2026/08/14 Daily Edition

Sachie Mikawa cancelled her best-selling nights at the Rotunda Theatre after her trumpet and vintage melodica went missing.

The protestors were seeking action against Gursimran Singh Mand, national president of the International Anti-Khalistani Terrorist Front for allegedly trying to run over some people with his car recently.

Organisers reportedly say politically motivated voting is "persistent" and is seen as "deeply worrying".

The Office actress thanks well-wishers for their support after she revealed she had incurable cancer.

The prints by the French master were taken in São Paulo last year in a brazen daylight heist.

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Andy Roninson’s tribute to a friend who died aged 21 combines original rock, soul and folk songs in a considered exploration of grief They say don’t speak ill of the dead – how about singing instead? Based on real events, this new US musical is designed as a loving but warts-and-all eulogy. His friend and bandmate Kyle, who died out of the blue at the age of 21, was a rock for him, says creator Andy Roninson. “But in a Sisyphus way.” Roninson narrates and plays the keys in a concert-style show that mostly unfolds in the days just after the death. It’s that strange period where a private sense of loss collides with congregation and you see the deceased through the eyes of mutual acquaintances, which can be jarring. This is exactly Andy’s experience as he’s outraged to find another so-called “best friend” Liam (Vincent Jamal Hooper) delivering a speech at the memorial, while tiptoeing around Kyle’s formidable mother (Jaygee Macapugay) and encountering Kyle’s ex (Sarah Coffey). Each of them has a solo tribute, covering a pleasing variety of rock, soul and folk (Coffey’s plaintive ballad stands out). Sean McVerry, who wrote the music and lyrics with book-writer Roninson, is ever-present as Kyle himself, frequently ribbing Andy...

With the Hall of Fame game done, and the second round of preseason games underway, let’s look at the storylines that could dominate the coming weeks Winning the Super Bowl back in February puts the Seattle Seahawks in line to become the 10th team, and the ninth franchise, to repeat as champions (the Pittsburgh Steelers went back-to-back twice in the 1970s). While a lot of Super Bowl winners experience massive drains of coaching and playing talent after clinching the title, these Seahawks are left in pretty good shape...

Bundesliga club want at least €50m for England defender Gunners remain interested in Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa Arsenal have opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a move for Jarell Quansah as they intensify efforts to bring in cover for William Saliba and Jurriën Timber. The England defender, who left Liverpool last summer for an initial £30m and was part of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, has been identified as an ideal replacement for the France and Netherlands defenders, who will miss the start of the new season due to injury. While Quansah’s preferred position is in central defence, he was also deployed at right-back by Tuchel at the World Cup and was sent off in the last-16 victory over Mexico...

Lawmakers want answers from the Pentagon chief and the U.S. Navy about living conditions aboard the USS Lincoln. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona.

A play based on the writer’s dreamlike novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is touring the world, riding a wave of interest in Japanese culture. Its creators talk about how they adapted the famously cryptic tale Tatsuya Fujiwara is no stranger to London’s Barbican theatre. It was here nearly 30 years ago that one of Japan’s biggest film stars, now 44, made his stage debut. He was just 15, plucked out of an audition of more than 5,000 hopeful youngsters by the revered theatre director Yukio Ninagawa for his play Shintoku-Maru. It kickstarted Fujiwara’s career, and three years later he landed a role in the cult dystopian film Battle Royale, going on to star in hit TV dramas and blockbuster films, all the while continuing to perform in Ninagawa’s acclaimed productions. Now, Fujiwara returns to where it all began, to perform in a stage adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s science fiction novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. The story alternates between two seemingly unrelated narratives: a cyberpunk thriller set in Tokyo, and a surreal fantasy that unfolds within a mysterious walled town. Directed by the French choreographer Philippe Decouflé, the play premiered in Tokyo in January, toured Japan until March, then Singapore in April. After the Barbican run this autumn, the tour will wrap up in Paris...

What’s it like to live on the set of a soap opera? Or above Ted Lasso’s favourite pub? The residents of the homes made famous by hit TV shows tell all Half the world recognises the apartment that Carrie Bradshaw lives in. Or the New Jersey mansion where Tony Soprano ate, slept and obsessed over the ducks in his swimming pool. In the 1990s, if you asked a good chunk of the global population where Will Smith lived, they would instantly picture a huge, white abode in Bel Air. For the real people who call those places home, this can be an issue...

Creative Assembly could strike gold again with this follow-up to their fan-favourite, film-inspired game … if you’re brave enough to venture outdoors Alien: Isolation redefined Alien games on its release in 2014, bringing the original taut, haunted house theme of the first movie to fans who had mostly been fed action-packed shooters. Cowering under desks and inside lockers wasn’t a new thing; being hunted by an intelligent and lethal xenomorph that could spring down from a duct at any moment was. “I was thinking about what we could do for a sequel while we were still finishing the first game,” reveals Creative Assembly’s Alistair Hope, creative lead on Alien: Isolation and its sequel. “But we didn’t actually start the project until around the time of the 10th anniversary. We’ve seen the response grow over time, watching [Alien: Isolation] continue to find new players, even though it’s a relatively old game. And they’re surprised there isn’t a sequel.”..

