The number of Russian casualties in Ukraine is thought to have passed 1m this month. Vladimir Putin’s grip on his own citizens grows ever tighter. But the summer festival in Moscow offers a parallel universe of entertainment, consumption and comfort. Think Berlin in the early 1940s. Just how durable is the Russian capital’s dual reality?
Elsewhere, we assess Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to create government-run supermarkets. The Democratic nominee for New York City mayor says food prices have spiralled and New Yorkers shouldn’t “subsidise private grocery store operators”. But such stores have among the lowest margins of any business in America. And that’s not the only problem with Mr Mamdani’s plan.
