2026/08/27 Daily Edition

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.

In her mass-produced ubiquity, Kusama became one of her own dots, spreading her image into every corner of our culture.

In his trailblazing work, paint is pushed through the back of hemp to create spare, striking paintings. Abstraction is a form of rebellion, he says – and he has no intention of slowing down In the early 1970s, the Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun had a simple but novel idea: why not apply oil paint to the back of a surface rather than the front? Instead of canvas, he stretched pieces of hemp, a coarse and loosely woven fabric, and pushed the thick oil paint through the holes in the cloth. For each work he used a single colour, in a neutral or muted tone such as white or brown. On the “front” side, he then moved the paint around with various handmade tools to create something akin to brushstrokes. Ha, now 91, has remained dedicated to this technique, known as the “back-pressure method” (bae-ap-bub in Korean), ever since. He titles every piece Conjunction – because for him the work is essentially about the coming together of artist and material – along with numbers denoting the date of its creation. “The technique he developed was really revolutionary. It hadn’t been done before,” says Max Bossier, director at Lisson Gallery in London, where a selection from this decades-spanning body of work, alongside several of Ha’s earlier artistic experiments, will go on view in September...

A memorial at the park’s entrance held bouquets, and a child asked his mothers why so many people were crying Becky Bullard was en route home to Austin, Texas, when she heard the news. “As soon as I heard about Dolly, I thought of you,” read a text from a close friend while she waited for her flight home from Albany, New York...

Before the IBF world heavyweight title clash with Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, Barry Jones and Andy Lee analyse the unbeaten fighter On Saturday night the 21-year-old Moses Itauma expects to become the second-youngest world heavyweight champion in history, after Mike Tyson, when he fights Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic for the IBF title at the O2 Arena in London. In an attempt to sift through the hype and to assess the potential Itauma has shown, the Guardian asked Barry Jones and Andy Lee for their expert views on the strengths and possible weaknesses of the young British fighter. Itauma promises to become the dominant new force of the unpredictable heavyweight division but Hrgovic is his first real test as he strives to become a world champion in just his 15th fight...

Two people have been arrested in South Africa for allegedly attempting to smuggle parrot eggs out of the country.

Bruno Fernandes is the only surviving attacker from Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s attempt to bridge gap to rivals in 2021 Five years is a long time in football. Manchester United’s summer of 2021 is now remembered as the turning point in Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s reign; the sentimental decision to sign Cristiano Ronaldo the headline act as United set off on the wrong course after a few years of building steadily. But back then, even before the signing of Ronaldo, there was optimism aplenty around Old Trafford. United swatted aside Leeds 5-1 on the opening day to fuel talk of a first genuine title charge since Alex Ferguson’s retirement. They had, after all, just signed the most coveted young English player on the market in Jadon Sancho and looked to pair the £74m man with Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, their creative fulcrum, and an exciting set of forwards...

The women’s singles champion at SW19 on her off-court passions, growing up in Czechia, and the aftermath of achieving her dream Linda Noskova has spent almost her entire life working towards mastering her sport. She began travelling around Czechia, Europe and then the world for tournaments before she was a teenager. Her life decisions have revolved around tennis for as long as she can remember. Those early years prepared Noskova for the challenge of winning her first grand slam title, but the biggest lesson from her triumph at Wimbledon last month has been her lack of preparedness for everything that followed. The world did not come to a halt upon the completion of her ultimate goal. Life continues at the same pace, and now she must find her place in the sport once more...

Sky could share content with ITV in next rights cycle Tests in England have been behind paywall since 2006 The England and Wales Cricket Board is planning to offer more rights packages to free-to-air broadcasters in the next set of TV contracts beginning in 2029, with the aim of broadening the sport’s appeal. While the ECB will not follow Cricket Australia by offering a bespoke free-to-air package for domestic Test matches, the Guardian has been told that long-term partner Sky Sports could share some of its cricket portfolio during the next rights cycle with ITV, whose £1.6bn takeover by Sky’s US parent company, Comcast, is expected to be completed next year...

Horticulturalists begin moving and propagating plants before the rusty and warped Palm House begins renovation – but some are too tall to save It will be a gut-wrenching moment for the horticulturalists at Kew Gardens when some of the magnificent trees in the Palm House have to be felled. “There are some sad moments ahead,” said Palm House manager, Will Spoelstra, who knows all the plants inside the cathedral-like greenhouse...

