Yayoi Kusama, high priestess of polka dots, has died

The Japanese artist has died at age 97. Kusama's polka dotted pumpkins, "Infinity Rooms," and other repetitive and dreamlike artworks have been shown in museums and galleries worldwide.

Nepal flash flood live updates: more than 500 missing in Tibet, reports China, amid search for hundreds of tourists

At least 165 people have died, while officials believe 340 foreign nationals from India, the US, UK, Australia, Malaysia and Ukraine among those missing. Follow the latest news

• Flash floods on Nepal-Tibet border leave scores dead and hundreds missing

• Tell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?

Continued from the last post on the number of people missing in Nepal:

Tell us: have you been affected by the flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border?

Floods and mudslides have swept away houses and roads with many hundreds missing

Hundreds are missing and at least 160 people have died after torrential floods ⁠hit the Himalayan border areas of ⁠Nepal and in ​Tibet in China. An avalanche of ice and rock triggered massive flash floods causing widespread damage to villages and infrastructure.

Officials said hundreds of travellers from countries including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Malaysia, were reported missing.

Ross Fire explodes to over 80,000 acres, forces evacuations in North Texas

The Ross wildfire has burned more than 80,000 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, forcing evacuations, closing roads and disrupting schools.

Yayoi Kusama, Japanese artist who became a global superstar, dies aged 97

From the 1950s to the 2020s, Kusama produced vivid paintings, sculptures and vast installations that often drew on her experience of hallucinations

Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese outsider artist who reached superstar status after decades living in a psychiatric hospital, has died aged 97.

Kusama died in a Tokyo hospital on 14 August, her studio announced in a statement on her website on Thursday.

Tim Curry, star of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," dies at 80

Tim Curry was known for his iconic performances in cult classics like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and the original screen adaptation of Stephen King's "It."

Ukraine war briefing: Reboot of ‘fortress belt’ defences as Zelenskyy visits frontline

Two modern commanders appointed on Donetsk front after dismissal of ‘Soviet-era’ Oleksandr Syrskyi as head of military. What we know on day 1,645

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed two of Ukraine’s most prominent commanders to oversee and strengthen defences of the “fortress belt” of industrialised cities in the Donetsk region. Visiting the frontline, Zelenskyy said Third Army Corps leader Andrii Biletskyi and Denys Prokopenko, commander of the First Corps ⁠Azov, would head new groupings. Both units are known for embracing Nato-style doctrine and new technology.

Russian forces are putting pressure on the cities of Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk – all critical strongholds for Ukraine. According to open-source mapping group Deep State, Moscow’s ‌troops have been infiltrating deeper into Kostiantynivka, with the Ukrainians weeding them out from houses, basements and ruins. Russia was also stepping up its air and artillery ​attacks on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk to prepare for a targeted offensive on those cities, Deep State said.

Ukrainian military analyst Mykola Bielieskov told Reuters the appointments were “the right move” in giving Ukraine’s new commander in chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, greater scope for strategic planning. His predecessor, the “Soviet-era” general Oleksandr Syrskyi, was criticised for micromanagement. Ukrainian drone forces commander Robert Brovdi, a leader of Kyiv’s mid and long-range strike campaigns, praised the appointments as an important step towards “network-centric warfare … This is exactly what ‘Smart War’ is,” he posted.

Ukraine hit ⁠16 sites in Russia ⁠over ⁠the past day ​including oil facilities and ⁠logistics, Zelenskyy said ⁠on Wednesday. The ‌targets also included ‌airfields, a missile unit, a military enterprise and infrastructure that ‌Moscow uses to launch attacks against ​Ukraine. Ukraine’s military general staff said its forces struck a Lukoil refinery overnight in Kstovo, in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, setting it on fire. The refinery can process 125m barrels annually. Long-range Ukrainian drones burned a Wildberries warehouse to the ground in the Tambov region south-east of Moscow, Russian authorities said on Wednesday.

A ⁠Russian guided aerial ⁠bomb ⁠attack seriously ​damaged a combined ⁠heat and power plant ⁠in ​Ukraine’s southern ‌city ‌of Kherson, ‌the plant’s owner, Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, said ‌on Wednesday. The extent of ​the damage would be ⁠assessed as ​soon as ​the security ​situation allowed, ​Naftogaz ‌said.

There were explosions ​in ⁠the ⁠Ukrainian capital ​of ‌Kyiv ‌early ‌on Thursday, ‌a ​Reuters ⁠witness ​said. Around the same time, Russia ⁠attacked an industrial facility ⁠in ⁠the central ​Ukrainian city of ⁠Kryvyi Rih with ballistic missiles, ⁠injuring two ​people, ‌said Oleksandr ‌Vilkul, the head of ‌the city’s defence council. It came after Bloomberg reported that Russia was considering ⁠stepping up its ballistic missile strikes ⁠on ⁠Kyiv, including ​targets in the city centre, ⁠and on critical infrastructure elsewhere in ⁠Ukraine after concluding that ​efforts ‌to negotiate ‌a peace deal ‌had reached a dead end. While Ukraine has repeatedly offered ceasefires and negotiations, the Kremlin has not altered its demands – chief among which is total control of Ukraine’s Donbas region.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded Ukraine’s Order of Freedom to Elon Musk, whose SpaceX has provided Starlink satellite internet to Ukraine’s military. Musk has restricted its use over Russian territory – a policy Zelenskyy hopes to change so that Ukrainian weapons can use Starlink to navigate to their targets.

Ukraine freed 10 Russian prisoners of war, Russia’s human rights commissioner said on Wednesday. On Monday, Russia released 10 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were previously thought to be missing.

A pro-Russian hacker group on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a cyber-attack on Digdir, the Norwegian government’s digital services agency. The denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks tried to overwhelm the agency’s computers to block services, including one that enables citizens to use one login across multiple public services. A Digdir spokesperson said the agency still managed to keep the services running “practically all the time”. The pro-Russian hacker group Server Killers said it attacked because Norway renewed its security cooperation with Ukraine on 23 August.

Ex-JPMorgan Chase executive shared confidential bank information with Epstein

Jes Staley told US House committee he also was at one point named a trustee of convicted sex offender’s estate

Former JPMorgan Chase executive Jes Staley told US lawmakers he repeatedly shared confidential and market-sensitive bank ⁠information with Jeffrey Epstein and ⁠was at one ​point named as a trustee of his estate, according to a transcript released by the House oversight committee on Wednesday.

These admissions come as lawmakers investigate the late convicted ⁠sex offender’s ties with political and business elites. Staley appeared before the committee in July as part of its investigation into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Transcripts ⁠from the meeting were released on Wednesday.

Cyborg cockroaches with tiny syringes designed to join search and rescue teams in major disasters

Giant burrowing cockroaches with added cameras and medical injectors are being tested as potential ‘first responders’ in earthquakes

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For people trapped under rubble in an earthquake or similar disaster, the arrival of a fleet of cockroaches could one day be the difference between life and death.

Biorobotics engineers have been working on the design of six-legged cyborg insects with cameras and miniature medical injectors for search and rescue missions.

Salesforce stock jumps 12% on AI growth and Anthropic investment gain

Salesforce's Anthropic stake led to higher profit in the latest quarter.

Mom arrested for vandalism after breaking bus window to pull out child

A mother was arrested for vandalism in California after smashing a school bus window to haul out her own child. Carter Evans has the story.

New Mexico farmers, residents fear data center's impact on health, bills, jobs

CBS News reporter Riley Callanan traveled to New Mexico to see Project Jupiter, one of the country's biggest hyper-scale data centers, for herself. She spoke with residents and farmers about their fears, concerns and in some cases, hopes.

Nvidia’s 70% growth forecast puts it on track to become tech’s No. 2 company by revenue

"Our demand is much greater than 70%," CEO Jensen Huang said on the earnings call.

Fed Gov Lisa Cook’s lawyer fires back at Trump's renewed threat to oust her

The Supreme Court in late June blocked Trump from firing Cook from the Federal Reserve, but left the president with a path to try again to remove her.

Queensland woman gave birth to twins with different parents after surrogacy coincides with natural pregnancy

Both children were born on same day in November 2025 in situation so rare it had not been contemplated by state surrogacy laws

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A Queensland woman gave birth to twin children with separate sets of biological parents last year, in what is believed to be an Australian first situation so rare it had not been contemplated by state surrogacy laws.

The woman, anonymised in a court judgment, conceived an unplanned natural pregnancy about the same time as she received an IVF embryo transfer under a surrogacy arrangement with another couple.

FDA approves new pancreatic cancer drug that could extend patients' lives

Patients taking the first-of-a-kind pill, called daraxonrasib, lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients, studies showed.

The toy industry's latest craze is cheap, colorful and very squishy

Squishy toys are booming, with social media and low prices helping fuel the craze.

See which U.S. states are most at risk from Canadian tariffs

Canadian officials said the tariffs set to be imposed on more than 800 U.S. imports are "strategic" and designed to target some states.

Meta settles social media addiction suit for up to $17.1 billion

Meta agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion to settle allegations that its social media platforms are addictive.

Meta settles in social media addiction case

Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, agreed to pay billions of dollars and adopt new safety measures, settling claims that its products have harmed American kids. Kelly O'Grady has more.

Why Dolly Parton is so heavily associated with butterflies

The growing number of memorials for the late country star Dolly Parton often features butterflies. Tony Dokoupil explains why they are associated together.

NFL finally calls time on beleaguered Pro Bowl after years of format changes

• League ends flag football and skills competitions

• Only original 88 selections will earn Pro Bowl status

• Players to be honored at Super Bowl week in LA

The NFL is ending the Pro Bowl Games after repeated format changes to its annual all-star event.

Beginning ⁠with the 2026 season, 88 Pro Bowlers will be selected but the NFL no longer plans to stage an ⁠AFC-NFC game, a ⁠flag-football matchup ​or an accompanying series of competitions. The players chosen will instead be invited to next year’s Super Bowl site in ⁠Los Angeles for an in-person celebration in February.

Details on custody battle over Texas surrogacy baby

A couple from California confronted the surrogate who refused their request for an abortion for the first time Tuesday in a Texas courtroom. They argue she is trying to take away their biological child. Mark Strassmann reports.

Trump fights to keep name on Kennedy Center, warning demolition if renovations don't continue

President Trump's ongoing effort to add his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts took a turn on Tuesday, with the administration warning that if renovation plans are blocked in court, demolition may be the next move. Nancy Cordes reports.

Heat-fueled wildfires tear through U.S., consuming thousands of acres

More than 60 million people are under heat alerts from the Gulf Coast to the Pacific. The dangerous heat is fueling a wave of more than 90 wildfires burning across the U.S. Kris Van Cleave reports and Lonnie Quinn has the forecast.

