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Rising streaming prices drive cancellations and consumer frustration
Major streaming services including Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV and Peacock have implemented repeated price increases over recent months, often without adding value or whilst reducing content quality. An estimated 39% of Americans have cancelled a streaming service in the past six months due to these increases, a phenomenon dubbed “streamflation”. This widespread consumer resistance…
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Himari Yoshimura’s debut album pairs remarkable technique with musical sensitivity
Fifteen-year-old Japanese violinist Himari Yoshimura has released her debut album, building on her remarkable achievement of becoming the youngest Asian soloist to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic in a subscription concert at age thirteen, and securing a contract as the label’s youngest-ever female signing with Decca. The album captures both her significant technical prowess and…
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Waymo reports markedly fewer injury crashes than human drivers
Waymo says its driverless cars are involved in far fewer injury-causing crashes than human-driven vehicles, based on 271 million autonomous miles recorded in five US cities. The figures are intended to strengthen support for autonomous vehicles as officials debate their safety and economic effects, although critics say they overlook non-crash disruption and rely too heavily…
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White House reporters remain barred despite court-ordered reinstatement
The Trump White House initially refused entry to reporters from CNN, Politico and MS NOW on Thursday, despite a federal judge ordering their reinstatement. The outlets had been banned after Trump accused them of publishing “fake news”, and the confrontation intensified during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit, prompting concerns over press freedom and presidential…
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Newport recycling collapse leaves 80,000 fridges stranded and 650 jobs at risk
Around 80,000 discarded fridges and freezers are stranded at a recycling facility in Newport, South Wales, after operator Unimetals entered administration and closed the site. The shutdown has put up to 650 jobs at risk and intensified concerns about a shortage of specialist white-goods recycling capacity across England and Wales. Oxfordshire County Council has urged…
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Meta’s Muse Charms will reportedly recognise and communicate with nearby devices
Meta’s forthcoming Muse Charm handheld AI device will reportedly recognise and interact with other nearby Charms when it launches later this year. The feature is part of Meta’s effort to make its Muse AI agent more useful through a standalone device that does not require Wi-Fi, potentially broadening how people access and use the company’s…
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Trump and Xi hold Washington talks on AI and trade
President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are meeting in Washington today for high-level talks, with artificial intelligence set to be a major focus of discussion. Both leaders have indicated they oppose any bilateral agreement to restrict AI development, signalling a potential area of agreement despite broader US-China tensions. The meeting follows an unusually cordial…
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Michael Kiwanuka announces FUDGE album after severe stroke
Michael Kiwanuka has revealed comprehensive details of his forthcoming self-produced album ‘FUDGE’, set for release on 23 October. The announcement is particularly significant because Kiwanuka simultaneously disclosed that he suffered a severe stroke earlier this year, caused by a brain haemorrhage related to high blood pressure, which has prompted the cancellation of all live commitments…
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‘You can’t just bet everything on exports’: as its gas runs out, is Bolivia doomed to repeat history?
Bolivia’s economy has collapsed following the exhaustion of its fossil gas reserves, reversing two decades of growth that had halved poverty rates and made it briefly the “energy heart of South America”. Once praised for macroeconomic stability, the country now faces soaring inflation, with imported goods doubling in price and wages failing to keep pace,…