British singer Conor Maynard has officially addressed the ongoing paternity dispute involving The Traitors star Charlotte Chilton, after a second DNA test confirmed he is not the father of her 18-month-old daughter, Penelope.
The controversy, which has spanned over a year, began after Chilton publicly alleged that Maynard was the biological father of her child. The pair reportedly met at a wrap party for the BBC reality series in early 2024, introduced through Maynard’s sister, Anna, who is in a relationship with show winner Harry Clark.
Maynard initially refrained from commenting on the matter, but underwent a paternity test which determined he was not Penelope’s father. Chilton, however, requested a second test, raising concerns about the presence of an “unidentified male” during the initial sample collection. The second test, conducted at a Ministry of Justice-accredited facility of Chilton’s choosing, also confirmed Maynard is not the biological father.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Maynard wrote: “As with the last test, this test has confirmed again that I am not Penelope’s father. This has been difficult for me and my family, and I’m so grateful for everyone’s support. I’m glad we can now finally draw a line under this.”
Chilton, who has been vocal about her belief that Maynard fathered her child, is said to be “shell-shocked” by the result. A representative for her said she has “fought an extraordinary battle for truth and justice” and will eventually share her side of the story after taking time to process.
-Instagram.
Earlier this year, Maynard opened up about the emotional toll the situation took on him, telling This Morning that he struggled with mental health issues while facing public scrutiny and being labeled a “deadbeat dad.”
He has since moved on in his personal life, now living with his girlfriend, Kitty Bertrand.
A Lanarkshire contractor which provides road signage and barriers has been placed into administration with the loss of 119 jobs across sites in Scotland and England.
Apex Traffic Management Limited, which is based in Uddingston, ceased trading after a petition by its directors to Hamilton Sheriff Court.
The firm primarily provided traffic control equipment and services for roadworks, and its customers included Transport Scotland, Highways England and Amey Construction.
In recent years it expanded to provide traffic management services to venues including Hamilton and Ayr racecourses and the 2024 Open golf championship at Royal Troon.
The firm also operated more than 150 sets of roadwork traffic lights.
The joint administrators, who were appointed on Thursday, and Thomas McKay, a partner at Begbies Traynor, will now supervise the consultation process with staff.
They will also oversee the liquidation of the business and its assets.
Mr McKay said the directors had little choice but to place the business into administration after receiving a petition by HMRC for liquidation.
He added: “Tightening margins, slower debt recovery and resulting cash flow challenges, as well as increased costs of trading, especially higher minimum wage and Employers’ National Insurance Contributions, had led to the firm being unable to meet its ongoing obligations and the business was simply not viable.”
Mr McKay said he was working closely with Apex’s customers to help them find alternative suppliers and ensure “safe operation of the highways”.
The administrators are working with the employees and Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) to ensure the affected employees receive their full redundancy entitlements.
It is also hoped the majority of staff being made redundant may quickly be re-employed in the sector.
HELSINKI (Finland) – Lauri Markkanen is the headline name on Finland’s confirmed 12-man roster for FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
The NBA star has been in scintillating form during the Susijengi’s preparations with a national team career-high of 48 points attracting plenty of attention.
FINLAND’S ROSTER FOR FIBA EUROBASKET 2025
Jacob Grandison, Andre Gustavson, Mikael Jantunen, Miro Little, Alexander Madsen, Lauri Markkanen, Edon Maxhuni, Miikka Muurinen, Olivier Nkamhoua, Sasu Salin, Ilari Seppala, Elias Valtonen
Finland went a perfect 4-0 in their friendly encounters with double victories over Belgium and Poland, respectively to build their confidence ahead of the major tournament.
Who is playing at FIBA EuroBasket 2025?
Roster tracker: Who is playing at FIBA EuroBasket 2025?
Tracker: Preparation games for FIBA EuroBasket 2025
In addition to the superstar status of Markkanen, Finland have plenty of experience in their ranks including veteran guard Sasu Salin, while Mikael Jantunen continues to elevate his status for the national team and there is excitement surrounding emerging talent Miikka Muurinen.