Fans mourn Dolly Parton at Dollywood in Tennessee

Thousands buzzed into Dollywood on Wednesday, one day after Dolly Parton's family announced her death at 80 years old. Skyler Henry has more from the theme park she built.

Republicans are dismissing affordability. That could be a problem in November

President Donald Trump quipped that affordability was "devised" by Democrats, while Vice President JD Vance said groceries "cost what they cost."

NFL ends Pro Bowl after 75 years, will still honor roster at season's end

In a news release, the NFL said it plans to "elevate" Pro Bowl selections, with no replacement selections.

London neurosurgeons perform first successful AI-assisted operation to remove brain tumour

Surgeons aided by real-time analysis of camera footage that identified critical anatomy in brain to be avoided

Neurosurgeons in London have performed the world’s first successful AI-assisted operation to remove a brain tumour, saving the sight of a 48-year-old man, health officials have said.

The surgery was performed in May at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), part of University College London hospitals NHS foundation trust, but details were kept secret until Thursday while the patient, Rhys Hibbert, recovered.

Rainbow Warrior review – spies bomb activists in truly gasp-inducing TV

The bizarre story of French secret agents blowing up a Greenpeace ship in New Zealand is rivetingly retold by the eco-veterans – revealing an increasingly unhinged litany of lies, denials and James Bond-style antics

When DS Terry Batchelor received the call informing him of the whereabouts of the French couple suspected of bombing the Rainbow Warrior, he was eating a pie. The suspects were in Auckland, he learned, preparing to return their hired Toyota HiAce campervan to the rental depot. A scoop! Batchelor, who was based nearby, gathered his team and set off in hot – and ultimately successful – pursuit. And the pie? “Actually,” reflects the retiree, peering at us over his moustache, “I hadn’t started the pie yet.” A pause, heavy with the threat of italics. “But I was about to.”

There is a lot of this sort of thing in Sky Documentaries’ Rainbow Warrior, a feature-length retelling of the events surrounding the July 1985 sinking of the titular Greenpeace flagship. That is to say; granular recollections, delivered by elderly men with combative facial hair, seemingly irrelevant in isolation but riveting and oddly comforting when viewed as part of a startling and frequently unhinged whole.

Bill Gates issues stark warning about AI's impact on American jobs

In a nearly 6,000-word essay, Gates argues that artificial intelligence poses a mounting threat to U.S. workers.

Judge denies Minnesota's request to halt release of ICE officer Christian Castro

A federal judge on Wednesday denied Minnesota's request for a temporary restraining order to halt the release of the ICE agent sought for extradition in a shooting earlier this year in north Minneapolis amid Operation Metro Surge, and then lying about the circumstances under oath.

8/26: CBS Evening News

Latest developments on Nepal flooding; Extreme heat fuels wildfires.

ICE arrests of people without criminal records hit record high, new data shows

The surge in arrests comes as the White House pushes ICE to hit a target of 2,000 per day.

Final witness in Lindsay Clancy trial says he doesn’t believe she heard a voice during killings

FBI psychiatrist Gregory Saathoff says he has treated only two women with postpartum psychosis, both decades earlier

Testimony finished in the Lindsay Clancy trial on Wednesday, as a final witness for the prosecution laid out that he believed the Massachusetts mother knew right from wrong when she took the lives of her three young children before attempting to commit suicide in 2023.

Closing arguments are expected to begin on Thursday. The jury will then start deliberating.

Mbappé hat-trick sinks Real Sociedad after Real Madrid jeered by home fans

Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Bernabéu on Wednesday ⁠in their first home match since the return of José Mourinho as head coach.

Mbappé put Madrid ahead in the 40th minute before Luka Sucic levelled four minutes later, but the ⁠France forward restored the ⁠hosts’ lead on ​the hour. Vinícius Júnior added a third in the 68th minute before Mbappé completed his treble 10 minutes from time.

Drugstores say Medicare's $50 obesity drug program is catching on

The Bridge program, which began July 1, makes some Medicare beneficiaries eligible for obesity drugs for $50 a month. CVS and Walgreens say they've each already filled 100,000 such prescriptions.

8/26: The Takeout with Major Garrett

President Trump says Iran war to "continue for as long as necessary"; Sen. Darline Graham prevails in South Carolina Republican Senate primary runoff.

Sávio savours debut goal as Spurs coast to emphatic Carabao Cup win over Charlton

A new season at the snazziest modern stadium in England and something extremely welcome for Tottenham. A home win over domestic opposition. There were only four of them last time out; three in the Premier League with the final one – over Everton on the last day – helping them to avoid relegation. Had they lost that, this Carabao Cup fixture against Charlton would also have been played in the Championship.

Spurs needed this tonic for another reason – to begin the clean-up operation after Saturday’s awful 3-0 defeat at Brentford.

Was a police search for a murder weapon cut short by a guard dog's growl?

After Kevin Davis was found dying at the foot of the stairs in his Indiana home, police initially believed it was an accident. They did not search the room where a pit bull mix was secured.

Meta agrees to major changes to Facebook and Instagram as it settles US trial over teen addiction for up to $18bn

US tech giant agrees to establish further protections for teens such as daily usage limits and blocks on night-time use

Meta agreed to significant changes to its Instagram and Facebook apps in a settlement that ended a landmark lawsuit on Wednesday. Dozens of US states had accused the tech giant of addicting and harming children with dangerous products.

The agreement curtails a major trial in California and will require the social media company to pay up to $18bn. Meta agreed to establish safeguards for teenage users, including daily usage limits and blocks on night-time use nationwide in the US.