People with persistent predatory personalities cause an inordinate amount of pain. Recently, our shared understanding of them has grown – and it could help protect us The classic checklist for psychopathy was developed in 1980 by Prof Robert Hare, who is still the recognised giant of the territory. The 20 traits, which ranged from pathological lying to a lack of empathy, were based entirely on prison populations. This worked because not only did Hare have the benefit of a large sample, with pronounced psychopathic behaviours, but he was able to compare interviews and self-reporting with data collected about the individuals – so inconsistencies could be identified. However, Hare knew this approach was limited. In 1976, he said that he simply didn’t know to what extent his results could be generalised to non-incarcerated psychopaths, including female ones. “Research into the socially successful psychopath is badly needed,” he concluded. Even decades later in the early 2000s, when Hare wanted to look into psychopaths in politics, he still needed to go to prison to find them (Pinochet’s henchmen in Chilean jails). Research into the higher-functioning psychopath – who doesn’t get caught, or maybe doesn’t even resort to crime – has proved elusive, not least because self-reporting questionnaires don’t work. Psychopaths lie; arguably, that’s their main thing...

AI companies have promised us world-shifting technology. But there’s a cost: loud, unsightly datacentres that drain environmental resources. As the government pushes their rapid growth, can local communities do anything to push back? Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s global technology reporter Aisha Down about the backlash to datacentres across the UK and around the world For tickets to the Science Weekly live event at the London podcast festival on the future of AI, visit the event page at kingsplace.co.uk Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod..

Entire villages swept away after glacial collapse triggers flood in mountainous region popular with trekkers and pilgrims Nepal-Tibet flash flood – latest updates What we know so far Have you been affected by the flash floods? Nearly 1,500 people are missing, the majority of them tourists, authorities have said, after a catastrophic flash flood hit Nepal and Tibet, roaring down valleys and wiping out entire villages, with the preliminary death toll standing at 165. Rescuers are racing to locate people missing in the mountainous region popular with trekkers and pilgrims, including the hundreds of nationals from India, the US, UK, Australia and Canada...

Israel’s bitter political divisions obscure a broad consensus on Jewish supremacy, occupation and military force.

At least 165 people have been confirmed dead and officials expect the toll to rise.

The price tag is an NFL record for a franchise sale and the second-highest valuation in North American sports history.

Years of long-distance division between Prince William and his younger brother will be tested now that Harry has returned to Britain.

The former political prisoner Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara is unpacking 4,000 paintings he brought to Miami from Cuba and dodging criticism from exiles who once welcomed him.

More than 1,300 people were missing in Nepal and the Tibet region of China after a torrent of mud, water and ice swept away villages and bridges, killing at least 168.

Investors breathe sigh of relief after AI bellwether Nvidia reports doubling in quarterly revenue to nearly $100bn Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the global economy, the financial markets, the eurozone and business. Asian technology shares rose after bumper results from the US chipmaker Nvidia last night. The AI juggernaut is rumbling on with Nvidia smashing through expectations, amid voracious demand for the tech backbone of the AI revolution. The results solidified high expectations for the company’s mega revenues going forward, and shares firmed up, leaving behind the post-results wobbles seen after previous updates. Given the might of Nvidia, which carries the largest weight of any company in the S&P 500, the results are closely watched as a gauge of sentiment towards AI adoption, and the prospects for the index, which so many portfolios track. Demand for its Blackwell chips has been particularly significant, showing that customers are continuing to spend heavily on Nvidia’s newest generation of AI accelerators rather than simply filling existing capacity. With demand still running ahead of supply, Blackwell is helping to power the next leg of the AI infrastructure build-out. Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium begins in the US 1.30pm BST: US Initial jobless claims for week to 22 August 1.30pm BST: US trade in goods for July..

The region has experienced an economic boom even as natural disasters have repeatedly struck, including a flood that killed more than 160 people on Wednesday.

One woman says her father, mother, sister and sister's children were carried away before her eyes.

Rules will require hedge funds, insurers and pension firms to report all non-financial wrongdoing The City’s largest hedge funds, insurers and pension funds are racing to prepare for sweeping rules that will stop nearly 40,000 companies from hiding bullying and harassment cases from the financial watchdog. From the start of next month, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will expand a crackdown on bad behaviour in the banking industry to a wider group of City investment firms and brokers...

