Woman bombarded with calls after number appears in Squid Game
And other stories from the stranger side of life

Netflix has announced that it will edit out a phone number that appears in its hit series Squid Game after a woman said she was bombarded with calls to her mobile phone. In the gritty South Korean drama, contestants are invited to ring the number to take part in life-and-death children’s games for money. The woman said the calls are coming through to her phone, “to the point that it’s hard for me to go on with daily life”.
Uri Geller says aliens brought Facebook down
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp were brought down by aliens, according to illusionist and self-proclaimed psychic Uri Geller. After the social networks and messaging app were out of action for six hours earlier this week, the spoon bending television personality tweeted that “alien extraterrestrial technology can do this”. He also warned followers that “nuclear ballistic missile systems are in danger” from the meddling aliens.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Luxury ancient toilet found in Jerusalem
A 2,700-year-old toilet has been discovered during archaeological excavations of a former royal mansion in Jerusalem. It is believed that the facility dates from the end of the 7th century BCE. Yaakov Billig, director of the excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority, said the toilet “made of limestone and is designed for comfortable sitting, with a hole in the centre”, adding that in the era it dates from, “only the rich could afford toilets”.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodle
Cartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorship
Talking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
Has Israel’s Qatar strike scuppered a ceasefire?
Today’s Big Question Netanyahu ‘gambles’ on ‘overwhelming strength’ rather than diplomacy in attack on Hamas negotiation team in Doha
-
Israel targets Hamas leaders in Qatar airstrike
Speed Read Hamas said five low-level leaders were killed in the attack
-
Why Gen Z in Nepal is dying over a state social media ban
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A crackdown on digital platforms has pushed younger Nepalis into increasingly violent clashes with government forces
-
What are the Abraham Accords and why are they under threat?
The Explainer The 2020 agreements would be 'undermined' if Israel annexes West Bank, UAE warns
-
What is Tony Blair's plan for Gaza?
Today's Big Question Former PM has reportedly been putting together a post-war strategy 'for the past several months'
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal