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UMG asks court to dismiss US musicians’ union lawsuit over Udio AI deal
Universal Music Group has filed a motion asking a US federal court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) over UMG’s licensing of members’ recordings to AI music platform Udio. UMG argues that the union’s collective bargaining agreement sets no fixed rate for using recordings to train generative AI, meaning…
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Senate confirms new CDC director as diarrhea-causing parasite outbreak sweeps US
The US Senate has confirmed Dr Erica Schwartz as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a vote that comes as the country grapples with a growing outbreak of Cyclospora, a parasite that causes severe diarrhoeal illness. The confirmation is significant given ongoing concern among lawmakers about public health leadership…
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Real Madrid seal record fee for Yan Diomandé from Leipzig
Real Madrid have agreed a club-record fee of €135m (£115.7m) with RB Leipzig for 19-year-old forward Yan Diomandé, sealing the transfer on Wednesday after weeks of negotiations in which Paris Saint-Germain withdrew from the race. The move makes Diomandé the most expensive African player in history, surpassing the £72m Arsenal paid for Nicolas Pépé in…
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Popular aviation influencer Shaun Dunne lifts lid on his new role after landing Dublin Airport gig – as he reveals details of next move in his highly ambitious plan…
Nineteen-year-old Shaun Dunne, the Irish teenager behind the popular social media page Shaun’s Aviation, has landed a job as a passenger service agent at Dublin Airport, moving from watching planes outside the perimeter fence to working inside Terminal 2. He attended a job interview on the evening of his final Leaving Certificate exam and began…
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PlayStation is getting “most” of Sony’s estimated $508 million tariff refund, but despite lawsuits there are no apparent plans to give refunds for price-hiked PS5s
Sony is set to receive the bulk of an estimated $508 million (roughly £395 million) in refunds tied to US tariffs, with PlayStation’s hardware business identified as the primary beneficiary of the recovered funds. The disclosure comes despite Sony having raised PS5 prices in several regions this year, moves it explicitly attributed to a “challenging…
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Prestigious private tennis club culls Canada geese in secret ‘because they kept making a mess on the courts’
A prestigious private tennis club has reportedly culled Canada geese on its grounds, carrying out the action discreetly after the birds repeatedly fouled the courts. The move is likely to prove controversial, as culling wild geese is a sensitive issue that often draws criticism from animal welfare campaigners even when carried out by private landowners…
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Review: Spider-Man: Brand New Day reminds us that superhero movies can be good
Ars Technica’s review of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” praises the film as one of the rare recent superhero movies that genuinely succeeds, crediting director Destin Daniel Cretton with grounding the spectacle in well-developed characters and emotional depth. The reviewer places it alongside “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Thunderbolts*” as standout exceptions in an otherwise mixed run…
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New Mexico suing DOJ, Blanche for access to unredacted Epstein records in Zorro Ranch investigation
New Mexico is suing the Department of Justice (DOJ) for access to a set of unredacted Jeffrey Epstein records, alleging the agency is withholding documents that could aid the state’s investigation into the convicted sex offender’s alleged crimes at a remote ranch outside Santa Fe. The 40-page complaint, which also names acting Attorney General Todd…
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Dem drops US Senate bid, leaving independent candidate as lone challenger to incumbent GOP Sen Mike Rounds
Democratic candidate Julian Beaudion has withdrawn from South Dakota’s US Senate race, leaving an independent as the sole remaining challenger to Republican incumbent Sen Mike Rounds. The move reflects the difficult political terrain Democrats face in the deeply conservative state, where the party has struggled to field competitive statewide candidates in recent election cycles. With…
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The 1997 movie Morgan Freeman couldn’t refuse: “This was a momentous undertaking”
He had to be there. The post The 1997 movie Morgan Freeman couldn’t refuse: “This was a momentous undertaking” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.