A Luke Skywalker lightsaber and severed hand prop from The Empire Strikes Back has sold for $3.75m. The prop, which has never been offered for public sale, has established a new world auction record for a screen-used Star Wars prop. The lot headlined the Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. It featured during Skywalker’s climactic Cloud City duel in the 1980 sci-fi film, during which Darth Vader cuts off his hand. Joe Maddalena, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions, said: “This is one of the most important surviving Star Wars artifacts in existence.” “It comes from the…

Law & Order: SVU went through some cast changes — but what does that mean for season 28? The series, which premiered in 1999, follows detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute various degrees of sex crimes. The legal drama stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Peter Scanavino and more —- though it has faced multiple character exits throughout the years. Before NBC renewed Law & Order: SVU for season 27, multiple outlets confirmed in May 2025 that Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez, who portray Detective Joe Velasco and Detective Kate Silva, respectively, were leaving at…

Snakes on a plain? A Florida pizzeria owner is redefining the term “exotic pet trade” by accepting captured Burmese pythons as payment for a pie. “I’m the first place in the world to accept python as currency,” Dustin Crum, owner of Wildman’s Pizza, Pasta and Python in Everglades City, told NBC News of his bizarre herpetological barter system. The self-proclaimed “swampeprenuer” reportedly was inspired by the ongoing Florida Python Challenge, where snake hunters from all over compete to see who can remove the most pythons from the Everglades for a $10,000 prize. The tournament, which concludes on July 19, rolled…

Thousands of people are being evacuated across northwestern Ontario as wildfires continue to ravage the region. Ontario Provincial Police said Thursday that they’re assisting in evacuation efforts in Armstrong, Whitesand First Nation, Collins First Nation, Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation (Lac La Croix First Nation) and surrounding area, and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation and surrounding area.“Other communities are being monitored, and residents are urged to stay informed and be prepared to act quickly should further evacuation orders or advisories be issued,” the OPP said.There were 136 active wildfires in the northwest region as of 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to data…

July 16, 2026 — 11:59pmSaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.AAABy Andrew BrooksTry our Mini CrosswordTen clues. Twenty-five squares. How quickly can you solve this bite-sized puzzle? Track your win streaks and challenge family and friends by sharing your results.Premium subscribers to The Age can play the Mini Crossword (and all our puzzles, including Target Time) here and premium subscribers to The Sydney Morning Herald can play them here.SaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.From our partners Read the full…

More details are emerging about the musical performances at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Madison Square Garden wedding. Former NFL punter Pat McAfee revealed on his eponymous ESPN talk show on Monday, July 13, that Avril Lavigne was among the stars who took the stage, joining the likes of Paul McCartney and Stevie Nicks. According to McAfee, Lavigne, 41, serenaded the happy couple — and their A-list guests — with her 2002 hit song “Sk8r Boi.” “I guess me saying Avril Lavigne played ‘Skr8 Boi’ was the first time that it came out,” he said. “But she was awesome.” He…

Well, that’s priceless. An observant Dollar Tree shopper recently spotted a price checker in the aisles at their local store. In a post on the popular Facebook group Retail Dead or Alive, a space dedicated to “discussing retail of ANY kind,” a member posted a photo of the scanner. “Never thought I’d see the day when you’d need a price checker at the Dollar Tree,” the poster wrote. The photo shows a Dollar Tree aisle with a price checker next to some boxes, ready to be scanned. The tech shocked some shoppers who questioned why a store that was made…

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Athens has brought charges against 22 suspects, including four sitting members of the Greek Parliament, several former senior public officials and political figures, as part of an investigation into an alleged organised fraud ring involving the management of agricultural funds. By contrast, the charges against seven other sitting MPs have been dropped due to a lack of sufficient evidence. It’s part of a series of investigations the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting into an alleged organised fraud scheme in which public officials at the government agency OPEKEPE are believed to be involved.…

An internal government audit of Canadian diplomatic missions in the U.S. completed late last year found staff faced safety risks and problems with accessing health care — more than a year after a union flagged those same issues. “U.S. cities present security risks related to street crime, protests, the widespread presence of firearms, and broader social crises such as substance abuse and mental health issues,” says the audit completed by Global Affairs Canada.“These factors make security and emergency management a critical component of day-to-day mission operations.”Canadian diplomats are posted to the embassy in Washington, D.C., and to consulates and trade offices in 15 other cities, from Boston to Los Angeles. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand…

SaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.AAAMen and women of all ages, dressed in the purest of white, walk silently into the baptism pool and immerse themselves in the fresh flowing water.They’re part of the Mandaean community – one of the world’s oldest religious groups – and every Sunday they travel to Wallacia, on the edge of western Sydney, to practise their ancient rituals.Tarmida (Mandaean priest) Mustafa al Nasar is baptised by the head of the Mandaean nation in Australia Rishama Salah Chohilil at the Wallacia Mandi.KATE GERAGHTYFresh flowing water…

Jason Collins was honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2026 ESPY Awards. The late athlete posthumously received the accolade from GMA‘s Robin Roberts during the Wednesday, July 15, ceremony at David H. Koch Theater in New York City’s Lincoln Center. As the NBA’s first openly gay player, Collins was recognized for his impact on LGBTQ+ visibility in professional sports. A video package featured Collins’ husband, Brunson Green, breaking his silence on the NBA pioneer’s death from stage IV glioblastoma diagnosis in May 2026. “When he first got diagnosed he was scrolling Wikipedia about glioblastoma and [how]…

Pals of the tragic teen Nolan Wells called for help when their boat suddenly malfunctioned and started taking on water, according to newly released audio from the day of his disappearance. Wells, 18, traveled with his friends to Horn Island from the Mississippi mainland for the Fourth of July holiday — but he wasn’t with the group for the return journey. Their boat — which had “like seven” people on board — experienced difficulty at around 4 p.m, according to audio obtained by NBC News. “Hey, we’re at the west tip of Horn, and our bilge pump stopped working. We’re…

As thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets on Thursday to protest against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the former minister publicly acknowledged that his conflict with Ukraine’s commander-in-chief had contributed to his removal. Speaking at a tense media briefing, Fedorov revealed that Zelenskyy had been forced to choose between him and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. However, he insisted that he had never presented the president with an ultimatum of “either me or Syrskyi”. “I said then we will win with this commander-in-chief.” According to Fedorov, he accepted the president’s decision despite their differences. “When the president…

Wildfire smoke still blankets large parts of southern Ontario, including Toronto, and conditions may not improve until Friday morning. Environment Canada’s orange air quality warning continues to be in place Thursday, a day after it was first implemented for the smoke that turned the skies in Canada’s largest city orange.The smoke from the wildfires in northwestern Ontario plummeted Toronto’s air quality to the worst in the world throughout Wednesday morning. Only Detroit was ahead of Toronto early Thursday morning.The smoke forced the cancellation of several outdoor events Wednesday, including the FIFA Fan Festival watch party in Toronto and the Rock…

Erin Pearson and Eleanor CampbellJuly 16, 2026 — 9:26pmSaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.AAAThe man known as “bike boy” for suing former premier Daniel Andrews after he was injured in a crash as a child will plead guilty to burglary and theft.Ryan Meuleman’s lawyer Savannah Westwood told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday that her client intended to enter pleas of guilty, to charges arising out of an incident on January 27, though details of the allegations were not aired.The 28-year-old was expected to face court via video link from…