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Restaurants, pubs and theatres ban Meta’s ‘spy glasses’ over privacy fears
Several UK restaurants, pubs and theatres have banned Meta’s new smartglasses, which include embedded cameras and have been dubbed “spy glasses”, amid concerns they can be used to film people without their knowledge or consent. The move is a setback for Meta, which has promoted the £359 devices using celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and…
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Blue Note to bring world-famous jazz club to London
The Blue Note, New York’s world-famous jazz club, is opening its first UK venue in London’s Covent Garden next month, marking a significant expansion for the brand beyond its existing sites in the US, Japan, China, Brazil and Italy. The launch matters as a boost to London’s live music scene, with organisers positioning the venue…
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MORNING GLORY: Rogers versus El-Sayed is a referendum on the future of America
Republican Mike Rogers will face Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s 2026 US Senate race, after El-Sayed narrowly won a contested primary against Congresswoman Haley Stevens. The article, an opinion piece, frames the contest as a broader test of political direction in America, pitting an establishment Republican against a candidate the author associates with the party’s…
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The 1954 song Eric Clapton considered too precious to cover: “The crown jewel”
Eric Clapton has revealed that he deliberately withheld his own recording of the blues standard “Hoochie Coochie Man” because he felt unable to do justice to the 1954 original by his hero Muddy Waters. Written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Waters, the song became a foundational text of blues rock and profoundly shaped…
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Here Are The Best-Selling Switch 1 & 2 Games As Of June 2026
Nintendo’s latest quarterly financial report has revealed updated sales figures for its best-selling Switch 1 and Switch 2 titles as of June 2026, offering a snapshot of which games continue to drive hardware sales years into the console’s lifecycle. The rankings matter as an indicator of enduring franchise strength, with Switch 1 evergreens still shifting…
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The 2016 Paul Verhoeven movie Hollywood wanted nothing to do with: “Why bother, you know?”
This piece traces Paul Verhoeven’s career-long willingness to court controversy, culminating in the difficulty he faced getting his 2016 thriller Elle made in Hollywood. American actors reportedly turned down the lead role because of a central rape scene, forcing the Dutch director to relocate the production to France, where he cast Isabelle Huppert instead. Verhoeven…
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Ed Miliband insists his past jibe at ‘racist’ Donald Trump ‘didn’t come up’ in talks with US counterpart Marco Rubio – as Foreign Secretary is urged to boost UK defence spending
Ed Miliband has said his past description of Donald Trump as “racist” did not come up during talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as the Foreign Secretary faces calls to increase UK defence spending. The comments highlight the delicate diplomatic balancing act facing British ministers who have previously criticised Trump, now that he…
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Elliot Page Says Christopher Nolan’s Script for ‘The Odyssey’ Left Him ‘Breathless’
Actor Elliot Page has spoken about reading Christopher Nolan’s script for The Odyssey, comparing the experience to first reading the script for Inception, which he also starred in. Speaking on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Page said the screenplay left him “breathless” and praised Nolan’s directing style as “impeccable” and focused, calling it a…
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ALEX BRUMMER: Britain’s creative crown jewels are under mortal threat from US mega-mergers
Alex Brummer warns that a wave of “mega-mergers” in the media industry threatens the future of independent, trustworthy TV news on both sides of the Atlantic. He argues that as viewers increasingly abandon traditional broadcasters for streaming services and unreliable social media sources, consolidation among major broadcasters risks undermining a pillar of modern democracy and…
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Metroid at 40: happy birthday to Samus Aran, gaming’s greatest badass and my personal heroine
The article marks the 40th anniversary of Metroid, celebrating Samus Aran as one of gaming’s earliest and most enduring female protagonists. The writer reflects on how the 1986 game’s now-famous ending twist – revealing the seemingly genderless astronaut hero to be a woman, who then poses in a bikini – initially undercut its progressive potential…