Action against Ofcom comes as social media companies are being accused of using courts to slow down implementationMeta has launched a fresh legal challenge against Britain’s media regulator in the latest of a slew of actions by social media companies who are accused of using the courts to slow down implementation of the Online Safety Act.Lawyers for the parent company of Facebook served notice during the week in an appeal against placing WhatsApp and Instagram, which are also owned by Meta, in a category that subjects them to additional duties. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/sep/20/meta-legal-challenge-uk-media-regulator-ofcom-online-safety-act">Continue reading...</a>

Action against Ofcom comes as social media companies are being accused of using courts to slow down implementation

Meta launches legal challenge against UK media regulator over Online Safety Act

Comments come after he accused King Charles of gaslighting him in response to claims made in new memoirEarl Spencer has said the relationship between the press and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “echoes” the way the media treated his sister Diana, Princess of Wales.In an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwj3d7zrgvk1o">interview with the BBC</a> to be aired on Sunday evening, Spencer described the press’s coverage of Harry and Meghan as having a “cancerous influence”, adding it would be “beholden on people to learn from Diana’s example”. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/20/earl-spencer-media-treatment-harry-and-meghan-echoes-diana">Continue reading...</a>

Comments come after he accused King Charles of gaslighting him in response to claims made in new memoir

Earl Spencer says media treatment of Harry and Meghan ‘echoes’ Diana’s experience

Fourteen years ago, Twitter was the fastest, funniest game on the web. Now I’ve been driven out by so-called ‘online activists’. The only answer is to unplug and try this insteadGod, I love social media! I cannot believe my exquisite luck – to exist in a time when it was invented! Bliss it is in this dawn to be @live! If you’ve not been on Twitter yet – please join! It’s kind of like a cross between your best ever pub, and the bit on Live &amp; Kicking where celebrities like Duran Duran were doing the phone-in, and you could ring in and talk to them. Literally! Because Duran Duran are on Twitter! Well, Simon Le Bon is. And Spandau Ballet, too! Well, Gary Kemp. And they’re really funny. During the royal wedding with Kate and William, when all the lesser royals were herded on to some shitty coaches, Kemp was horrified. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/sep/20/caitlin-moran-social-media-what-to-do-instead">Continue reading...</a>

Fourteen years ago, Twitter was the fastest, funniest game on the web. Now I’ve been driven out by so-called ‘online activists’. The only answer is to un...

Caitlin Moran: social media went from utopia to hellhole in a decade – if you want to feel hopeful again, get offline

The erratic escalations and climbdowns by the US president have made covering trade disputes a high-octane affair. We spoke to some of our business reporters and our correspondent in Toronto about how they keep up with itReporting on international trade disputes is challenging enough at the best of times. But how do you cover a chaos-riven trade war launched against the whole world by a US president who acts as if he doesn’t understand how trade and tariffs work?With the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ablink.email.theguardian.com/ss/c/u001.Yw_JkLMEmFuifc_XG18IRyTNtZQ7fIEMgszcCSneHECyyyKiIcsbT_mvO_CmKOtXvhhuMs6RsjP_Ddx9z4Wxeg6LDmi5tR8Cjn0RdhSoC7kYUbbxilFq5yMoQjpawoCJHjMCBMxUxO7hdP4h-lD7OA/4u2/5ANNgBxfTrWtgD7tZsfrgA/h49/h001.wKCppsqAEOnWmKNJZFmJUslcUUV11zJjsytvnGIqVG8">recent showdown between the US and Canada</a>, our reporters have been reflecting on how they’ve kept our audience properly informed during the 15 months since Donald Trump dramatically <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ablink.email.theguardian.com/ss/c/u001.Yw_JkLMEmFuifc_XG18IRyTNtZQ7fIEMgszcCSneHEAkCD247PEzzJghnkN7Siw6VD-9zYx9n3oHi5MPjLKNczjy_eje1Ld1FuzQdKi_6rn4J0dT6sdkHycN7S1M0lPtXvjX-iZbf-TGao7R2WP0zw/4u2/5ANNgBxfTrWtgD7tZsfrgA/h50/h001.oYx2LoAxsKeQanRa4ClhtZXbwVX2VvWXskT6ZgwpqC8">announced a slew of tariffs</a> in the White House Rose Garden. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2026/sep/20/theres-a-whipsaw-nature-to-it-how-weve-covered-donald-trumps-tumultuous-trade-wars">Continue reading...</a>

The erratic escalations and climbdowns by the US president have made covering trade disputes a high-octane affair. We spoke to some of our business repor...