Zambia's electoral commission on Friday suspended vote counting from Thursday's presidential and parliamentary elections for at least 24 hours due to “violence targeted at poll staff” and reported instances of theft of marked ballot papers. Former minister Brian Mundubile, the main challenger to President Hakainde Hichilema, claimed a first-round victory and said his camp viewed "the continued delay... with grave concern".

Assembly @ St Andrew Square, Edinburgh A lusty adaptation by Avenue Q’s co-creator is performed with verve by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise’s daughter and her fellow students Not every undergraduate Shakespeare show at the Edinburgh fringe makes headlines but this one brings stardust by association. Suri Noelle, the 20-year-old daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, appears with her fellow drama students from Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University. However, it’s a bit of an event regardless – the UK premiere of a “modern translation” of A Midsummer Night’s Dream adapted by Jeff Whitty, a Tony award-winner for the riotous Avenue Q. That show, newly returned to the West End, is populated by some horny puppets and Whitty’s Dream is similarly frisky. Often more lustful than lovestruck, Noelle’s Helena prowls after Demetrius (Logan Yao) on all fours, Puck (Eli Strain) bares his nipples during the “up and down” speech and when Titania (Siahvash Marshall) instructs the fairies to show Bottom some courtesies, it fuels an orgy...

With the UK experiencing the driest summer on record, we look at how the weather is affecting the pitches and courses across the country..

Debilitating symptoms lead some to try over-the-counter medications Allegra and Pepcid due to a social media trend Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and menopause can come with debilitating symptoms, like intense emotional changes and exhaustion. All over social media, women are claiming that a simple hack has helped enormously: a combination of two over-the-counter medications, both antihistamines – typically, the name brands Pepcid AC and Allegra...

Attending a Nick Jonas show with my kids was an invitation to ‘collective effervescence’. We need these shared experiences now more than ever Three years ago, I agreed to accompany my children to a Nick Jonas concert. The appeal of the Jonas Brothers, and in this case only one of them, was unfamiliar territory. The concert happened to land on a particularly inconvenient day. As I sprinted out of the hospital, my mind was filled with the “what if’s” and “should haves” about our work that day...

In Zimbabwe, hundreds of people have attended a memorial service following a ferry disaster on Lake Kariba that claimed at least 46 lives. The boat was a vital link for villagers and fish traders around the vast lake, but was reportedly overloaded when it ran into trouble on Tuesday. Laurent Berstecher has the details.

Record rainfall has caused deadly flooding in Japan, leaving thousands stranded at Narita Airport during the Obon holiday period.

Chelsea set 5pm Friday deadline for bids for midfielder Maresca: ‘I don’t think we’re going to do something today’ Enzo Maresca is expecting a busy end to the transfer window but says Manchester City will not meet Chelsea’s 5pm Friday deadline to sign Enzo Fernández. Maresca takes charge of City for the first time in a competitive match on Sunday against Arsenal in Cardiff but is a long way from finalising the squad he will have for the season. City are closing to signing the 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, while Chelsea’s Fernández, who worked with Maresca at Stamford Bridge, is of interest but would cost £120m. The Blues set a 5pm cut-off point on Friday to reach their valuation or not bother...

US ambassador to Israel has issued a rare condemnation of a violent siege on families in the West Bank village of Qusra.

The Israeli PM's remark comes amid signs of growing tension between Israel and the UK's Labour government.

Investors say the actor and singer did not take an "active role" in the company as promised.

Thousands of people have been evacuated in the wake of wildfires burning across much of Europe.

Ukraine says it has liberated 26 settlements in the south as it retools under heavy bombardment.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claims US Navy can sustain blockade despite reports of poor conditions.

Manchester City's Enzo Maresca coy on the future of midfielder Rodri ahead of Community Shield showdown with Arsenal.

Israeli settlers are conducting a campaign of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank. Families have had their electricity and water supplies cut off, in what residents say is an attempt to force them from their homes. According to France 24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky, Israel’s Defence Minister is using settler violence for political propaganda, as the army could remove violent settlers but is not ordered to do so due to far-right political pressure. The situation is expected to remain unchanged, with the army standing by as armed settlers intimidate Palestinians.

Exclusive: Companies that kept policies did just as well financially, even after Trump’s executive order, as those that didn’t Conservative backlash was supposed to put an end to the diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) movement as companies were warned “go woke, go broke”. In January 2025, Donald Trump delivered a death knell, ending DEI within the federal government with executive orders and threatening to target companies that still supported it. Companies including Google, Goldman Sachs, McDonald’s and Walmart that had embraced DEI years earlier fell into line and announced an end to their policies...

A large part of Europe is in the grip of its fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures in parts of France soaring to 40 degrees Celsius. And the extreme weather is also taking a toll on the world’s oceans: last month, average global sea temperatures reached a record high of 21 degrees Celsius. Antonia Kerrigan has the details.

