning brilliance of Janet Malcolm The New Yorker journalist, who has died aged 86, was one of the greatest practitioners of her trade, as well as its most penetrating interrogator. By Leo Robson
Nature Penguin Town: the Netflix show that makes a mockery out of an endangered species Have we really stooped so low that laughing at the animals we’ve driven to near-extinction is justifiable entertainment? By India Bourke
Art & Design John Vanderlyn’s art of the New World Why the artist was hailed by Aaron Burr as “the first painter that now is or ever has been in America”. By Michael Prodger
Books Covid and the rise of the non-place The pandemic has destroyed countless community and public assets, but the power of local identity remains vital to our recovery. By Ken Worpole
Film Ben Wheatley’s In the Earth is a trippy eco-horror A well-meaning scientist with an interest in mushrooms travels to a remote ecological centre in the aftermath of an unspecified, disastrous plague. By Philippa Snow
Books “Choking on sanctimony”: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on the cult of righteousness The Nigerian author’s blistering polemic reveals some uncomfortable truths about young progressives on social media. By Freddie Hayward
UK Martin Rees and Steven Pinker: Wagering on catastrophe Four years ago these two eminent scientists bet on the likelihood of a man-made global biological disaster. Is it time to decide a winner? By Martin Rees and Steven Pinker
UK How the far right used lockdown to radicalise children online Evidence shows young people are becoming increasingly exposed to extremist right-wing ideologies. By Harry Clarke-Ezzidio
South America Are new Covid variants more harmful to children? The evidence suggests that the Delta and Gamma variants are more dangerous for everyone, including young people. By Stuart Ritchie
Sport Who is responsible for Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest becoming a media spectacle? Viewers witnessing his initial collapse was inevitable, but social media could have stopped the traumatic images that followed. By Sarah Manavis
Social Media Are we really experiencing a summer of love? In June, dating app activity surged. But this doesn't necessarily mean a summer of casual dating. By Eleanor Peake and Katharine Swindells
Africa Ethopia's troubled election won't restore Abiy Ahmed's reputation The prime minister's lustre has disappeared under the shadow of a war in the northern region of Tigray. By Ido Vock
Europe Why Joe Biden has been forced to accept Russia and Germany’s energy relationship By Helen Thompson
Europe How French conservatives are turning toward Marine Le Pen Defections by mainstream politicians suggest that backing France’s hard-right National Rally in regional elections is no longer a dramatic leap. By David Broder
G7 The sunshine and smiles of the G7 summit masked deep divisions – and disappointments too What came out of the talks was a cluster of middling commitments, rehashed versions of older ideas, unfunded aspirations and plans to make plans. By Jeremy Cliffe
North America Joe Biden’s big week: the US perspective on the G7, NATO and Vladimir Putin Were the results of the US president’s first international tour as grand as the settings of the summits? By Emily Tamkin
From the NS archive: The north-south divide 28 July 1989: What does “south-easternisation” have to do with Scottish independence? By Tom Nairn
From the NS archive: De Gaulle and Nato 18 March 1966: The General withdraws France from the Western military alliance. By Oliver Todd
From the NS archive: The watchers 7 July 1923: As one watched the match, one took part in it with all one’s sinews. By YY
Mr Nice Guy 10 May 1991: Norman Tebbit on Europe, the poll tax and why he could have succeeded Margaret Thatcher. By Sarah Baxter
A Streetcar Named Desire 22 October 1949: The play has undertones of poetry, but does not quite come off. By RD Smith
The reign of anti-Semitism 23 July 1932: These incidents afford an ominous foreboding of developments that may yet occur in the future unless the governments concerned resolve to put their houses in order. By Israel Cohen
