Topic: Culture

Sheffield's ex-partner killed in a knife and baseball bat attack, sparks fly over a controversial Israel-Gaza film, and a teacher at an elite boarding school loses her job over an undisclosed link to a convicted partner. Culture at the site stretches well beyond arts and entertainment, taking in the crimes, controversies and human stories that reveal something about how people live now, alongside the films, television and public figures that shape everyday conversation.

Here you'll also find the lighter and more reflective side of the news cycle: verdicts on the latest streaming hits and box-office flops, profiles of tech figures pursuing unusual ventures, and the odd stroke of luck or fate that turns an ordinary person's story into something worth telling. It sits alongside coverage of institutions under strain, from schools and legal bodies to the people who move between government and industry.

Taken together, this topic offers a broad, everyday view of society: what people are watching, what they're arguing about, and where individual choices collide with public consequences.

  • Five artists who couldn’t stand working with Rick Rubin

    Far Out examines five musicians or bands who criticised producer Rick Rubin’s notably hands-off studio approach. – Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler found the experience strange, particularly being asked to disregard the band’s heavy-metal identity. – Slipknot’s Corey Taylor said Rubin largely observed from a sofa rather than contributing actively. – Former Red Hot Chili Peppers…

  • Wolverine PS5, Marvel Tokon Will Feature Free Crossover Content

    Marvel’s Wolverine and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls will receive free crossover costumes, linking two of Sony’s major PS5 superhero releases for 2026. The collaboration supports Sony’s apparent effort to make the PS5 a prominent platform for Marvel games and gives players cosmetic content without an extra charge. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls will add Wolverine’s Battle…

  • Harrison Ford Celebrates Michael J. Fox as the “Most Stubborn Optimist I Know” at THR’s Social Impact Summit

    The Hollywood Reporter’s Social Impact Summit honoured celebrities and organisations using their public profiles for charitable work, with awards for John Mayer, Stephen and Ayesha Curry, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Harrison Ford praised Fox as an exceptionally determined optimist, highlighting the foundation’s long-running work on Parkinson’s disease and the wider significance of sustained…

  • Fears Labour’s five-per-cent hit on visitors will kill city’s tourism trade

    Businesses in an unnamed UK city fear that a new five per cent visitor levy proposed by the Labour government could devastate its tourism industry. Hospitality and tourism operators warn that adding this charge on top of existing costs could deter visitors, reduce bookings and ultimately damage local jobs and revenue that depend heavily on…

  • Venice Head Talks Studio Absence, Dearth Of Female Golden Lion Contenders & Why Neon Nixed Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Artificial’ – Q&A

    Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera says the 2026 programme is the festival’s most political yet, reflecting conflicts, repression, climate change, migration and social instability. He argues that filmmakers are responding to contemporary crises by creating stories that help audiences understand issues beyond headline news, reinforcing Venice’s role as a major cultural platform. The…

  • Instagram is now banning users who make creepy content with Meta glasses

    Instagram’s owner Meta has begun banning users who secretly record people with its smart glasses and post harassing content. The move addresses growing concern that the glasses are being used for pranks, unwanted filming of women and other non-consensual videos, which risks normalising harassment and damaging trust in the product. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said…

  • Daniel Hart Drops His Liner Notes for ‘The Vampire Lestat’

    Composer Daniel Hart says the shift from AMC’s Interview with the Vampire to The Vampire Lestat greatly expanded his role, requiring him to write a far larger volume of original music and lyrical songs for Lestat’s rock-star storyline. The change matters because the music is intended to express the character’s fractured inner life, important relationships…

  • The new D&D series includes legendary dragons and stats to use them at your table

    Dark Horse Comics will launch a new ongoing Dungeons & Dragons series in November, centred on the wizard Mordenkainen as he recruits Forgotten Realms figures including Volo and Tasha to prevent a draconic apocalypse. The comic matters to tabletop players because special issues will include game statistics and lore for featured dragons, allowing Dungeon Masters…

  • Claude’s voice mode just got smarter

    Anthropic has upgraded Claude’s voice mode so that it can use its more capable Sonnet and Opus AI models, rather than relying solely on the smaller Haiku model. The change is intended to improve responses to more complex spoken requests and adds access to connected services such as Gmail and Slack, subject to user permission.…

  • L.A. Production Volume Down Slightly, as Recovery Continues to Sputter

    Los Angeles filming activity fell slightly in the second quarter of 2026, underlining the industry’s uneven recovery despite expanded California tax incentives. The decline matters because local production supports a large union workforce, while the continuing slump has become an issue in the city’s mayoral race. Total TV, film and commercial shoot days fell 3.1%…