At least eight people died in Japan as heavy rains flooded roads and disrupted traffic while firefighters from Britain to France and Croatia struggled to contain blazes in Europe's fifth heatwave this summer

Federal regulators are reviewing 'mention markets' that allow wagers on what public figures will say. And, Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into conditions on the long-deployed USS Lincoln.

Scrutiny over Farage’s finances has ‘hurt Reform UK support’

Water and debris burst into a state-run hydropower tunnel in Uttarakhand following a landslide.

There has been a sharp increase in sales of Homer’s The Odyssey in the UK, with purchases up more than 1,400 percent in the first four weeks of July. Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the epic may be behind the surge, as the film stormed the global box office, taking in 264 million dollars during its opening weekend. Miles Osgood, from Standford University, joins us for more details.

In the UK, far-right politician Nigel Farage has won a victory of sorts in a by-election on the English coast, securing 63 percent of the vote. But all the major parties boycotted the vote, calling it a stunt by Farage. His closest challenger was a joke candidate who campaigns wearing a rubbish bin on his head. Emily Boyle has the details.

A large part of Europe is in the grip of its fifth heatwave of the summer. That includes France, where temperatures in parts of the country have soared to 40 degrees Celsius, triggering a wildfire in the southwest. Monte Francis has the details.

Over the past five decades, Nepal has established itself as a model for wildlife conservation. Nearly 20 percent of the country’s territory has been designated as protected areas. An effective anti-poaching policy has helped save iconic species such as the one-horned rhinoceros and the gharial crocodile, which were once on the brink of extinction. But this success also comes with tragic consequences.

In Colombia, hopes are fading of finding survivors after Monday’s powerful earthquake. Rescue teams are now turning their focus to recovering bodies, but families are still holding out hope of finding their loved ones alive beneath the rubble. Many have taken matters into their own hands, as our reporters found when they visited Cali, a city near the quake’s epicentre.

Federal Medicaid dollars can no longer pay for gender-affirming care for youth. Doctors who treat trans kids say it will harm vulnerable people.

Kevin Rideout, who was kidnapped outside his home in the capital last October, is now with US officials.

Hollywood Crime Story: The Mob Takes Over the Movies looks back at how criminals insinuated themselves in the film business “From the foundation of Hollywood, organized crime is there.” So claims Tom Patterson, producer and director of new three-part documentary series, Hollywood Crime Story: The Mob Takes Over the Movies. Organized crime’s connection to the film industry actually predates Tinseltown, being present for the foundation of the medium itself, when inventor Thomas Edison sicced his hired goons on competitors in an attempt to maintain total control over early motion picture technology. As covered in Hollywood Crime Story, this resulted in said competitors – mostly Jewish businessmen from the east coast – fleeing westward and establishing the town and studio system that would become synonymous with movies as we know them...

Kevin Rideout, a pilot, had been abducted from his home in the country’s capital, Niamey, last fall. His mission organization said he was in “good health” after his release.

France has faithfully renovated most of what burned at Notre-Dame in 2019. Contentiously, six towering windows will soon be replaced by a new design.

Protests that erupted after railway station canopy collapsed, killing 16, have grown into a broad social movement.

Barcelona will aim to become the first club to three-peat in the Spain Primera Division since 2008-11 Pep Guardiola era.

Nigel Farage re-elected in Clacton by-election after resigning amid scrutiny over his finances.

Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek defeats Elena Rybakina in Toronto to claim the WTA Canadian Open title.

Kyiv targets Baltic oil hub and warehouse near Moscow with drones.

The Trump administration pushed out thousands of veteran U.S. Forest Service staff. An ‘extraordinary’ fire season is testing those who are left.

Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Ukraine: four ceasefires, none that held. AJLabs on why truces keep collapsing.

Israeli settlers are conducting a campaign of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank. Families have had their electricity and water supplies cut off, in what residents say is an attempt to force them from their homes. The IDF has nominally intervened and condemned the violence, but has failed to deter the settlers, who Palestinians say have long benefited from soldiers turning a blind eye to such attacks. Meanwhile, Washington has sharply condemned the settlers’ actions. Antonia Kerrigan tells us more.

In Moldova, Moscow paid Orthodox priests, conducted a vote-buying scheme and set up training camps on election interference — all in an effort to derail the Western-leaning government.

The continent’s railways and roads “were engineered for a climate that no longer exists,” one expert said.

Tanzid Hasan hits first Bangladesh ton in Australia as tourists close Day Two of first Test on 351-6, leading by 153.

At least a dozen people have reportedly been hospitalised in Croatia after blazes tore into the tourist town of Omis.

South Korea football players push for a K League season shift as 'punishing heat' hitting summer matches.

A man is arrested after eight works by the French artist are found at a home in greater São Paulo.

Flight crews had recorded four suspected bird strikes involving the same engine during the previous year.

Reform UK leader’s return to Clacton restarts inquiry into £5m gift from cyrpto-billionaire and support from fraudster The suspended parliamentary standards investigation into Nigel Farage over accusations he failed to declare gifts and donations has resumed after the Reform UK leader’s re-election as the MP for Clacton. The twofold investigation by Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, was paused after Farage resigned from his seat and called a byelection in protest at what he said was unfair scrutiny of his finances...