European soccer body UEFA is set to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances Gianni Infantino’s failed World Cup sell-off plan will not be revived. UEFA’s member federations are meeting Thursday in Monaco ahead of the Champions League draw, where they are expected to end the threat.

ChatGPT creator says AI agents collaborated and delegated work in hacking, calling themselves a 'collective'.

The official in charge of President Trump's ceasefire plan for Gaza criticized Israel for its attacks on the Palestinian territory and warned that the alternative to the U.S. proposal is the next war.

Defeated by Turkish side Fenerbahçe, Lyon will not be competing in Europe’s most prestigious club competition this year. Six years after their last Champions League campaign, Lyon had set their sights on returning to the competition. Instead, they will compete in the Europa League.

Altalena wreck fuels Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir rivalry, with each claiming to be heir of Irgun militia.

Duo secure first Grand Slam trophy as a team after defeating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli of Italy.

As new school year begins, children in West Bank's Masafer Yatta face threat that their schools may not remain standing.

It has inspired violent protests from Norway to Rome – and now it’s hitting the UK. Playwright Tiago Rodrigues explains why the far-right speech at the drama’s climax has proved so incendiary In February, turbulent scenes inside a German theatre made headlines around the globe. During the final act of a play at Schauspielhaus theatre in Bochum, the audience first jeered and whistled at a performer in the role of a far-right politician. An orange lobbed from the auditorium narrowly missed its target; eventually, two spectators climbed on to the stage and tried to wrestle the actor off. News of the incident travelled around the world: it seemed a bizarre throwback to a world in which people were not able to tell the difference between art and real life, like 19th-century Parisians stampeding out of a cinema after watching a train hurtle towards the camera. For the man who wrote the play, however, it was nothing unusual. “I was not surprised by the reaction,” says Portuguese playwright Tiago Rodrigues. “I was surprised by the fact that it was so surprising for so many people.” He describes the audience’s reaction to his play Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists as “very intense”, but also “typical”...

Did a massive glacial collapse in the Himalayas trigger the disaster and is climate change involved? Flash floods that swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday have left scores dead and more than 1000 people missing. Here’s what we know so far, and what likely caused the disaster. – with Reuters and Associated Press..

Skygazers may see a partial lunar eclipse early on Friday, as the Moon enters Earth's shadow.

Investment in climate-resilient irrigation enables this year’s haul to rise 6% on 2025’s already bigger-than-usual yield British farmers have faced a sweltering summer tested by heatwaves, wildfires and water shortages – but a bumper berry harvest could prove a rare bright spot. With two-thirds of the harvest now picked, this year’s haul is 6% up on last year’s already unusually large crop, according to British Berry Growers (BBG). Volumes of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries picked have been particularly strong, the trade body said...

Exclusive: utility company wants to draw off tens of millions of litres of water a day from Thames and replace it with treated effluent Levels of a toxic “forever chemical” rose to 13 times the legal limit during Thames Water pilots for a controversial multimillion pound water recycling scheme that will pump millions of litres of treated sewage into the River Thames during drought. The data from the pilots is in stark contrast to public comments from Thames Water that their water recycling project in south-west London will not harm the riverine environment...

Players and staff clashed after Turkish football club Fenerbahce beat Olympique Lyon 2-1 to reach the Champions League.

Comté, beaufort and abondance makers can temporarily supplement cows’ diets as there is ‘no grass left to eat’ Strict production rules will be loosened for some of France’s most famous cheeses after drought and repeated heatwaves dried out grazing pastures, threatening the livelihoods of traditional dairy workers. Comté, a hard cheese made from raw cows’ milk in the Jura mountains, is France’s top-selling traditional cheese, with more than 62,000 tonnes produced last year. The government announced on Wednesday that its producers would be granted a temporary change to strict rules on grazing after farmers said extreme heat had scorched their pastures, putting production at risk...

Rescue teams are rushing to find hundreds of people still missing after flash floods near Nepal's border with China.

Japan's Yayoi Kusama, one of the world's most celebrated contemporary artists, has died aged 97, her company said Thursday, triggering tributes from fans around the world.

Locals on Indonesia’s Borneo Island are struggling to breathe as the smoke from wildfires is turning the air toxic.

