The Observer Daily: How to disappear

The best of The Observer, from across our newsroom View in browser How to disappear The best of The Observer, from across our newsroom Ceri Thomas • Wednesday 25 June 2025 Dear friend, "To disappear means a vulnerability has opened up in someone's life," writes the reporter Francisco Garcia in his deep exploration of how and why people choose to leave behind the world, the families and friends they've known, and vanish: a vulnerability that may be opened up by mental health problems, financial difficulties or a long-unrecognised trauma. For whatever reason someone decides to go missing, the people they leave behind often assume that they've done something very difficult. Don't all the digital footprints we leave whenever we walk past swivel-eyed CCTV cameras, touch in and out, pay by card, or check out our Facebook page, make disappearing nearly impossible? Not so much, it turns out. The left-behind can find themselves terrified, frustrated, even angry as the days and years pass. Fortunately, help is at hand. And sometimes, albeit rarely, it works. Click here for to read the full piece → "The enemy of nonsense" – George Orwell Also in The Observer Trump sets a depressing example for strongmen The US president, supposedly, was an isolationist. But five months into his second term, and it's clear that America under Trump is not holding back from intervening anywhere in the world. The Observer's international editor Steve Bloomfield analyses the steps the leader of the free world is taking to bring dramatic change, especially in the Middle East, where the US Army has bombed two nations in the space of three months. Click here to read more → 400 years of red tape by Thomas Dyja        Zohran Mamdani will be the Democratic candidate to be the next New York mayor – but even if he wins the election in November, the path to change one of the world's biggest cities won't be easy. While the mayor may have oversight over agencies including education, housing, fire, police, sanitation and planning, Thomas Dyja explains why the things that really matter to New Yorkers (the bridges and tunnels, the taxes, the subway) lie out of the mayor's hands. Dyja writes: "If a mayor initiates anything truly transformative, they'll likely be watching from the bleachers when the ribbons are cut." Click here to read more → Nato is running out of time by Nina Kuryata       The Nato summit is underway in The Hague, but even though the Dutch city is awash with world leaders, much of the talk revolves around one man. Donald Trump is impatient to resolve the world's disagreements, and as Nina Kuryata reports from the Netherlands, the summit appears designed to convince Trump on one key point: that Nato is worth America's time and money. This piece is part of The Sensemaker. It features calm and clear analysis on what's driving the news across tech, geopolitics, finance and culture. To get the full newsletter sent to your inbox every morning, sign up here. This piece is part of The Sensemaker. It features calm and clear analysis on what's driving the news across tech, geopolitics, finance and culture. To get the full newsletter sent to your inbox every morning, sign up here. Click here to read more → Lana Del Rey's midsummer night's dream by Kitty Empire       In her review of songstress Lana Del Rey's bold new UK stadium tour, Kitty Empire praises a musician who has long since established herself as one of the biggest characters in pop. In Cardiff, she kickstarts a wistful, theatrical stadium show that, as Empire writes, captures "her own flame-like capacity to mesmerise". Click here to read more → Listen Daily Sensemaker Will France's new powers stop small boat crossings? French authorities will soon have new powers to intercept small boats carrying asylum seekers across the English Channel, even if they are already at sea     Click here to listen → Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow.   Ceri Thomas The Observer   My Account To manage your newsletters, track tickets and more, go to the 'My account' page on the Observer website: Manage my newsletters Follow Follow The Observer on social media on your preferred platform:   The Observer     The Observer Food Monthly The Observer Magazine The Observer New Review   Listen Listen for free in the Tortoise app or wherever you get your podcasts: Want to change how you receive these emails? Update email preferences Copyright © 2025 Tortoise Media. All rights reserved. Did this email get caught in your spam filter? Add editor@newsroom.tortoisemedia.com to your address book to never miss an email again. No longer want to receive this newsletter? Unsubscribe here.