Wasserman has apologised for communicating with Ghislaine Maxwell after flirtatious emails they exchanged more than 20 years ago were released in the Epstein files Pop star Chappell Roan said on Monday she was no longer represented by the talent agency led by Los Angeles 2028 Olympics chief Casey Wasserman, who has faced criticism for flirtatious email exchanges with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell more than 20 years ago. Wasserman has apologised for communicating with Maxwell, after the publication of a series of personal emails between the two. Continue reading...

Bithumb has apologised for staff error that sent customers 620,000 bitcoins instead of 620,000 Korean won, equivalent to a few hundred US dollars South Korea’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange is scrambling to recover more than $40bn of cryptocurrency after accidentally crediting customers with 620,000 bitcoins during a promotional event last week. Bithumb said it had corrected most of the mistaken credits, but that about 13bn won ($9m) remained unrecovered after some recipients sold or withdrew the funds before the error was detected. Continue reading...

A luxury Chinese sedan gifted to Fiji is the latest in a string of vehicles donated by foreign countries to deepen partnerships and seek influence in the region At a ceremony in January, a shiny black luxury sedan rolled into the leafy, rain-soaked ground of Fiji’s state house. It was a gift from China to the Pacific nation’s president, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, who thanked Beijing for the “beautiful limousine”. The vehicle given was a Hongqi or “Red Flag” car, the same brand used by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, during military parades. Continue reading...

Prime minister stares down growing call for his resignation amid the Peter Mandelson-Epstein scandal Tuesday’s papers in the UK are dominated by Keir Starmer surviving a call for his resignation from a high-profile party figure, though his fate remains far from certain. The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, on Monday urged the prime minister to step down amid the fallout from the Peter Mandelson scandal, which has already led to the departure of Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. Continue reading...

President says Gordie Howe Bridge will open only when US is ‘fully compensated’ – and makes bizarre hockey claim As Democrats prepare to force a vote in the US House this week on Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, the president posted a lengthy diatribe on his social media platform in which he threatened to block a bridge connecting the US and Canada and made a bizarre false claim that increased trade between Canada and China would include a ban on Canadians playing ice hockey. Trump began his latest screed against the US’s second-largest trading partner by claiming that “everyone knows, the Country of Canada has treated the United States very unfairly for decades”. Continue reading...

Ukraine says deal paves way for ‘large-scale joint projects’ while separately Kyiv opens exports of its locally made weaponry. What we know on day 1,448 Continue reading...

Fathers of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, who died after a night out at the Nana backpackers hostel in 2024, say court decision is ‘absolute injustice’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The families of two Melbourne teenagers who died after drinking methanol-laced alcohol in Laos say they have been blindsided by news the workers responsible for serving the drinks received fines of just $185. Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, were killed by methanol poisoning along with four other tourists after a night out at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, a popular tourist destination in Laos, in November 2024. Continue reading...

Judge rules that law discriminates against federal government because it does not apply to state authorities A federal judge on Monday blocked a California law from going into effect that would ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces, but they will still be required to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number. California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings under a bill that was signed in September following the summer of high-profile raids by ICE officers in Los Angeles. Continue reading...

Former nanny Scarlett Pavlovich filed suit in three US states alleging author assaulted her in New Zealand in 2022 Federal judges have dismissed three lawsuits accusing the bestselling fantasy author Neil Gaiman of sexually assaulting his children’s nanny in New Zealand four years ago. Scarlett Pavlovich filed a lawsuit against Gaiman and his wife, Amanda Palmer, in Wisconsin in February 2025, accusing Gaiman of multiple sexual assaults while she worked as the family’s nanny in 2022. She filed lawsuits against Palmer in Massachusetts and in New York on the same day she filed the Wisconsin action. Continue reading...

Government contractor stripped custody suites in England and Wales of motivational murals deemed too welcoming, report says A government contractor has been accused of being “petty and vindictive” after tearing down brightly coloured artworks carrying motivational messages that were intended to improve the conditions for people held in court cells. The decision by Serco to remove the artworks, commissioned to cheer up court custody areas that are often underground and “bleak”, is revealed in the annual report of the Lay Observers, independent members of the public who monitor court custody and escort conditions. The report draws on 759 visits to court custody suites across England and Wales, representing almost 2,000 hours of monitoring. Continue reading...

Two decades of weak pay growth have left poorer households stuck, Resolution Foundation says, fuelling political unease It would take 137 years for lower-income families in the UK to see their living standards double at the current rate of growth, according to a thinktank. A two-decade stagnation in disposable incomes has created a “mood of unease” across the country, the Resolution Foundation says, warning of the risk of “further political disruption” unless pay growth accelerates. Continue reading...