Debutant Malard breaks Chelsea duck after Real Sociedad threaten WCL shock

• Third qualifying round, first leg: Chelsea 5-2 Real Sociedad

• Girma 29, Buurman 54, Malard 67 88, James 74; Marín 7, Marcos 59

Chelsea’s sluggish start in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier against Real Sociedad will have made far from satisfying viewing for their suspended head coach, Sonia Bompastor, but two goals from the new signing Melvine Malard contributed to a five-goal haul as the Blues came from behind to give themselves a three-goal cushion going into next week’s return fixture.

“It was a tough game, a tough first half because Real Sociedad is a really great team but I think we had a good reaction,” said Camille Abily, the assistant coach to Bompastor, who was serving a one match ban following her red card in Chelsea’s quarter-final second leg against Arsenal last season. “We were so much better in the second half, there was more space also. It’s a good win – a tough win but a good win.”

Man convicted in Microsoft exec's murder in plot allegedly involving ex-wife

Prosecutors believe Jared Bridegan was killed because of ongoing strife with his former wife over the parenting of their twins.

Derbyshire police investigating alleged assault in connection with Carse arrest

• Durham bowler dropped from England squad

• Unclear whether Carse involved in alleged assault

Derbyshire police are investigating an alleged assault in connection with the arrest of Brydon Carse last weekend, which led to the Durham fast bowler being dropped from the England squad for the second Test against Pakistan.

Carse was filmed by a member of the public in handcuffs outside Molly Malone’s Irish Tavern in Derby in the early hours of Sunday morning with several other Durham players, including the former England captain Ben Stokes, also present.

Dolly Parton remembered by fellow stars, politicans: "A true loss for millions"

President Trump said that he would be "lowering the American flag" throughout the nation for one week in Dolly Parton's honor.

24 states sue to block new Postal Service rules for mail voting

The group of 24 states and the District of Columbia argues the Postal Service's new rule violates the Constitution and federal law.

Nvidia’s dependence on hyperscalers faces big test in earnings report

Nvidia is trying to expand its customer base by creating new financing options that allow for more clients to purchase its costly systems.

OpenAI staff observed warning signs before AI agent hacking crusade caused global alarm

Firm says ‘early signals … could have triggered an earlier response’ as it releases report into Hugging Face hack

OpenAI staff observed signs of rogue behaviour among its leading-edge AI agents weeks before they escaped their training environment to launch an unprecedented hacking crusade that spread global alarm.

The San Francisco AI company conceded on Wednesday that “early signals … could have triggered an earlier response”, as it released a report into the days-long July hack of a major software repository, Hugging Face, considered the first autonomous agent cyber-attack.

Trump downplays Moscow visit by CIA director as ‘semi-routine’

President denies visit was to gain support for Iran sanctions or due to fears that Putin plans to ‘test Nato resolve’

• US politics live – latest updates

Donald Trump has downplayed a visit to Moscow by the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, as “semi-routine” after he turned up in the Russian capital unannounced, triggering a wave of speculation about the reasons for his trip.

Ratcliffe was reported to have flown to Moscow on a government transport plane on Tuesday in a rare visit after taking off from the Andrews air force base in Maryland.

Carly Pearce recalls meeting Dolly Parton at 16: "I couldn't believe she was real"

Country star Carly Pearce was working at Dollywood when she met Dolly Parton in the early 2000s.

Fed, NASA and DOJ among victims of Chinese state-sponsored hacker group: Court documents

Hackers targeted networks "operated by hospitals, telecommunications providers, power companies, financial institutions, and defense contractors," a filing said.

Immigration arrests soar, hitting 50,000 in July

Since taking over in March, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has pivoted from the confrontational style of immigration enforcement of his predecessor, Kristi Noem. The latest data is reflective of a strategy that is working

Iran says the U.S. is standing in the way of Hormuz deal amid talks with Oman

Iran and Oman are approaching a deal to secure safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz and future administration of the vital economic artery.

Judge awards Blake Lively $400,000 in legal fees in Justin Baldoni case

The actor had sought $8m in attorney costs resulting from her protracted legal battle with Baldoni

Blake Lively has been awarded more than $400,000 in attorneys’ fees after her 18-month legal battle with Justin Baldoni.

On Wednesday, judge Lewis Liman awarded the actor $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206.35 in costs, figures far lower than the $8m Lively had sought.

US issues sanctions against UK-based direct action group Palestine Action

US labels group ‘global terrorist’ as Palestine Action challenge against proscription in UK nears supreme court hearing

The US ⁠has ​issued sanctions against ⁠the UK-based direct action organisation Palestine ⁠Action, describing it as a “transnational terror group”.

The US Department of the Treasury labelled Palestine Action a specially designated global terrorist on Wednesday, which allows the US to freeze the assets of foreign individuals and entities.

Philadelphia's Chucky-style masked man arrested in Las Vegas

U.S. Marshals say 22-year-old Zymire Hughes was arrested Tuesday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Apple sets iPhone launch event for Sept. 9, first under new CEO John Ternus

Analysts expect the company to launch new iPhones and Apple Watches at the event, including the company's first folding phone

Greetings from Karbala, Iraq, where millions gathered for a Shia pilgrimage

Pilgrims came to Iraq from all over the world in August. Many Iraqi and Iranian pilgrims walked hundreds of miles in extreme heat to mark the event. Outside the shrines, the atmosphere is almost festive.