After making it to the Round of 16 in 2017, they went one stage further at the last edition in 2022 before losing to eventual champions Spain in the Quarter-Finals.
The Group B hosts in Tampere will go up against Germany, Lithuania, Montenegro, Sweden and Great Britain as they look to progress to the Final Phase in Riga, Latvia.
Finland’s first game is up against Sweden with an opportunity to get off to a perfect start on home soil.
Oceania Triathlon is looking for a Regional Development Coordinator to support the development and delivery of triathlon across East Hub National Federations, ensuring alignment with the Oceania Triathlon Strategy. The role fosters collaboration, builds capacity, and drives regional initiatives that grow participation and performance.
Federations Supported: • American Samoa Triathlon Association • Cook Islands Triathlon Association • Tahiti Triathlon Federation • Fiji Triathlon Association • Tonga Triathlon Federation • Tri-Sport Samoa Association • Triathlon New Zealand
Key Responsibilities Federation Support & Capacity Building • Act as the primary liaison between Oceania Triathlon and East Hub national federations. • Identify development needs and provide tailored support, resources, and guidance. • Facilitate training, workshops, and mentoring opportunities for federation staff, coaches, and volunteers. • Support federations in building governance, operational capacity, and sustainable development models. Strategy Implementation • Assist federations in aligning their activities with the Oceania Triathlon Strategy. • Monitor progress and report on strategic outcomes and KPIs. • Share best practices and success stories across the region to foster innovation and collaboration. Stakeholder Engagement • Build and maintain strong relationships with government agencies, sport bodies, and community organisations. • Represent Oceania Triathlon at regional meetings, events, and forums (as required). • Advocate for triathlon development and visibility within the East Hub. • Foster a close and collaborative working relationship with the Head of member services and development at World Triathlon. Program Coordination • Support the planning and delivery of regional competitions, development camps, and promotional activities. • Coordinate regional initiatives such as youth development, coaching education, and technical official training. • Assist federations in accessing World Triathlon development programs and resources.
Monitoring & Reporting • Track federation engagement and development progress. • Provide regular updates and reports to the President and Board. • Maintain accurate records of activities, outcomes, and stakeholder interactions.
Qualifications & Attributes • 3-5 years experience in sport development, preferably within triathlon or multisport. • Strong understanding of the Oceania region’s cultural and logistical landscape. • Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills. • Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities. • Familiarity with World Triathlon systems and development pathways is an asset, but not essential.
Time Commitment and Salary • This is a fixed term (until 31 December 2028), part time role. • Time commitment is 12 hours per week/48 hours per month • The salary is between UD$18 and UD$20 per hour
To Apply: • Please send a cover letter as well as you CV to president@oceania.triathlon.org • Closing date for applications is 12 September 2025
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended Covid vaccines for pregnant women in its updated immunization schedule issued Friday, signaling another split between practicing doctors and the nation’s top health official.
Women should get immunized when planning to become pregnant, during pregnancy or when lactating, according to the premier US organization for physicians who specialize in women’s health. Data shows the vaccines prevent complications for the mother and child, including preterm birth and even still birth, the group said in a statement.
Built-in TV speakers are hardly something to write home about. If your TV’s sound system doesn’t quite live up to its picture quality, we highly recommend adding a soundbar. With football season around the corner, boosting your sound system ensures you won’t miss a single call on the field (even when you kind of wish you did). Beyond sports, a soundbar can also help you actually hear the dialogue in those quieter scenes of your favorite shows and movies. It’s a worthy addition to your entertainment setup, whether you spend 100 bucks or close to $1,000.
One of our favorite audio brands, Bose, offers options for every budget — and as of Aug. 22, they’re all on sale. We’ve broken down the deals below to help you make the right choice. One of these options even tops our list of the best soundbars from any brand.
Best on a budget: Bose TV Speaker
Why we like it
A solid introductory option, the Bose TV Speaker adds some serious sound in a small, but mighty package. It delivers balanced and natural-sounding spatial audio while enhancing dialogue for clarity. The simple plug-and-play design allows you to get it up and running in no time. Connect up to three devices through the inputs, or even pair your phone and use it as an external Bluetooth speaker. As of Aug. 22, the budget soundbar is down to only $163.45 instead of $279. That’s its lowest price on record at 41% off.
