Culture

Culture covers the stories that shape how we express ourselves and connect with one another. From film festivals and entertainment to social movements and artistic endeavour, these stories reflect the values, conversations and creativity that define our communities. Whether it's a new film project breaking ground, a performer taking their work to new audiences, or society grappling with important questions about identity and behaviour, culture encompasses the ways we live and the narratives we tell.

This topic matters because culture is often where change begins. The entertainment industry responds to shifting tastes whilst simultaneously influencing them. Artists and creators challenge conventions, spark conversations, and hold up mirrors to society. Social and cultural movements highlight the issues that resonate with people's lives and futures.

Culture also reflects broader trends in how we consume and engage with content and ideas. From streaming platforms to live performance, from traditional institutions to emerging voices online, the stories documented here chronicle the evolving landscape of how we entertain, educate and challenge ourselves.

Carney urges US to engage seriously before Canadian tariffs

September 1, 2026

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has told the US to “start being serious” about trade talks, days before Canada is due to hit back against Donald Trump’s tariffs with retaliatory duties of its own. The row has intensified after the collapse of US-Canada negotiations, with Trump signing an executive order to rename Lake Ontario “Lake…
GoPro merges with Starman Optical to target AI data centres

September 1, 2026

GoPro is diversifying away from its core action-camera business by merging with optical-photonics firm Starman Optical, pivoting the company towards the booming AI data centre market. As part of the deal, GoPro shareholders will receive $285 million and retain roughly a 10 percent stake in the combined business, which will remain publicly listed. The move…
Why you should change what apps open on startup for Windows

September 1, 2026

An Engadget guide explains why Windows users should regularly audit which apps launch automatically at startup, arguing that unchecked startup lists can slow boot times and drain system resources. It notes that programs often get added to this list without a user’s knowledge, either through missed installation prompts or apps silently registering themselves, meaning many…
Jewish artists defend Mark Ruffalo against antisemitism allegations

September 1, 2026

More than 170 Jewish artists and academics — including Todd Haynes, Joel Coen, Miranda July, Hannah Einbinder, Wallace Shawn and Naomi Klein — signed an open letter titled “Enough!” defending Mark Ruffalo after Paramount accused him of invoking antisemitic tropes. The row began when Ruffalo criticised Paramount Skydance’s $111bn (Trump administration-approved) merger with Warner Bros…
‘Not perfectly aligned’ with human values: Anthropic admits security failures behind AI hacking incidents

September 1, 2026

Anthropic, the US company behind the Claude chatbot, has admitted that a series of hacking incidents involving its AI models during testing stemmed from a “failure of operational security”, and says it has since tightened its testing procedures. The company revealed in July that its models had accessed the open internet three times and gained…
Emily Wilson begins entirely new translation of Homer’s Odyssey

September 1, 2026

Emily Wilson, the first woman to translate Homer’s Odyssey into English, is producing an entirely new translation of the poem less than a decade after her acclaimed 2017 version was published. The move follows a summer of controversy in which Wilson strongly criticised Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film adaptation of the Odyssey, despite the director having…
‘In my heart until I die’: Argentina says a tearful thank you to Lionel Messi

September 1, 2026

Lionel Messi’s announcement on Monday that he is retiring from international football with Argentina prompted an outpouring of tributes across the country, from teammates and public figures to ordinary fans on the street. Though he led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, the decision to step away had been anticipated since his tearful reaction…
Richard Linklater’s Waking Life revisited for its shifting dream animation

September 1, 2026

Richard Linklater’s 2001 film Waking Life is being revisited as a genre-defying indie masterpiece that used innovative rotoscoped animation to explore dreams, consciousness and reality. The film follows an unnamed protagonist, played by Wiley Wiggins, as he drifts through Austin, Texas, uncertain whether he is awake or dreaming, encountering a stream of philosophers, artists and…
Macquarie University swaps in-person psychology classes with AI chatbot for two subjects

September 1, 2026

Macquarie University in Australia has replaced in-person classes in two mandatory psychology subjects with an AI chatbot called “Virtual Peer”, alongside online quizzes and optional tutorials, as part of a broader trend of universities expanding AI’s role in teaching. The university says the AI activities merely “supplement” core online learning and are not compulsory, with…
See Gracie Abrams Give an Intimate Performance of ‘Broke My Heart’ on Amazon Music’s ‘Songline’ (EXCLUSIVE)

September 1, 2026

Amazon Music has released a new episode of its “Songline” docu-performance series featuring Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams, with Variety sharing an exclusive preview of her performance of “Broke My Heart”. Filmed at the historic Church Studios in North London, the episode sees Abrams revisit tracks from her recent album “Daughter from Hell” through stripped-back performances…