Americas

Hasbro’s upcoming KPop Demon Hunters sword replica is so fabulous that it looks like it’d be a golden addition to my prop collection

• Hasbro is releasing a KPop Demon Hunters sword prop replica
• The design features an eye-catching golden finish
• It is aimed at collectors of screen-accurate memorabilia

Hasbro has revealed a forthcoming replica sword inspired by the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, aimed at collectors of screen-accurate props and memorabilia. The gold-toned design has drawn praise for its detailing and craftsmanship, reflecting the growing appetite for high-quality collectibles tied to popular animated and pop-culture franchises.…

The real debate isn’t AI versus artists – it’s whether innovation and rightsholder participation can coexist.

• Hook lets fans make licensed AI remixes, paying artists per use
• Follows Spotify-UMG deal legitimising licensed AI music creation
• Hook raised $16m total, backed by Khosla Ventures and others

A Music Business Worldwide interview profiles Hook, a New York-based social music app founded by Gaurav Sharma in 2022, which lets fans create licensed remixes and video mashups of songs and share them across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and SoundCloud. The piece comes as major labels…

Crime in DC isn’t an ’emergency,’ but normalizing troops in US streets is

It’s now clear that the deployment was never meant to be a quick response to an immediate crisis.

Garmin Cirqa versus Fitbit Air: How these two fitness trackers compare

• Garmin's new Cirqa tracker rivals Google's cheaper Fitbit Air
• Cirqa costs $200 with 10-day battery; Air is $100, smaller, seven days
• Subscriptions add extra features, but Garmin's works well without one

Garmin has launched the Cirqa, a screenless fitness tracker aimed at rivalling Whoop, entering a market already occupied by Google's Fitbit Air, which debuted in May. Both devices track steps, sleep and workouts, and offer detailed heart health analysis, but the Cirqa costs $100 more than the Fitbit…

Slow Pulp – “Spill”

• Slow Pulp release new single "Spill" from upcoming album
• Third album Melodie arrives 18 September via ANTI-
• Song was originally written for 2023's Yard but unused

Chicago band Slow Pulp have released a new song, "Spill," ahead of their upcoming third album Melodie, due out on 18 September via ANTI-. The track is a melancholic ballad about the difficulties of modern dating, following previously shared singles "Better Man" and "Not For Nothing" as previews…

L’Rain Shares Evocative Single ‘elmyra’

• L'Rain releases new single 'elmyra' ahead of her album
• Album 'fata morgana' out 14th August, completing a four-album arc
• Made with regular collaborators Chapoteau-Katz and Lappin

L'Rain, the recording project of multi-disciplinary artist Taja Cheek, has released a new single titled 'elmyra', offering another preview of her forthcoming album. The track arrives ahead of the album's release and a planned show at London's ICA, continuing her run of previews for the project. The new…

Live updates: Iran holds to demands on Strait of Hormuz, US fires on cargo ship and Trump evades Tehran threat

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday the Strait of Hormuz won’t be reopened until the U.S. meets its conditions, after President Trump said he wants compensation from Iran “for all of the people that they have killed” in the past. He told reporters that Iran has “astonished the whole world” in…

‘The Secret Agent’ Star Maria Fernanda Cândido to Lead ‘Lost Objects’ by Brazilian Director Luiz Fernando Carvalho (EXCLUSIVE)

• Maria Fernanda Cândido to star in Luiz Fernando Carvalho's "Lost Objects"
• Reunites duo after 2023's "The Passion According to G.H."
• Announced ahead of her Gramado Film Festival career tribute

Brazilian actor Maria Fernanda Cândido, who gained wider international recognition through her role in Kleber Mendonça Filho's Oscar-nominated "The Secret Agent," is set to star in "Lost Objects" ("Objetos Perdidos"), a new film from acclaimed director Luiz Fernando Carvalho. Production on the project, described as a modern dystopian…

‘How to Divorce During the War’ Selected as Lithuania’s Oscar Entry

• Lithuania picks "How to Divorce During the War" as its Oscar entry
• Directed by Andrius Blaževičius, for Best International Feature
• Handled internationally by New Europe Film Sales

Lithuanian director Andrius Blaževičius' film "How to Divorce During the War" has been chosen as Lithuania's official submission for the Best International Feature category at the upcoming Academy Awards. The selection puts the film in contention for a nomination, joining the pool of entries submitted by countries worldwide…

In memoriam: The industrious genius of the Trashcan Sinatras’ John Douglas, 1963–2026

The Scottish guitarist died on August 3rd at 62 years old. The post In memoriam: The industrious genius of the Trashcan Sinatras’ John Douglas, 1963–2026 first appeared on Far Out Magazine.