The Guardian view on electoral reform: don’t wait for a crisis to fix a broken system | Editorial

In an era of multiparty politics, first past the post risks generating perverse outcomes that delegitimise the democratic process

If the system that elects MPs to Westminster was obviously the most democratic one available, there would be no need to use alternative modes when electing the UK’s devolved assemblies or England’s regional mayors. The fact that first past the post (FPTP) was not preferred when establishing those institutions reflects an acceptance that there are better ways to turn popular opinion into fair political representation. So why should the Commons stick with an inferior system?

This question is raised by an amendment tabled to the representation of the people bill, which returns to parliament next week. The call to establish an independent national commission on electoral reform has been endorsed by 185 MPs.

States try new tactics to bring down high hospital prices

Indiana is the latest state to experiment with limiting what hospitals can charge, to try to get a handle on high health costs.

The Guardian view on child marriage: girls should not be wives | Editorial

There’s growing agreement that under-18s need to be protected – but international turmoil is pushing many towards wedlock

Every minute, 23 girls around the world wed, according to the Girls Not Brides campaign, a coalition of more than 1,000 organisations across 100 countries. No child should be married. But girls are far more likely to be affected than boys, accounting for nine in 10 of those wed before 18, and their spouses are often much older men. The consequences, beyond the immediate threat of sexual violence, include the shortening of their education, increased risks of poverty and domestic abuse, and poor health, including high rates of maternal mortality. In spring, the Center for Global Development thinktank estimated that child marriage costs $175bn annually in lost productivity and increased health risks.

The good news is that the last decade has seen a drop in rates; last year alone, Grenada, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Kuwait and Portugal introduced bans. But there are disturbing signs of regression elsewhere. In May, the Taliban issued a new judicial code enabling child marriage below the previous minimum age of 16, and preventing wives from ending marriages they entered as children if their husbands object. Previous protections were inadequate and often poorly enforced; now even those have been swept away. Activists say forced and early marriages have soared since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, thanks to the ban on secondary education and the state of the economy.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Whimsical shortlist announced for Edinburgh comedy award 2026

A shortlist rich in kookiness sees Lara Ricote tipped for the main prize, alongside returning nominees and a new generation of eccentric fringe acts

The shortlist has been announced for the annual Edinburgh comedy award, and it’s a list that majors in whimsy. With an act hymning his belief in healing crystals, another dreamily counting sheep and a third whose show is about “mystery and messages” – and that’s before we even get to the loopy DIY comedy of TV veteran Spencer Jones – this year’s “Oscars of comedy” nominees (for both the best show and best newcomer prize) suggest an art form exploding with creativity but also increasingly oriented towards woo-woo: in full flight, perhaps, from our troubled times.

The award favourite is Mexican-American comic Lara Ricote, co-star of Sam Campbell’s Channel 4 mockumentary Make That Movie and former fringe best newcomer. Ricote’s Inkling is a remarkable hour about picking up on the messages that come one’s way, and how that’s complicated by, in the 29-year-old’s case, being hard of hearing.

Mark Walter's TWG Global says there's 'no fraud' amid probe of insurers' disclosures

The empire of billionaire Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter has faced media scrutiny since he said he would sell his majority share of the LA Lakers.

Judge clears the way for Postal Service work on Trump's mail-in voting order for now

A federal judge in Boston canceled a nationwide ruling that blocked U.S. Postal Service work on President Trump's order to limit mail-in voting for the midterm election. But a new block may come soon.

Rebecca Hendin on the legacy of Dolly Parton – cartoon

Affairs? Drugs? You could ask Dolly Parton about anything and get a laugh. Just stay away from politics …

One autumn day in 2023 I bathed in the luminous glow of this utterly authentic star – and while she did have one weak spot, her life and music will speak for themselves

• Celebrity tributes pour in for Dolly Parton

• Dolly Parton’s 10 best deep cuts

• Alexis Petridis on Dolly Parton’s peerless career
  

The great privilege of my kind of journalism is to get the chance to meet extraordinary people – some famous, many not – and very occasionally that person is beyond extraordinary. Dolly Parton, you may not be surprised to learn, was one of them. I’ve only come across it a handful of times. It has nothing to do with extreme fame – I’ve met plenty of A-listers who are dead behind the eyes. It’s not charm or extroversion either, nor beauty, and it’s not what we’d call “star quality” because it’s less showy than that. It’s almost indescribable, but “luminous” probably comes closest. I think it’s partly innate – God-given, Parton might have said – but it also comes from living with humility, gratitude and humour. Parton was luminous, and it wasn’t just the rhinestones.

The cliche that you should never meet your heroes because you’ll only be disappointed only stands if you think famous people have somehow transcended the deep character flaws that make the rest of us human. Everyone has off days, or off years. Still, I’d been slightly dreading interviewing Parton. The machinery that surrounds a superstar interview – the holding rooms, the allotted time slots, the officious publicists – is designed to be intimidating, and it was all present on that autumn day in 2023. And then it was just Parton and me in a London hotel room, borderline uncomfortably close on a sofa, but unusually, no publicist sitting in, taking notes.

‘9 to 5? She was full-on round the clock!’ Dolly Parton celebrated by kd lang, Peggy Seeger, Annie Lennox and more

Musicians and performers pay tribute to the country legend who managed to be a generational talent, a formidable entrepreneur, a dedicated philanthropist and a truly kind person

Shirley Collins, singer-songwriter

‘Escape wizard’ who has broken out of four prisons is arrested in Spain

Albanian criminal has cut bars, descended sheets and even used human pyramid in escapes in Italy and Belgium

Police in Spain have arrested a dangerous Albanian criminal nicknamed the “escape wizard” who has managed to break out of four jails in Italy and Belgium by sawing through bars, clambering down knotted sheets and even using a human pyramid to breach prison walls.

