The Guardian

Freddie Mercury’s ‘splendid things’ to go on display at V&A

Eight costumes spanning Queen frontman’s career will feature in a free trail developed with his former fianceeEight famous costumes worn by Freddie Mercury, including the outfit featured on the cover of Queen’s debut album and the catsuit from the video for Bohemian Rhapsody, are to go on display at the V&A in London this autumn to mark what would have been the singer’s 80th birthday.Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things, a free trail developed with Mercury’s former fiancee and close friend Mary

general  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Culture

The Librarians: A Very Serious Comedy! review – workplace meltdown borrows from classic sitcoms

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Well-tuned performances help along a familiar set of laughs as a rickety library gets a new manager and an inspectionThe sign says Plumstanton Library but this could be The Brittas Empire’s Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre, The Office’s Wernham Hogg or Torquay fleapit Fawlty Towers. Such is the instant familiarity of a failing workplace whose staff have a new manager and an inspector to contend with at once. It’s not only the books that are well worn in Matthew How

entertainment  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

NHS England to offer women ‘gamechanging’ free home testing kits for cervical cancer

NHS has target of eliminating the cancer by 2040, but up to 4 million eligible women are not up to date with screeningMillions of women in England who have missed cervical screening appointments will be offered free home testing kits on the NHS.The move comes amid concerns that only two-thirds of women attend in-person cervical screening appointments when asked to do so, leaving as many as 4 million women not up to date. Continue reading...

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

Europe’s heatwaves threaten insurers’ earnings, rating agency S&P says

Rise in claims linked to heat-related deaths and illness, especially among older people, could drive up premiumsEurope’s intense heatwaves could hit insurers’ earnings as companies face a rise in claims linked to heat-related deaths and worsening health conditions, the rating agency S&P has said.While a long summer of extreme heat will have increased drought and wildfire-related claims, the rating agency said there would also be fallout for life and health insurers, and for the reinsurers wh

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian

At least 35,000 excess deaths recorded in Europe’s back-to-back heatwaves

True figure likely to be much higher as it only covers about half of continent and does not include August totalsAt least 35,000 more people died during Europe’s four record-breaking, back-to-back heatwaves this summer than would normally be expected, according to incomplete figures from barely half the continent.Excess mortality in three of the EU’s larger countries – Germany, France and Spain – alone has already exceeded 25,000, according to the provisional national figures, and experts say th

general  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Science

Creatine: is there truth behind the hype? – podcast

Creatine has become the go-to supplement for anyone wanting to give their fitness a boost and build muscle. It’s even made it out of the gym, with influencers touting its cognitive benefits. But what’s the science behind creatine, and does the evidence stack up? Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and Dr Justin Roberts, professor of nutritional physiology at Anglia Ruskin UniversityIs it true that … we should all be taking creatine?Athletes and fitness influencers use creatine,

science  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Culture

The ear witness: Turner-winner Lawrence Abu Hamdan and his ‘sound evidence’ exposés of human rights abuses

From killings in Gaza to the alleged use of a sonic weapon on a vigil in Belgrade, the Lebanese-British artist reveals how his work for activist group Earshot is inseparable from his artLawrence Abu Hamdan has a double identity. He is an artist who, in 2019, jointly won the Turner prize; and one of his works is, for my money, among the most striking on show at this year’s Venice Biennale. But he is also the director of a young NGO, founded in 2023, called Earshot, which investigates human rights

entertainment  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

Iranians queue for petrol as US blockade bites

Long lines form in capital as officials warn that war and inflation are triggering fuel shortages

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

Iranians queue for petrol as US blockade bites

Long lines form in capital city as officials warn that war and inflation are triggering fuel shortages

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

US grain farmers pummelled as Iran war triggers surge in costs

Middle East conflict adds to strains in America’s heartland months ahead of midterm elections

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

Socialists and Maga are both wrong about economic liberalism

People are not puppets responding to the string pulls of market forces — free enterprise gives us agency

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

Superpowers are discovering their limits, says UN chief

António Guterres tells FT that the world risks sliding into confrontation without global institutions that reflect the changing balance of power

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

JPMorgan eases approach on lending against shares to court AI’s new wealth

US bank shortened time horizon for SpaceX workers and investors to borrow against stock holdings and may do same for Anthropic

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

The threats to ‘Swiss Made’

For decades the country’s exporters focused on adding value, but US tariffs and the strong franc are now hitting them harder

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

US affordability tracker: the data that could decide the 2026 midterm elections

The FT is tracking changes to the cost of living that will affect American voters

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

The little-known French company trying to unseat Palantir in Europe

ChapsVision is in talks with governments across the region and competing for major German defence and police contracts

business  Aug 25, 2026

Financial Times

The old asbestos town at the heart of the rare earths race

Brazil’s first facility for the minerals is a key component in US plans to break free from Chinese dominance

business  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian

Woolworths’ Ooshies craze causes Coles sales slump with parents shopping at rival supermarket to collect toys

Coles full-year results show that despite gaining market share over past 12 months, sales fell over four weeks of ‘competitor’s collectables campaign’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWoolworths’ latest Disney “Ooshie” collectables have not only captivated Australian children, they have led to a short-term slump in competitor Coles’ sales.The latest rubber figurine promotion was scheduled to end on Tuesday, but strong

general  Aug 25, 2026

ESPN

Alex Eala returns to US Open a different version of herself

Alex Eala made her US Open debut with little expectation. She returns with expectations of making a deep run.

sports  Aug 25, 2026

Variety

Nandamuri Balakrishna, Sunny Deol, Nayanthara Lead Zee Studios’ Multilingual 2026-27 Slate (EXCLUSIVE)

India’s Zee Studios has unveiled a diversified multilingual, multi-genre content slate for 2026-27, spanning Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati and Kannada cinema. The portfolio brings together commercial entertainers, action spectacles, thrillers, mythology-driven epics and regionally rooted stories. On the Hindi-language side, the slate includes “Baap,” starring Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and Mithun […]

entertainment  Aug 25, 2026