Cells for arrested offenders may run out without early prison release, says Labour 29. August 2026 (15:25) Bridget Phillipson says government would not have to consider releasing prisoners early if Tories had created more capacityCells to hold newly arrested people could run out without the early prison release scheme, a minister has said.Bridget Phillipson defended the plan to address the prison capacity crisis in England and Wales by releasing thousands of prisoners early, which has been criticised by domestic abuse charities, bereaved families and probation officers among others. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fourth time lucky as Chris Cantrill’s spoof whodunnit wins Edinburgh comedy award 2026 29. August 2026 (14:50) Nominated in three previous years, the rambunctious standup – one half of The Delightful Sausage – wins the prize for his show Rewilding while Marty Gleeson is named best newcomerThe annual Edinburgh comedy award has been won by the standup Chris Cantrill, two years after his comedy partner Amy Gledhill – in the raucous northern double act The Delightful Sausage – won the same prize.Cantrill, 42 and from Bradford, received the so-called “Oscar of live comedy” for a show, Rewilding, about his new life in rural Northumberland, where an act of vandalism shocks the local community – and a spoof whodunnit ensues. It builds on the foundations laid in 2024 by Easily Swayed, which documented his move to the countryside and secured what was then Cantrill’s third nomination (but first as a solo act) for the award. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sarah Ferguson to return to UK after relocating amid Epstein revelations 29. August 2026 (14:42) Former Duchess of York moved to Swiss chalet during fallout over her friendship with convicted child sex offenderSarah Ferguson is set to return to the UK after relocating to a Swiss chalet amid the fallout over her and ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports.The scandal over the pair’s relationship with Epstein saw them both lose their royal titles earlier last year. According to the Sun, the former Duchess of York, 66, is renting a six-bedroom gated property in the home counties. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russian strike on warehouse near Kyiv kills at least 37 29. August 2026 (14:01) Attack on business apparently storing ‘explosive objects’ sparks huge fire, damaging residential buildingsAt least 37 people have been killed after a Russian drone struck a warehouse near Kyiv’s western suburbs which appears to have been storing “explosive objects”.The attack damaged at least 50 residential buildings, including a care home for elderly and disabled people, and sparked a huge fire and explosions in the Bucha district of the Ukrainian capital. The regional governor, Tymur Tkachenko, said a further 42 people, including four children, had been injured after the Russian drone strike. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US officials urge swimmers to be cautious amid surge in drowning deaths 29. August 2026 (14:00) Recent deadly water-related incidents amid heatwave leads National Park Service to issue water-safety remindersAs a heatwave continues to bake the western and central US, officials are urging swimmers to be cautious when seeking respite from the summer heat, especially amid a score of recent deadly water-related incidents.Each year, from April to September, drowning deaths rise nationwide, according to 2018-24 data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Laurie Anderson’s next manuscript to be locked away for 88 years in Future Library 29. August 2026 (14:00) Grammy award-winning American artist selected as 13th person to submit written work to Oslo-based projectThe next manuscript by the American artist Laurie Anderson will remain unseen for 88 years, as she becomes the 13th figure to contribute to the Future Library project.Anderson joins Margaret Atwood, Han Kang, Ocean Vuong and other prominent authors who have written secret manuscripts, which have been locked away until 2114. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I wanted to find the slowest fashion imaginable’: the woman growing her own dress 29. August 2026 (13:00) Looking for an alternative to fast fashion, Eve Ogden Schaub decided to create a garment from homegrown flaxFrom crop tops to shorts and brightly patterned dresses, many of today’s clothes are the result of fast fashion. But one woman is taking a radical approach to challenging this trend by growing her own dress.Eve Ogden Schaub is in the midst of a project to create a linen garment made from flax she is growing at home, documenting the process in videos shared on her Instagram account. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nasa space telescope set to launch after surviving Trump budget cuts 29. August 2026 (13:00) Searching for exoplanets and clues on planet formation, the Roman telescope will lift off Sunday morning in FloridaA $4.3bn space telescope that Donald Trump tried to kill is set to lift off from Florida early on Sunday as Nasa embarks on the next stage of its quest to unlock the secrets of the universe.The Nancy Grace Roman space telescope survived two rounds of proposed White House budget cuts, and will embark on a million-mile journey into deep space from a launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center at 7.26am ET, barring late technical issues or intervention from Florida’s notoriously capricious summer weather. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
They laid down arms. Now ex-guerrillas in Colombia fear fate under new hardline president 29. August 2026 (12:00) ‘Total peace’ plan of previous government led only 99 of Colombia’s 30,000 armed combatants to disarm, but new president Abelardo De la Espriella opposes peace agreementsIn mid-June, 99 guerrilla fighters were flown by helicopter to a small settlement in a rural area of southern Colombia where they lined up and, one by one, handed their weapons to government officials: rifles, pistols, machine guns and grenade launchers.They also stripped off their heavy tactical vests, field packs and camouflage uniforms, which were each piled into a bonfire to mark the beginning of a new life away from an armed conflict that has claimed nearly half a million lives in the last six decades. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Exeter University approves deal with Saudi Arabia to train military officers and officials 29. August 2026 (10:00) In move that could generate millions, Exeter academics to deliver MA at National Defense University in RiyadhThe University of Exeter has approved plans for a “formal partnership” with Saudi Arabia to train senior military officers and government officials, despite long-held concerns about the Saudi government’s human rights record, the Guardian has learned.In a deal that could generate millions of pounds for the Russell Group university, Exeter academics will deliver an MA in applied security and strategy (also known as an MStrat) to a cohort at the National Defense University (NDU) in Riyadh. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