Best for most people: Bose Smart Soundbar
Why we like it
Check out our full review of the Bose Smart Soundbar.
“For most users, I think this soundbar hits the sweet spot in terms of features, sound, and value for the dollar,” wrote Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth in his review of the Bose Smart Soundbar. The mid-range option tops our list of the best soundbars, thanks to its powerful sound, AI Dialogue Mode, pronounced bass, wide connectivity options, smart assistant support, and compact design. AI Dialogue Mode detects speech in audio streams to make it clearer amongst background noise, which our reviewer said “offers hope to anyone who’s become a little more reliant than they would like on closed captions.” Usually $499, you can save $100 on this immersive soundbar as of Aug. 22.
Mashable Deals
Best splurge: Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar
Why we like it
For those looking to splurge on high-quality sound, we suggest the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, which is the next step up in Bose’s range. We haven’t had the opportunity to test it for ourselves, but our sister site PCMag (also owned by publisher Ziff Davis) spent some time with it and called it “a powerful one-piece soundbar that delivers big sound with plenty of spatial audio detail, and ample audio streaming features.” It earned their coveted Editors’ Choice award and a glowing 4.5 out of 5 stars. It looks just as sleek and simple as the more budget-friendly options, but is packed with features like AdaptiQ, which allows the soundbar to measure your room’s acoustics and adjust the balance for optimal sound and spatial imaging based on where you sit. It also packs nine total speakers — including two upward-firing — compared to the Smart Soundbar’s five.
As of Aug. 22, you can grab the top-of-the-line Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar for $699 instead of $899. That’s 22% off. While the white colorway has been cheaper before, this is the lowest-ever price on record for the black option.
Taylor Swift sends fans reeling over potential Easter Eggs ahead of ‘Showgirl’
Taylor Swift has been micro-dosing her fans with Easter Eggs in her countdowns which all lead to an announcement.
The 35-year-old pop superstar started the programme with her first countdown which featured an orange door slowly opening with time, on August 13, and it counted down to five hours until she went live on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast, New Heights.
Swift then announced her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, on the podcast and the first clue was solved.
However, it didn’t stop there. The Eras Tour performer launched another countdown on August 18, with a purple glittery screen counting down to the next four hours. After the countdown was over, the Grammy winner announced her “Shiny Bug” limited edition vinyl.
The Speak Now hitmaker returned with the countdown on August 21, with a blue glitter screen counting down to three hours, which was revealed to be the “Baby, That’s Show Business” vinyl variant.
Eagle-eyed Swifties noticed that the countdowns themselves are counting down backwards, with five, four, and then three-hour period.
The next potential announcement might be after a countdown of two hours if fans have figured out the pattern, leading up to an hour countdown which could reveal something special.
Swift’s fans have their fingers crossed for a single announcement or the Eras Tour movie sequel, but it remains up to the London Boy songstress what she has in store.
The U.S. Open is here, with first-round action commencing on Aug. 24. The sport’s biggest players have descended upon Flushing Meadows to compete for the trophy at the end of the two weeks of play.
Both of the No. 1 seeds—Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka—enter the tournament as the reigning champions. Could they become two-time U.S. Open champions?
Of course, all eyes will be on the American players on both sides of the draw, but especially on the men’s side. An American man hasn’t won a major since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open. Taylor Fritz came close last year, but lost to Sinner in the final. We’ll see if someone can end the drought this year.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 U.S. Open.
Sunday, Aug. 24: The first round of the 2025 U.S. Open begins.
Saturday, Sept. 6: The women’s singles final will take place at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Sunday, Sept. 7: The men’s singles final will take place at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
ESPN: The 2025 U.S. Open will primarily be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2 throughout the two weeks of the tournament. Times vary depending on the round of the tournament, but a more specific schedule is listed below.
ABC: On all three Sundays of the U.S. Open, some of the biggest matches will be showcased on ABC, including the men’s singles final on Sept. 7.
