13 m. ago The price is light! Iconic Star Wars weapon wielded by Darth Vader in the original trilogy sells for £2.7million at auction

The piece, used in battles in both The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return Of The Jedi (1983), went under the hammer along with more than 400 other lots of props and costumes used in film in Los Angeles

Economics

6 h. ago Major Hollywood studio sues AI generator Midjourney over copyright theft of iconic characters

The legal action marks the third major Hollywood studio to pursue Midjourney in Los Angeles federal court

Politics

11 h. ago Star Wars lightsaber used by Darth Vader fetches £2.7m at LA auction

Prop from first in franchise series one of several from science fiction and fantasy films to sell for large sumsThe lightsaber used by Darth Vader in the original Star Wars film has sold for £2.7m at auction in Los Angeles.The prop, which also featured in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, was sold on Thursday, and is one of more than 400 authentic film props auctioned by Propstore, a movie memorabilia outlet, as part of their “entertainment memorabilia live auction”. Continue reading...

Economics

12 h. ago Trump’s radical agenda will ultimately reach a supreme court stacked in favor of conservatives

Court has already dramatically limited ability of lower courts to issue injunctions to pause administration policies across the USUS politics live – latest updatesThis week’s dramatic court ruling that Donald Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs, which he has used to upend global trade, were in fact illegal is the latest in a series of losses for the president’s radical agenda that are ultimately heading for a final showdown in the US supreme court.Trump has already asked the supreme court to overturn the lower court ruling in the tariffs case. Almost certain to follow are Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans, his hostile conflict with Harvard University and his deployment of the national guard and marines to Los Angeles. All have been deemed unlawful in lower courts. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago Darth Vader’s lightsaber breaks Star Wars record during film prop auction

The iconic prop was among the movie memorabilia that went on sale this week

Events

13 h. ago Taylor Swift is a good luck charm for soccer team hosting Travis Kelce's 1st game in Brazil

Taylor Swift is very likely not aware of it, but she’s considered a good luck charm for the Brazilian soccer team hosting Friday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers

Sport

19 h. ago Intervision Song Contest: why Russia is reviving its ‘cultural counterweight’ to Eurovision

Conceived in 1960s Czechoslovakia, Vladimir Putin ordered the competition’s return and the US has now confirmed its participation – is this domestic theatre or international outreach?When singer-songwriter B Howard takes to the stage in Moscow this month, he’ll be making history. On 20 September the Los Angeles-born artist will be the first to represent the US at Russia’s revived Intervision Song Contest, a cultural spectacle that manages to be both nostalgic throwback and very modern geopolitical manoeuvre. While Eurovision has famously stretched its geographic boundaries to include Australia, Russia’s alternative contest represents a rather different kind of international outreach.Russia dusting off the Intervision brand, largely dormant since 1980 apart from a brief reprise in 2008, follows the country’s exclusion from Eurovision since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Its expulsion cut off access to a platform that – while often mocked by British audiences – had served...

Culture

26 h. ago A Charming New Pub Brings Indian and East African Flavors From London to Santa Monica

A Charming New Pub Brings Indian and East African Flavors From London to Santa Monica  Eater Los Angeles

Politics

28 h. ago US government blames power company for LA fires that destroyed hundreds of homes: suit

The Eaton Fire killed 19 people in January as it raged across Los Angeles, destroying thousands of structures

Politics

28 h. ago Federal government sues California utility, alleging equipment sparked deadly wildfires

The federal government has filed two lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging the utility’s equipment sparked fires in the Los Angeles area that destroyed thousands of structures and killed 17 people

Events

29 h. ago Chelsea Women poised to sign Alyssa Thompson from Angel City for £1.1m fee

20-year-old USWNT winger agrees five-year contractChelsea have until 11pm BST to complete club-record dealChelsea are on the verge of signing the United States winger Alyssa Thompson from Angel City on the Women’s Super League’s transfer deadline day, for an upfront fee understood to be just shy of $1.5m (£1.1m), which sources say could climb close to a world-record sum with potential add-ons.The 20-year-old completed a medical on Thursday in London, after boarding a flight from Los Angeles late on Wednesday night, amid extensive negotiations between the two clubs. All parties are increasingly confident the move will be finalised in time for the 11pm BST transfer deadline. Continue reading...

Economics

31 h. ago Q&A: How the band Big Thief transformed into a trio and reimagined their sound

Adrianne Lenker, lead vocalist of Big Thief, describes her home as "the forests," reflecting her nomadic lifestyle

Politics

31 h. ago Darth Vader’s lightsaber among movie props up for auction in Los Angeles

Weapon valued up to $3m and items from movies including Alien and Armageddon for sale in three-day online auctionIconic movie props from a galaxy far, far away, and from a search for the Holy Grail much closer to home, are for sale in a blockbuster auction in California featuring a trove of silver screen history.Darth Vader’s lightsaber from the final two films of the original Star Wars trilogy is the most valuable lot in the three-day online auction hosted by Propstore, a Los Angeles company specializing in movie memorabilia. Continue reading...

Politics

33 h. ago Trump’s domestic troop deployments aren’t about crime – they’re about intimidation | Moira Donegan

The president is targeting Chicago in his latest bid to assert authority over Democratic governance and racial pluralism“We’re going in,” Donald Trump said on Tuesday, when asked whether national guard troops would be sent to invade Chicago. The comment came as reports emerged that national guard troops from Texas – not yet federalized under direct presidential control – were preparing to deploy to Chicago in the coming days, in defiance of the opposition repeatedly and forcefully expressed by the Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson, and the Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, both Democrats.The White House and the president’s allies have claimed that the deployment is a response to violent crime in Chicago. This is a lie. Crime in Chicago has dropped dramatically over the past decades, as it has in every major American city – including Los Angeles, where Trump deployed the national guard and the marines earlier this year, and Washington DC, where armed federal agents have patrolled the stre...

Politics

35 h. ago Man uses Apple AirTag to find missing suitcase and makes 'insane' discovery

Daniel Scott was flying home to Los Angeles after a trip to Salt Lake City when his suitcase was stolen but he was able to track the culprit with the aid of modern technology

Events

35 h. ago Takeaways: Gregory Bovino is breaking norms while leading immigration enforcement in Los Angeles

Two years ago Gregory Bovino was relieved of command of the Border Patrol’s El Centro, California, sector and encouraged to retire

Events

35 h. ago 'Turn and burn': Head of Los Angeles campaign shows how immigration agents are racking up arrests

The Border Patrol agent leading immigration enforcement in Los Angeles was removed from his position in 2023 under President Joe Biden

Events

48 h. ago Incredible to have a Madame Tussauds’ waxwork, says Bella Ramsey

Ramsey has been collaborating with artists at Madame Tussauds for 10 months.

Politics

52 h. ago Los Angeles’ glitzy grocer Erewhon is coming to New York City

The luxury grocery chain is known for its $20 smoothies

Politics

54 h. ago ‘Ketamine Queen’ pleads guilty to selling fatal dose to Matthew Perry

Jasveen Sangha changed her previous not guilty plea in the October 2023 overdose death of the Friends starA woman who has come to be known as the “Ketamine Queen” pleaded guilty on Wednesday to selling Matthew Perry the drug that killed him.Jasveen Sangha changed her previous not guilty plea at a federal court in Los Angeles and became the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the Friends star to plead guilty after a deal with prosecutors. Continue reading...

Politics