Being unhealthy weight raises risk of severe illness or death from most infectious diseases significantly, researchers find People living with obesity are 70% more likely to be hospitalised by or die from an infection, with one in 10 infection-related deaths globally linked to the condition, research suggests. Being an unhealthy weight significantly increases the risk of severe illness and death from most infectious diseases, including flu, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections and Covid-19, according to a study of more than 500,000 people. Continue reading...

Schitt’s Creek and Home Alone star died aged 71 in January after being rushed to hospital due to breathing difficulties Emmy-winning actor Catherine O’Hara, who starred in Schitt’s Creek and Home Alone, died from a blood clot in her lungs, her death certificate revealed Monday. The Canadian-born performer was rushed to the hospital on 30 January after having difficulty breathing at her home in the ritzy Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Continue reading...

Middlesbrough took over at the top of the Championship as an impressive first-half performance secure a 2-1 victory at Sheffield United. Goals from Tommy Conway and Riley McGree during the opening 45 minutes proved to be crucial, taking Boro two points clear of Coventry at the top after a sixth successive win. Continue reading...

Head coach says he expected backlash after taking role ‘A lot of people in this country have been laughing at me’ Liam Rosenior has opened up on the ridicule directed at him since he became Chelsea’s head coach, saying he expected the backlash and revealing it has affected his family. Speaking with honesty and positivity, the 41-year-old was keen to stress that he will not allow the discussion around his personality, looks and coaching background to stop him from doing his job. ­Rosenior has said previously that he knows “a lot of people in this country have been laughing at me” since his ­appointment as Enzo Maresca’s replacement last month. Continue reading...

UK projects will allow local areas to control and profit from renewable power generation, says energy secretary The UK government is pledging to spend up to £1bn on community-owned green energy schemes in an effort to combat growing scepticism and resistance to renewables and grid upgrade projects. Ed Miliband, the UK energy secretary, said the new funding was intended to help democratise the energy system, increase the wealth and financial independence of local communities, and potentially cut some local energy bills. Continue reading...

Wonder lies below the surface of this truly fantastic sitcom from the creator of Detectorists. It’s an impossible marvel of TV making Try not to be told about the central premise of Small Prophets, the new comedy by Detectorists writer/director Mackenzie Crook, before you dive in. In a show full of gorgeous surprises, the main thing that happens is the most precious gift waiting to be unwrapped. What you should know, though, is that this is everything a Detectorists fan would wish for in its creator’s new project: the same sensibilities take on phantasmagorical new shapes. Small Prophets is a pure, pure pleasure. Our gentle hero is the lank-haired, long-bearded Michael (Pearce Quigley), the only occupant of an overgrown semi-detached at the dead end of a south Manchester cul-de-sac. His daily routine: waking from a strange dream about birds, coaxing his battered Ford Capri into life, driving to his boring job on the shop floor of a DIY superstore, popping to his dad’s nursing home for repetitive conversation, then returning to his silent house ready to do it all again tomorrow. It has been this way since Christmas Eve seven years ago, when his girlfriend, Clea, vanished. They found her car by the Severn Bridge, but they never found her. Continue reading...

Green joined club as assistant to Emma Hayes in 2013 Chelsea won 19 trophies during his 13 years at club Chelsea have announced the shock exit of influential head of women’s football, Paul Green. Green joined Chelsea in 2013, recruited from Doncaster Rovers Belles by Emma Hayes to be her assistant manager. In the intervening years they formed a formidable partnership, sharing an office throughout, with Green an architect, alongside Hayes, of an ambitious blueprint that would take the women’s team to the top of English and European football. He was particularly involved in the club’s recruitment strategy alongside Hayes, masterminding a process that would have Chelsea operating three or four transfer windows ahead. Giving an insight into their relationship in 2023 Hayes said that she would “tell him I want to get to the moon, he’ll tell me the rocket isn’t built yet”. Green also stepped in, alongside assistant manager Denise Reddy, to lead the team when Hayes missed six games due to an emergency hysterectomy. During his time at the club they won 19 trophies, including eight league titles and six FA Cups. Sam Kerr praised his influence on social media: “Thank you PG for everything you have done for us!” the forward wrote. “We wouldn’t have all the success we have had without you! Big big loss for the club.” Erin Cuthbert also posted on Green’s influence on her career. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer’s future as prime minister suffered another major blow when the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, called for him to go. With the cabinet rallying around him, the PM seems to be safe for now, but for how much longer? Pippa and Kiran look at what might happen next Please send your questions and messages for Pippa Crerar, Kiran Stacey and John Harris to politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com Continue reading...