ESPN+: ESPN’s streaming service will show matches every day of the tournament, except the men’s final. From Aug. 24 to Sept. 3, ESPN+ will stream matches from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Starting on Sept. 4, when the women’s semifinals begin, the streaming will take place from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
Date
Round
Channel
Time (ET)
Sunday, Aug. 24
First Round
ABC
12-3 p.m.
First Round
ESPN2
3-11 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 25
First Round
ESPN
11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
First Round
ESPN2
7-11 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 26
First Round
ESPN
11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
First Round
ESPN2
7-11 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Second Round
ESPN
11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 28
Second Round
ESPN
11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Second Round
ESPN2
5-11 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 29
Third Round
ESPN
11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Third Round
ESPN2
6-11 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 30
Third Round
ESPN2
11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31
Round of 16
ESPN
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Round of 16
ABC
3-6 p.m.
Round of 16
ESPN2
6-11 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 1
Round of 16
ESPN
11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Round of 16
ESPN2
7-11 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 2
Quarterfinals
ESPN
11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 3
Quarterfinals
ESPN
11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 4
Women’s Semifinals
ESPN
7-11 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5
Men’s Semifinals
ESPN
3-6 p.m., 7-10 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6
Women’s Final
ESPN
4-7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 7
Men’s Final
ABC
2-5:30 p.m.
Jannik Sinner: The world No. 1 will enter this year’s U.S. Open as the reigning champion for the first time in his career, beating Fritz in three sets to capture the 2024 U.S. Open title. Sinner has since won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this season, bringing his major title tally to four. Will he be able to add a fifth major trophy to his collection?
Aryna Sabalenka: The world No. 1 on the women’s side will also be entering the U.S. Open as the defending champion. Sabalenka beat American Jessica Pegula in two sets to win the title last year. She hasn’t won another major since then, although she competed in the Australian Open and French Open finals this year.
Men’s players: There’s a three-way tie on the men’s singles side for the most U.S. Open titles won in the Open Era. Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors all won five U.S. Open titles in their careers. Federer won all five of his consecutive titles from 2004 to ’08. Djokovic sits just behind the trio, with four titles—if he wins this year, he’ll make it a four-way tie.
Women’s players: There are two women’s players tied with six U.S. Open titles apiece in the Open Era: Serena Williams and Chris Evert.
Men’s players
1. Jannik Sinner 2. Carlos Alcaraz 3. Alexander Zverev 4. Taylor Fritz 5. Jack Draper 6. Ben Shelton 7. Novak Djokovic 8. Alex de Minaur 9. Karen Khachanov 10. Lorenzo Musetti
Women’s players
1. Aryna Sabalenka 2. Iga Świątek 3. Coco Gauff 4. Jessica Pegula 5. Mirra Andreeva 6. Madison Keys 7. Jasmine Paolini 8. Amanda Anisimova 9. Elena Rybakina 10. Emma Navarro
Men’s Draw
Sinner holds the best odds to win his second U.S. Open title at +105, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Alcaraz, unsurprisingly, follows Sinner with +175 odds. Sinner and Alcaraz have won the past six major titles.
Djokovic, who is still aiming to win that elusive 25th major, has the third-best odds at +1400, a considerable jump from Sinner and Alcaraz.
Two American men, Shelton and Fritz, have odds of +2000 and +3000, respectively. They’ll be looking to be the first American man to win a major since Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open.
Top 10 odds
1. Jannik Sinner (+110) 2. Carlos Alcaraz (+175) 3. Novak Djokovic (+1400) 4. Jack Draper (+2000) 5. Ben Shelton (+2000) 6. Alexander Zverev (+2200) 7. Taylor Fritz (+3000) 8. Daniil Medvedev (+8000) 9. Alex de Minaur (+8000) 10. Jakub Menšík (+10000)
Women’s draw
Świątek holds the best odds of taking home the hardware in New York, with odds of +205. After a slow start to the season, Świątek has turned things around, winning Wimbledon and claiming the Cincinnati title.
Victoria Mboko might be the most unknown name on the list below. The Canadian teenager is coming off a huge championship run at the Canadian Open ahead of the U.S. Open. She beat two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka in the final, along with defeating three other major champions (Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, Gauff in the quarters and Sofia Kenin before that).
