A record of what was published, when, and how it changed.

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

By Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent

Eight costumes spanning Queen frontman’s career will feature in a free trail developed with his former fiancee Eight 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 Thin

‘It looked stunning on Joanna Lumley!’ 10 writers on their biggest hair disaster

By Kate Lloyd, Rich Pelley, Jeffrey Ingold, Carys Afoko, Joel Snape, Viv Groskop, Paula Cocozza, Polly Hudson, Daniel Lavelle and Alexi Duggins

From bowl cuts to extreme mullets, punk dos to bad dye jobs, a terrible hairstyle can never be forgotten – even decades after it has grown out It’s the late 1990s. Big, round, feathered fringes are a huge deal at my primary school. Most of my friends have one, influenced by Britney Spears or Emma Bunton. I, too, have a fringe. Mine, as you can see, appears more inspired by Kevin Keegan circa 1993. Continue reading...

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

By Andrew Gregory Health editor

NHS has target of eliminating the cancer by 2040, but up to 4 million eligible women are not up to date with screening Millions 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

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

By Charlotte Higgins

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 art Lawrence 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

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Creatine: is there truth behind the hype? – podcast

By Presented by Madeleine Finlay, with Ian Sample, produced by Ellie Sans and Joshan Chana, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive prodcers were Ellie Bury and Elizabeth Cassin

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 University Is it true that

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

By Jon Henley Europe correspondent

True figure likely to be much higher as it only covers about half of continent and does not include August totals At 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

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Cork teaching conference offers evidence-informed CPD hours

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researchEd Cork is fantastic opportunity for teachers to engage with leading educational researchers and practitioners

UK tightens rules for Irish residents looking to beef up British state pension rights

By Dominic Coyle

Thousands of Irish people who worked for a time in the UK are entitled to buy national insurance years

Biggest hitters in streaming want you to use only their app

By John Koblin

Companies once focused on gaining new subscribers now more concerned with keeping those viewers

Looking to move abroad? Here’s what you need to know

By Fiona Reddan

Don’t let tax make your decision, adviser warns, as rules vary according to country and type of income and are subject to change

Maynooth-led sleep research will examine links with mental health

By Katie Mellett

DataGenChrono programme to bring together leading researchers from 12 organisations in Europe and Canada

The Castle by Jon Ronson: A great attempt to unpick modern masculinity in the digital age

By Sinéad Gibney

This insightful exploration of how masculinity is being shaped by current trends will linger long after you’ve closed the final chapter

Iran vows to resist sanctions, says US wants a deal

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Iran has vowed to resist expanded US sanctions, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict show tentative signs of progress.

Iran vows retaliation as US widens economic sanctions

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Iran has promised to retaliate against expanded US economic sanctions, which Washington said would cut off Iran's economic lifeline.

China is the biggest buyer of Iran’s oil. Could US sanctions threaten those ties?

By Guardian staff and agencies

The US has put the world on notice to cease doing business with Iran, but experts say Washington is wary China could retaliate against any sanctions The US has unveiled an expansion of sanctions that it says will cut off Iran’s economic lifeline but stopped short of the most punishing measures, instead putting the world on notice to cease doing business with the Islamic republic. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent ⁠war

Ukraine war briefing: Ozon next in Kyiv’s sights as sheds of Wildberries rival burn

By Warren Murray with Guardian writers and agencies

Putin decree lets Russian state scoop up companies that come under attack; ‘dig into our stocks’ of Patriots, British PM urges allies. What we know on day 1,644 Ukraine has targeted four more warehouses of Ozon – Russia’s second-largest online retailer after Wildberries, which has itself been crippled by Ukrainian attacks. Ozon’s shares fell by almost 30% on Monday ​after it reported strikes in southern Russia that b

Apology sought for deportees killed in Venezuelan quakes

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Relatives of Venezuelan deportees from the US who died in the earthquakes that struck their country have demanded an apology from Venezuela's interim government.

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Apology sought for deportees killed in Venezuelan quakes

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Relatives of Venezuelan deportees from the United States who died in the earthquakes that struck their country have demanded an apology from Venezuela's interim government.

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Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers

By Gavin Blair in Tokyo

After repairs to Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture, officials employed a technique known as hikiya to move the structure more than two metres To chants of “so-re, so-re”, about 1,800 people came together in northern Japan over the weekend to pull a 360-tonne castle keep a little more than two metres closer to its original resting place as part of ongoing renovations. The keep – a fortified tower within a castle –

Washington Post ordered to reinstate opinion writer fired over Charlie Kirk posts

By Jeremy Barr

Arbitrator determined the Post improperly fired Karen Attiah, a union-protected employee, over social media posts An independent arbitrator has ordered the Washington Post to rehire the high-profile opinion columnist Karen Attiah, abruptly fired by the news organization last September over comments she made on social media about Charlie Kirk, the then recently killed conservative activist. On Monday, an arbitrator ru

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Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella announces immigration crackdown

By Tiago Rogero South America correspondent

Far-right leader echoes ally Donald Trump and says operations to ‘track down illegal immigrants’ should begin this week, amid earthquake aftermath Colombia’s far-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has announced a crackdown on immigrants, ordering authorities to detain and deport people who are in the country irregularly or have committed crimes. In office for just over two weeks, the millionaire former lawyer

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‘Honest leaders are the first step to a better future’: Cockroach hunger striker targets India’s political class

By Amrit Dhillon in Delhi

Sonam Wangchuk’s fast was spark that drove youth protest movement – and now he wants to cleanse the political system For 26 days, India watched as Sonam Wangchuk wasted away. His hunger strike, held in solidarity with India’s “Cockroach” youth protest movement, would prove to be one of the most politically consequential fasts held in the country’s modern history. Many in the country view the gruelling fast, which beg

Ireland’s alleged patchy human rights record to be flagged for United Nations review

By Órla Ryan

‘We’ve seen worrying developments recently in Ireland... most notably through the proposed judicial review changes,’ says civil liberties advocate

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From mixed martial arts to mechanical dogs: the World Robot Conference 2026 – in pictures

By Guardian Staff

More than 3,000 products were shown at the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing as China showcased its rapidly growing robotics industry. The event, which ran from 19-23 August, showcased the latest advances across the robotics industry, from humanoid robots to embodied intelligence and cutting-edge components Continue reading...

Fórsa members at Oberstown to escalate strike action

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Members of the Fórsa trade union employed at the Oberstown Children Detention Campus in Dublin are to escalate their industrial action in a dispute over resourcing and staffing levels.