The fugitive, who has not been officially named, was arrested after officers from the Policía Nacional force discovered he was living in the north-eastern Spanish city of Tarragona. He was the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by the Italian authorities.

The London stock market dodged a bullet with Shein | Nils Pratley

China’s fashion giant will list in Hong Kong with a shrunken price tag – and big questions over its business model

In a parallel world, we might now be preparing for the arrival on the London stock market of Shein, the giant Chinese-founded fast-fashion retailer. Or it could have happened already.

The possibility of a London flotation was a running story during 2024 and into last year as politicians from both main parties engaged in behind-the-scenes wooing. Shein was seen as a shot of tech adrenalin for a listless local listings scene, and an opportunity to advertise the UK’s openness to international capital.

Farewell, Dr Frank-N-Furter: why Tim Curry’s Rocky Horror Show will go on

The versatile stage performer will always be remembered for his defining film role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which turned him into an icon of 70s underground cinema and proto-punk
• Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Stephen King’s It, dies aged 80
• Tim Curry on sexuality, surviving a stroke and 50 years of stardom
• Clowns, corsets and kings – a life in pictures

Over the past decade, the issues of trans identity and gender fluidity couldn’t have been more contemporary, and Tim Curry was an integral part of what might be called their pre-history in pop culture. He was an icon – though maybe now a dimly remembered icon – of the 70s underground cinema and proto-punk.

Curry was a good-looking actor with a tremendous speaking and singing voice, and a versatile performer – he got Tony nominations for his varied stage work on Broadway as Mozart in Amadeus, Alan Swann in My Favorite Year (the part Peter O’Toole played on screen) and as King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot. But it was his strange destiny to be remembered for one role: at once indelibly prominent and weirdly peripheral. He was the sensational Dr Frank-N-Furter in the thoroughly outrageous Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), the screen version of the 1973 stage show.

Two women accuse former Fat White Family member Saul Adamczewski of physical and emotional abuse

Insecure Men singer has now been dropped by his record label and had tour dates cancelled after two women shared allegations about his behaviour

Saul Adamczewski of Insecure Men and formerly of Fat White Family has been dropped by his record label and had tour dates cancelled after two women shared allegations of physical and emotional abuse against the musician.

One woman said that the pair had a short relationship that resulted in a pregnancy, after which, she alleged, Adamczewski “made it his duty to make me suffer. He has been violent, pushed me, thrown glass bottles at me, showered me with beer […] insulted me, taken my passport from me, stolen my money and more, all while I had our baby.”

My mum has died – and there is one kind of response I can’t stand | Polly Hudson

The platitudes, euphemisms and cliches are excruciating. But the people who say nothing at all are the worst

Luckily, I already knew having a comic thought at a tragic moment is a natural stress response, or I might have worried. My mum has died, making me an orphan – and what first popped into my head was how annoyed Larry David would be.

In Curb Your Enthusiasm, when Marty Funkhouser’s mother’s wheelchair was run over by a car, he proclaimed himself an orphan. David informed him he was too old to be an orphan. Funkhouser insisted that if your parents are dead, you’re an orphan.

South African police arrest two Thai men for allegedly smuggling parrot eggs

Bird eggs intercepted in homemade incubators at Johannesburg airport as officials try to halt wildlife trafficking

South African police have arrested two Thai nationals in separate incidents for allegedly attempting to smuggle endangered parrot eggs out of the country as authorities try to stem the tide of wildlife trafficking.

A 50-year-old Thai national was arrested at OR Tambo international airport in Johannesburg on 20 August, carrying 50 bird eggs in a homemade incubator in a hand-luggage bag, South Africa’s environment ministry said in a statement.

Stuck bundts? You need ‘cake goop’: Natalie Paull’s lime and yoghurt bundt – recipe

The cookbook author and owner of Melbourne’s Beatrix Bakes shares a her ‘100% reliable’ formula for freeing bundts from tins

When all the layer cakes are baked and iced, I will always love a slice of pretty patterned bundt. Especially one that is lightened with the perfect amount of baking powder (overly dense bundts are stodgy sadness) and brightened with limes and yoghurt.

Cake goop – a mix of flour, oil and butter – is a gift of guaranteed cake release that I found on the internet, and it means no more stuck bundts. Bless the baker who invented it! Goop has it all – release, plus enough sticking power to hold the batter as it rises and cools, without slumping. Additionally, mixing the flour with oil means you don’t get that fine, white, dusty crust on the outside of the cooked cake. Goop is 100% reliable with a 100% untarnished release record in my kitchen.

Will Trump's latest beef plan make your hamburger cheaper? Not much, experts say

The proposal comes weeks before the midterm elections, when food prices and the cost of living are expected to be major issues on voters' minds.

Flight attendant’s breast cancer was occupational disease, court rules

Sophie Lainault, who worked for Air France, wins legal case linking illness to more than 12,600 hours on flights

A flight attendant in France has succeeded in having her breast cancer recognised as an occupational disease, a first for the country’s aviation industry, her lawyer and a trade union said.

The ruling, which recognised that Sophie Lainault, a former flight attendant for Air France, had frequently worked at night and been exposed to passive smoking, could pave the way for similar claims, the lawyer and the CFDT union said.