Czech pair beat Bencic and Cobolli in deciding tiebreak Revamped event draws strong crowds at Arthur Ashe Singles stars dominate after doubles specialists exit To many who came to the US Open grounds this week, the showpiece of the mixed doubles championship came Tuesday afternoon, with the returns of Serena Williams (after four years away from tennis) and Carlos Alcaraz (after four months out with a wrist injury). To the players who remained in the field after Williams and Alcaraz exited in the quarter-finals, the real highlight was Wednesday night’s final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with its $1m in prize money on the line. Karolína Muchová and Jakub Menšík made the most of the spotlight, beating Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6 (10-6) for the title...

Steel rails warping and signalling equipment failing in metal cabinets are among the problems to be solved Tarmac softens in the summer heat, which may cause problems on the roads, but even trains running on steel rails are not immune. Railways in the UK are generally designed to operate within a 45C temperature range. The rails expand slightly in the heat, and excessive temperatures can produce “sun kink” with rails warping into S-shapes. The effect is small but the distortion can derail fast trains, so speeds are reduced for safety...

South Korea’s police said on Thursday they were seeking indictments of seven transport ministry officials over the 2024 Jeju Air crash that killed all but two of the 181 people on board. The Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air skidded off the runway at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames. Authorities have found traces of bird strike in the plane’s engines and the plane’s two black...

Findings from research into illnesses associated with bathing in lakes and rivers come amid boom in hobby Wild swimming has been linked to a higher risk of stomach bugs and skin rashes, according to the largest ever controlled study of illnesses associated with bathing in rivers and lakes. The research found that swimmers at locations in Hungary were more than twice as likely to develop skin problems, while the risk of contracting a stomach bug rose significantly in water with higher concentrations of E coli and other bacteria linked to faecal pollution...

Israeli artillery attacks, air raids and incursions continue as questions grow over US commitment to ending strikes.

More than 150 fires spread in a single day across several of Algeria’s provinces, killing at least 12 people.

Funerals have begun for the 14 babies who were killed in a fire at Islamabad’s Institute of Medical Sciences.

Our buildings are monuments to extraction and extreme emissions. But what if we turned from destructive concrete to timber? Last chance to buy the summer issue of The Long Read magazine, now with 15% off. It felt like arriving into the future. Or, at least, a fragment of a possible future. I drove north in the quiet digital bubble of my electric rental car. In 2024, Norway became the first country in the world where electric cars outnumbered petrol cars. A smooth, pristine motorway unfolded between farmlands and low hillsides of dense green forest. Long tunnels carried the route up above the banks of Lake Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake. After a little more than an hour, the road curved downward to run parallel to the lakeshore...

Sheikh Mohammed's visit comes as US-Israel war on Iran nears its sixth month with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight.

Revisited: Guardian journalist Michael Safi looks into the world of artificial intelligence, exploring the dangers and promises it holds for society Today in Focus is on a summer break and will be back with new episodes from 1 September. In the meantime, we are bringing you season one of Black Box, before the launch of season two in early September. This episode was first broadcast on 14 March 2024. Two stories about the way artificial intelligence could make the world better – and is already doing so. In Montana, when Lee Johnson discovered his wife, Yokie, had cancer, he turned to AI – and was surprised by the answers he got. Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, Prof Regina Barzilay’s experience with cancer has led her to build an AI system that can detect the disease years before a human can...

Palestinians have mourned prominent artist Sliman Mansour at a public funeral in the occupied West Bank.

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 death was announced by her studio in a statement on her website...

The Trump administration has doubled down on its accusations against Cook, despite a Supreme Court ruling in her favour.

A car ploughed into pedestrians in the French city of Caen late Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 10 others, including seven critically. Police detained a 26-year-old man after he fled the scene, while prosecutors said the incident was not currently being treated as terrorism.

A grassroots basketball initiative is giving girls in northern Nigeria a chance to train, compete and dream bigger.

Lawsuit is latest instance of Brazil taking aggressive steps to rein in tech giants over child safety issues online.

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori tells Jazeera that US sanctions designating the group a terrorist organisation.

Northern Africa has experienced severe heatwaves this summer, leading to hundreds of fires across the region.

“Additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves, and satellite imagery led to the determination that the seismic event was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred,” U.S. Geological Survey said.

The authorities reported hundreds of people missing and at least 160 people killed in the border region of Nepal and Tibet, where an avalanche of mud, water, ice and rocks smashed down.