After a national scandal in Norway involving two athletes, Norwegian fans at these Winter Games don’t enjoy becoming a punchline Yes, it’s time to talk about the ski jumpers’ penises. Although to be honest the ski jumpers themselves would prefer it if everyone could keep the conversation to their testicles. Figuratively. “This sport,” the former Olympic champion Sven Hannawald once said, “has a lot to do with balls.” This turns out to be more true than you might imagine, even for a sport that involves flying 100m down a mountain. As the world now knows, being well endowed is a distinct advantage for the simple key reason that when a jumper spreads their legs the crotch of their trousers stretches out into a wing, and the bigger that wing is, the further they’re likely to fly. Continue reading...

PM survives day of high tension after Scots Labour leader Anas Sarwar urges him to step down amid Peter Mandelson row UK politics live – latest updates How the Downing Street machine ensured Starmer survived to fight another day Exclusive: Top civil servant could become third key No 10 departure in days Keir Starmer has seen off an immediate challenge to his position from Labour’s leader in Scotland, telling his MPs he was “not prepared to walk away” from power and plunge the country into chaos. But the prime minister emerged badly damaged from a tumultuous 24 hours which brought his premiership to the brink, leaving his party united for now but fearful of what the coming days and weeks will bring. Continue reading...

Airlines from as far away as Russia, China and Spain have also been affected as island nation warns of fuel shortage Air Canada has cancelled all flights to Cuba after the island’s authorities said they were running out of aviation fuel, as a consequence of the US oil blockade on the Caribbean country. The airline, one of a dozen who serve the island, said it would begin repatriating 3,000 customers. Cuba’s beaches are a major holiday draw for Canadian tourists in winter, and one of the government’s most important sources of hard currency. Continue reading...

The Dutch star, who combines commercial visibility alongside elite results, won gold on Monday in front of a packed arena that included her influencer boyfriend Jutta Leerdam delivered the defining race of her career on Monday night, roaring to Olympic gold in the women’s 1000m and setting a new Olympic record of 1min 12.31sec to lead a Dutch one-two and deliver the Netherlands’ first medals of the Games. The 27-year-old finished 0.28sec ahead of compatriot Femke Kok, who had briefly held the Olympic record after clocking 1:12.59 earlier in the final group. Japan’s defending Olympic champion Miho Takagi took bronze in 1:13.95. Continue reading...

Emerald Fennell’s take on Emily Brontë is an emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire that misuses Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi but makes the most of Martin Clunes Emerald Fennell cranks up the campery as she reinvents Emily Brontë’s tale of Cathy and Heathcliff on the windswept Yorkshire moor as a 20-page fashion shoot of relentless silliness, with bodices ripped to shreds and a saucy slap of BDSM. Margot Robbie’s Cathy at one stage secretly heads off to the moor for a hilarious bit of self-pleasuring – although, sadly, there are no audaciously intercut scenes of thirst-trap Heathcliff, played by Jacob Elordi, simultaneously doing the same thing in the stable, while muttering gruffly in that Yerrrrrkshire accent of his. This then is Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, or rather “Wuthering Heights”; the title archly appears in inverted commas, although the postmodern irony seems pointless. Cathy is a primped belle quivering in the presence of Heathcliff, who himself is a moody, long-haired, bearded outsider, as if Scarlett O’Hara were going to melt into the arms of Charles Manson. However, he does get substantially Darcyfied up later on, rocking a shorter and more winsome hairstyle, his gossamer-thin shirt never dry. Continue reading...

Cast, Doncaster A visually arresting adaptation trades Martian menace for Enoch Powell-era paranoia – technically dazzling, politically pointed, yet also confusing ‘National emergency to repel invaders,” is the fictional Daily Mail headline as London becomes a smouldering wasteland. There are crumbling buildings, food shortages and corpses. But the invaders on the newspaper’s mind might not be from Mars: images of an Enoch Powell rally suggest fears about a different kind of alien. There is talk of rivers of blood. With this heavy-handed metaphor, the Lancaster-based Imitating the Dog shoves HG Wells into a time when the threat of annihilation comes from within: from lack of trust, suspicion of foreigners and selfish lust for survival. Yes, there is the occasional glimpse of an extraterrestrial tripod and some squid-like tentacles, but this War of the Worlds is so unconcerned about that, you wonder what attracted the creators to the book in the first place. Touring until 2 May Continue reading...