Top 10 best odds
1. Iga Świątek (+250) 2. Aryna Sabalenka (275 3. Coco Gauff (+950) 4. Mirra Andreeva (+1100) 5. Elena Rybakina (+1200) 6. Naomi Osaka (+2000) 7. Madison Keys (+2000) 8. Victoria Mboko (+2200) 9. Amanda Anisimova (+2500) 10. Emma Raducanu (+3500)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Huawei’s latest update to its Google Maps alternative called Petal Maps is now out, and it brings with it a very useful new feature. Namely, you can use navigation directions without being connected to the internet.
This is live as of version 5.3.0.302. Obviously, to use this you first need to download the maps for the area you’re going to navigate through, which you can do using the Offline Map Resource Package. Then you just need to enable the Offline Map function and start navigating.
The latest update also introduces the ability to use positioning that isn’t precise – when this is enabled the app will display a dynamic circle with a radius of around 5km as your location. This is a privacy feature that Google added to Android a while back, and now the same concept is supported in Petal Maps.
In China, the app now supports Tongcheng travel services, thus letting you book tickets for popular attractions right inside Petal Maps, without the need for an additional app installed or a redirect to a website.
Since the turn of the century, the growing impact of Climate Change has inspired plans for space settlement. For many, establishing habitats in space and on other celestial bodies is a matter of survival, of creating “backup locations” for humanity so no single cataclysmic fate could lead to our extinction. This presents many challenges since spaceflight presents numerous hazards, including radiation exposure and the physiological and psychological effects of time spent in microgravity. Ongoing research aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has shown that these effects include muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and genetic changes.
There are also many unanswered questions about how time spent in space could affect our ability to produce healthy offspring. How this will affect egg and sperm precursor cells (“germ cells”) is particularly important since any irreversible damage they experience will be passed on to offspring. Using stem cells from mice, researchers from Kyoto University tested the potential damage spaceflight has on germ cells and offspring produced by them. Fortunately, their experiment resulted in a healthy litter of mice, which is good news for future generations of humans and animals that may be born in space.
The research, which was published in Stem Cell Reports, was led by Mito Kanatsu-Shinohara, an Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics at Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Medicine and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). He was joined by fellow researchers from Kyoto University, including the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, and the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHIBi), and researchers from the RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP), the Japan Space Forum, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Stem cells from mice cryopreserved on the International Space Station for six months have produced healthy offspring. Credit: KyotoU/Shinohara lab
Previous studies involving embryonic stem cells showed that spaceflight resulted in abnormalities, but the exact cause has remained unknown. This inspired Prof. Kanatsu-Shinohara and his colleagues to conduct their study, which consisted of sending cryogenic samples of stem cells to the ISS, where they were stored for six months. Mice spermatozoa stem cells were specifically selected because they have a shorter reproductive life span than humans. These cells were then returned to Kyoto University and examined, which revealed no apparent abnormalities.
Three to four months later, the samples were thawed and injected into the testicles of male mice that were mated with females to produce offspring. When the team examined these “space mice” babies, they were found to be healthy and exhibited normal gene expression. The team originally predicted that spaceflight would be more harmful than cryopreservation due to the stem cells’ sensitivity to radiation. However, the results indicated that while the hydrogen peroxide used in the cryopreservation process killed off some of the cells, the effects of spaceflight proved minimal.
Moreover, the team found that cryopreserved germ cells maintain fertility for at least six months. Said Professor Kanatsu-Shinohara:
It is important to examine how long we can store germ cells in the ISS to better understand the limits of storage for future human spaceflight. We still have some spermatogonial stem cells frozen on the ISS, so we will continue to conduct further analysis.
These findings affirm previous research showing that stem cells from many species can be cryopreserved for extended periods and still produce sperm. As a result, these findings are helping to lay the groundwork for stem cell preservation during long-duration space missions. However, additional research is needed to address possible long-term health issues, which cannot be ruled out until the lifespan and fertility of these mice (as well as their progeny) are analyzed. Similarly, the research is a long way from testing the effects of spaceflight on human fertility and reproduction.
Further Reading: University of Tokyo, Stem Cell Reports