Dolly Parton was a rare singer who proved herself to be an electric movie star

From 9 to 5 to Steel Magnolias to Joyful Noise, the late star had real big screen presence that was impossible to imitate

• ‘I just give from my heart’: how Dolly Parton’s philanthropy focused most on helping children

• Celebrity tributes pour in for Dolly Parton: ‘a gift to the world’

There are an awful lot of singers who take a shot at movie stardom. Most of them start out playing singing ingenues and trail off a few movies later, after their limitations become clear, the novelty wears off or their interests wander back to music. Dolly Parton, who died on 25 August at the age of 80, had the barest outline of such a film career: She had a big hit out of the gate with 9 to 5, endured a sizable flop about a decade later with 1992’s Straight Talk signaling the end of her movie phase, and had a couple of minor postscripts in the years that followed – more cameos-as-herself than fully fleshed-out roles. (Presumably she was busy releasing over a dozen albums, making countless TV appearances, sending books to children, and funding vaccine research, among other endeavors.) Yet within a modest filmography consisting of just half a dozen leading roles in theatrical releases (and more than one widely regarded as a minor disaster), she showed more genuine screen presence than countless other multihyphenates.

Maybe it helped that Parton introduced herself on screen in a non-musical role. Well, almost: 9 to 5, a 1980 workplace comedy where she starred alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, did yield a number one charting theme song, the Oscar-nominated tune of the same name. (The titular theme from Fame won, but which one still gets played on the radio more often?) The movie itself, where Parton plays an office secretary whose piggish boss (Dabney Coleman) lusts after her and whose co-workers (initially including Tomlin and Fonda) suspect, incorrectly, that she has given in to his desires, is a far more relatable comedy, sort of a neo-screwball-meets-women’s-picture with an additional early-‘80s feminist spin.

Serena and Venus Williams will play doubles together at the US Open

• Sisters to appear in New York for first time since 2022

• Serena played mixed doubles with Alcaraz on Tuesday

Serena and Venus Williams are teaming up again at the US Open.

The sisters will play doubles at the tournament after receiving a wild card on Wednesday into the event they have won twice.

Boston Scientific says a cyberattack is disrupting its global operations

Medical device maker said it is working to assess the scope of the attack and business interruption.

A Ugandan quarry worker carrying rocks on her head: Dan Nelken’s best photograph

‘Janet had eight children. Her husband drove a boda-boda taxi, but had lost a leg – so she had been working in her local quarry for 10 years. “I am now the husband in this home,” she said’

In 2017, my wife, Adele Brown, was invited to spend three weeks at an NGO in Gulu, Uganda, teaching critical thinking skills to blind high school-age students. I was asked along to document the organisation’s activities. I became fascinated by the town’s main market, where vendors sold goods such as used clothes, fruit and firewood. I asked the Ugandan teachers how I might approach someone to take their portrait. They suggested I offer a modest “model fee” after seeking permission.

One of the students – Emmanuel (Emma) – wanted to assist me. We would visit the market together. When I saw a vendor I wanted to photograph, Emma would approach and seek their consent. Most agreed, but after returning home to New York, I looked at the results and was disappointed. As with other well-intentioned projects, I thought that was the end of it.

Modern cowboys are saddling up in the US West. And they’re on a whole new mission

In states like Montana, range riders can play a key role in a wild landscape where livestock and predators navigate life together

For most people, the word “cowboy” still summons a figure from Western folklore – a rough rider with a weathered face and a steely gaze, a self-reliant loner who answers to nobody, is fearless in the face of danger, and protects his lands from predators – animal and human alike.

But over the past 15 years, a new range rider has emerged in the American West, one that is out on a wholly different mission: to live in a wild landscape where livestock and predators can co-exist.

How Dolly Parton wrote the story of a changing America

Parton, who died at 80 on Tuesday, had charm, depth, beauty, wit and radiant goodness. She was also a songwriter whose work told the story not just of country music but of the country itself.

Inquest opens into death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday

Academic was found unresponsive by family members, inquest told, as coroner adjourns proceedings to later date

A coroner has formally opened an inquest into the death of Jason Arday, who resigned as a professor at the University of Cambridge amid allegations of plagiarism.

Arday, 41, died at his home in Battersea, south London on 14 August, nine days after his resignation. Family members watched the 10-minute hearing at London inner south coroner’s court via a video link.

Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows core prices rose 3.3% annually in July

The personal consumption expenditures price index was expected to rise 0.1% monthly and 3.6% on a 12-month basis, according to economists surveyed by Dow Jones.

Meta, states agree to $17 billion settlement in child safety trial

The social media giant also agreed to make sweeping changes to Instagram and Facebook.

Canada unveils retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion of U.S. goods

Canadian trade negotiators left the U.S. last week after failing to clinch a trade deal that would stop President Donald Trump's new tariffs from taking effect.

Women using HRT at lower risk of dementia, study suggests

Scientists found those who had used hormone replacement therapy were 10% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia

Hormone replacement therapy may reduce the risk of dementia, a study has found.

Scientists tracked more than 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK in the largest study of its kind. They found that those who had used HRT were 10% less likely to develop any type of dementia and 16% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the most common form, compared with those who had never used it.

Amazon service Bezos once called 'artificial artificial intelligence' is shutting down

Mechanical Turk launched in 2005 as a way to farm out tasks that are easy for humans to complete but too challenging for computers.

Tribute to Dolly Parton and a tomato festival: photos of the day – Wednesday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived back in UK, say reports

Harry, Meghan and family expected to enjoy ‘extended stay’ with children Archie and Lilibet already enrolled at school

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived back in the UK, landing at Birmingham airport, according to reports.

