Whimsical shortlist announced for Edinburgh comedy award 2026
The Guardianby Brian Logan26 Aug 2026
The shortlist has been announced for the annual Edinburgh comedy award, and it’s a list that majors in whimsy.
The Guardian
theguardian.comadded August 2026
top 93%Affairs? Drugs? You could ask Dolly Parton about anything and get a laugh. Just stay away from politics …
The Guardianby Emine Saner26 Aug 2026
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.
‘9 to 5? She was full-on round the clock!’ Dolly Parton celebrated by kd lang, Peggy Seeger, Annie Lennox and more
The Guardianby As told to Dave Simpson and Owen Myers26 Aug 2026
‘Not just a big-bosomed singer of great songs’ Shirley Collins, singer-songwriter I don’t really follow pop music or country and western very much, but Dolly Parton was always something special –...
The London stock market dodged a bullet with Shein | Nils Pratley
The Guardianby Nils Pratley26 Aug 2026
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.
Farewell, Dr Frank-N-Furter: why Tim Curry’s Rocky Horror Show will go on
The Guardianby Peter Bradshaw26 Aug 2026
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...
Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Stephen King’s It, dies aged 80
The Guardianby Andrew Pulver26 Aug 2026
Tim Curry, the versatile performer of screen and stage, who made his name as the flamboyant Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, has died aged 80.
My mum has died – and there is one kind of response I can’t stand | Polly Hudson
The Guardianby Polly Hudson26 Aug 2026
Luckily, I already knew having a comic thought at a tragic moment is a natural stress response, or I might have worried.
South African police arrest two Thai men for allegedly smuggling parrot eggs
The Guardianby Rachel Savage in Johannesburg26 Aug 2026
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...
Stuck bundts? You need ‘cake goop’: Natalie Paull’s lime and yoghurt bundt – recipe
The Guardianby Natalie Paull26 Aug 2026
When all the layer cakes are baked and iced, I will always love a slice of pretty patterned bundt.
Rupert Grint to reprise role of Ron Weasley in Harry Potter stage show
The Guardianby Benjamin Lee26 Aug 2026
Rupert Grint is set to reprise the role of Ron Weasley in the Broadway hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The actor will join the long-running stage show for 17 weeks starting in February 2027.
Flight attendant’s breast cancer was occupational disease, court rules
The Guardianby Agence France-Presse in Paris26 Aug 2026
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.
Dolly Parton was a rare singer who proved herself to be an electric movie star
The Guardianby Jesse Hassenger26 Aug 2026
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...
Fury v Joshua uncertainty will be resolved next week, insists Frank Warren
The Guardianby Donald McRae26 Aug 2026
Frank Warren believes that the tortuous negotiations surrounding the proposed fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are subject to a time limit which will run out by the end of next week.
Football Daily | Celtic raise the bar for calamitous capitulations in Europe
The Guardianby Barry Glendenning26 Aug 2026
LASK ONE LAUGHING When Celtic opened the scoring against Lask courtesy of a low Callum McGregor shot after 21 minutes on Tuesday night, the Scottish champions looked to have exorcised their Bigger...
‘It was the hardcore equivalent of being a Deadhead’: consciousness-raising punk movement Krishnacore returns
The Guardianby Alex Deller26 Aug 2026
Whether wielded as shock tactic or part of a considered philosophical stance, mockery and distrust of religion have been baked into punk rock’s DNA from the get-go.
Ayyoub Bouaddi: maths student, chess fan and Manchester City’s new Rodri
The Guardianby Will Unwin26 Aug 2026
“He’s like a computer,” the former Lille head of academy recruitment Mathieu Frison says of the £85m Manchester City recruit Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Modern cowboys are saddling up in the US West. And they’re on a whole new mission
The Guardianby Jessica Baltzersen26 Aug 2026
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...
A Ugandan quarry worker carrying rocks on her head: Dan Nelken’s best photograph
The Guardianby Interview by Chris Broughton26 Aug 2026
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.
Meta reaches $16.7bn settlement with US states over social media harms to children – business live
The Guardianby Julia Kollewe26 Aug 2026
Meta reaches $16.7bn settlement over social media harms to children NEWFLASH: Meta, the parent company behind Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to pay a maximum $16.68bn as part of a settlement to...
Meta agrees to major changes to Facebook and Instagram as it settles US trial over teen addiction for up to $17bn
The Guardianby Blake Montgomery and Dara Kerr26 Aug 2026
Meta reached an agreement to settle a landmark case brought by states across the US that accused the tech giant of addicting and harming children with dangerous products, according to a court...