Prince Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are expected to enjoy an “extended stay” in Britain, with the children already enrolled at school in the UK and due to start next week.

1.3m plastic bottles collected in a day in global volunteer ocean cleanup

Ocean Conservancy says last year’s cleanup collected 13.9m pieces of rubbish from beaches and rivers worldwide

More than 1.3m plastic bottles were collected from beaches, rivers and waterways last year during the world’s largest single-day volunteer ocean cleanup.

About 630,000 people took part in the International Coastal Cleanup in 2025, removing almost 13.9m pieces of rubbish from more than 15,000 miles of coastline and waterways.

‘I catch the signs a lot earlier now’: Amanda Anisimova on burnout and bouncing back

World No 10 is one of the best players yet to win a major and heads to Flushing Meadows in fine form after learning to embrace being uncomfortable

Amanda Anisimova can see the signs now. It is just over three years since the American announced she would be taking an indefinite break for mental health reasons. A brilliant junior, she was a semi-finalist at the French Open in 2019 and seemingly destined for the top, only for her world to be rocked by the sudden death of her father, Konstantin, a few months later. Struggling for motivation and burned out, in May 2023, she revealed she would be stepping away from the sport.

It turned out to be the best decision she ever made. “I learned how important it is to have a great balance on and off the court,” Anisimova says in an interview from New York, ahead of the US Open, where she will try to go one better than last year and win her first grand slam title.

Highlighting Dolly Parton's philanthropy

Dolly Parton's philanthropic legacy rivals her musical one, especially with her book-gifting program, "Dolly Parton's Imagination Library." Adriana Diaz reports.

Goodbye, Dolly Parton: a gay icon whose appeal reached across age, class and politics, and into the Maga heartlands | Emma Brockes

Straight women loved her, so did Eminem. Even Donald Trump found something nice to say. Her allure had no boundaries and was truly unique

I was at the National Theatre in London on Tuesday night, at a production of Pride, which tells the story of the unlikely alliance between gay activists and Welsh miners during the 1984 miners’ strike, when news broke of Dolly Parton’s death. Well. Against the sadness, one couldn’t help smiling. At a very gay production, attended by a majority gay audience, I half expected them to stop the show or call out a team from St John Ambulance bearing stretchers. In the script for Pride, references to Judy Garland and Ethel Merman serve as shorthand for gay sensibilities, but it could just as easily have been Dolly Parton. The queen of country and crossover pop was beloved by so many communities – many antagonistic to each other – but it was perhaps her gay fans who claimed her most vociferously and publicly.

When we got home my friends and I danced around to 9 to 5, and on Wednesday morning it was Here You Come, Again (“looking better than a body has a right to” – oh, Dolly) on a loop, along with her 1971 hit Coat of Many Colors.

At least 98 killed and hundreds missing after flash floods in Nepal and China

The disaster is linked to climate change, with experts noting the region's vulnerability to extreme weather.

‘A Bible-sized blind spot’: congressman sounds alarm on rising Christian nationalism

In his new book, congressman Jared Huffman argues that theocratic insurgency has only grown more powerful after Donald Trump returned to the White House

Crosses, shofars and “Appeal to Heaven” flags. Rioters praying with their hands aloft as police officers are brutalised. January 6 2021 is widely remembered as a deadly insurrection by supporters of Donald Trump; but for Congressman Jared Huffman, who was locked down alone in his office that day, something else stands out.

It was a very Christian coup.

How to turn the dregs of a ketchup bottle into a classic Marie Rose dressing – recipe | Waste not

Shake up the remnants of a bottle of ketchup with a splash of sprits, a heap of mayonnaise and a few other simple additions, and turn it into one of the culinary world’s most famous sauces

My new favourite preparation for sauces, marinades and dressings is in a near-empty jar, tub or bottle, so I can upcycle all the remains. Rather than washing it and putting it in the recycling, I instead add a few store-cupboard ingredients to create a dressing or sauce, often re-exploring classics such as a retro Marie Rose sauce or my yoghurt-pot chicken. It’s a convenient way to use up the last dregs of a ketchup bottle, for instance, which often seems to harbour exactly the right amount of sauce.

My Marie Rose recipe is inspired by the one in Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham’s 1997 The Prawn Cocktail Years. It’s wonderfully simple, with the sophisticated addition of a dash of cognac, though other recipes use brandy. I had neither, however, but I did have some sweet vermouth left over, which worked exceptionally well, so feel free to experiment with whatever spirits you have to hand – vodka, for instance, works brilliantly, and gives the sauce a nice kick.

‘You can taste the ash’: surviving in America’s wildfire smoke capital

A magical corner of Oregon has the highest US rate of wildfire smoke deaths. How do residents live with the haze – and grief?

Driving into the county, you can’t miss the sign.

“IT’S THE CLIMATE”.

Hyundai has grown more than any automaker in the U.S. — and it's not done yet

The South Korean automaker wants to keep going by ramping up production at a new $7.6 billion plant in Georgia to capture more sales and market share.

‘National scandal’: extreme heat linked to 40,000 deaths in England between 1988 and 2025

ONS data shows rising toll of climate crisis, with officials warning this summer on track to set further records

More than 40,000 extra people died on the hottest days in England between 1988 and 2025 than would be expected in normal temperatures, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday.

The figures do not include this summer, when England has sweltered under a succession of heatwaves and is on track to record its highest ever number of heat-related deaths. The UK Health Security Agency announced on 30 July that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heatwaves alone. The total is almost double the figure for the whole summer in 2025.