‘There’s a whipsaw nature to it’: how we’ve covered Donald Trump’s tumultuous trade wars

Her catchy videos have racked up billions of views, but Rachel Accurso’s statements on everything from Gaza to LGBTQ rights have caused a stir. She talks about screen time, song fatigue and speculation she might enter politicsThe YouTube star Ms Rachel, toddler whisperer extraordinaire, spots me before I clock her, and even from a distance and without her trademark pink T-shirt and denim dungarees, she is instantly recognisable by her wave, which is accompanied by an enthusiastic bounce. I half expect her to say, “Hi, friends”, as she does at the start of many of her videos. Instead she bounds over, wearing a classic off-duty mum uniform – Sesame Street sweatshirt, grey leggings, baseball cap that reads “Mama” – and removes her oversized sunglasses. She’s very sorry, she says, rubbing her eyes, that she is so tired – but her manner remains unfailingly, characteristically peppy.It is only seven years since Rachel Accurso, who used to be a preschool music teacher, uploaded her first video to YouTube, a counting song for preschoolers called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Bubble%2C+Bubble+Pop!&amp;amp;oq=Bubble%2C+Bubble+Pop!&amp;amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBBzU5OWowajeoAgCwAgA&amp;amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;amp;source=chrome.ob&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&amp;amp;vld=cid:5a960718,vid:Qi4AV2S4xA0,st:0">Bubble, Bubble Pop!</a>. She and her husband, Aron Accurso, who worked as a music director on Broadway, made the video because their one-year-old son had a speech delay and there seemed to be a dearth of quality videos online that could help toddlers learn to speak. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/20/ms-rachel-the-queen-of-toddler-tv-interview">Continue reading...</a>

Her catchy videos have racked up billions of views, but Rachel Accurso’s statements on everything from Gaza to LGBTQ rights have caused a stir. She talks...

Ms Rachel, the controversial queen of toddler TV: ‘My goal isn’t to be the most liked. It’s to help kids and speak the truth’

Drawn from more than 100,000 images and negatives created between 1975 and 2025, the exhibition <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/lorrie-graham-photojournalist">Lorrie Graham: Photojournalist</a> is on now at the State Library of NSW. Graham was the first female photography cadet at the Sydney Morning Herald and worked in London at the Observer and the Times on Sunday before returning to Australia to freelance there and overseas<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/sep/06/photography-of-max-dupain-in-pictures">Fashion, form and the beach: the photography of Max Dupain – in pictures</a></li></ul> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/sep/20/australian-photojournalist-lorrie-graham-nsw-exhibition-career-in-photos">Continue reading...</a>

Drawn from more than 100,000 images and negatives created between 1975 and 2025, the exhibition Lorrie Graham: Photojournalist is on now at the State Lib...

Portrait power: photojournalist Lorrie Graham’s five-decade career – in pictures

Raised on punk, alt-comedy and the church, Cregger’s Lynchian approach to horror is anything but typical. After two wildly original hits, his pivot to a 30-year-old video game has caused a storm among protective fansWhen <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/sep/07/barbarian-review-horror-film-georgina-campbell">Barbarian</a>, Zach Cregger’s debut film as a solo writer-director, came out in 2022, it was a big success, creating a buzz among horror connoisseurs, garnering good reviews, and grossing $46m. Then his second film, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/06/weapons-review-zach-creggers">Weapons</a>, came out in 2025 and did even better. Mounting industry buzz around the project crystallised into a fierce bidding war; Jordan Peele was reportedly desperate to produce and, incensed by his failure to secure the rights, allegedly fired his managers. The rumours went viral, resulting in a wave of incredible PR that saw the film wildly outperform box office expectations and win an Academy Award (for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/18/amy-madigan-interview-tiktok-weapons-aunt-gladys-tiktok-hollywood-wildfires">Amy Madigan</a>’s blunt-fringed, bonsai-pruning best supporting actress turn as instantly classic villain Aunt Gladys).Even if Cregger had not had a box-office smash that crossed over into awards contention, there would still be an atmosphere of hushed expectation around his next move. Both Barbarian and Weapons addressed hot-button issues – sexual assault and school shootings, respectively – while resisting easy interpretation. Both, too, started out seemingly heading in one narrative direction, before thrillingly careening off elsewhere. Thus, with just two features, Cregger had established a reputation for totally terrifying, utterly unpredictable and – most importantly – genuinely original movies. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/20/zach-cregger-director-interview-resident-movie-evil-weapons-barbarian">Continue reading...</a>

Raised on punk, alt-comedy and the church, Cregger’s Lynchian approach to horror is anything but typical. After two wildly original hits, his pivot to a ...

‘Resident Evil movies? I’ve never seen one’: Weapons director Zach Cregger on resurrecting the beloved zombie franchise

Stage and screen actor admired for her television roles in Waiting for God, Tenko and Doc MartinStephanie Cole, who has died aged 84, was a skilful actor with a powerful voice. She was also an exemplar of the strong, no-nonsense characters that she played with layers of vulnerability, humour and kindness.She made her television debut in a 1968 episode of Z Cars and maintained a solid screen career before coming to prominence as a leading member of a strong female ensemble in the BBC series Tenko (1981-84, and Tenko Reunion, 1985), as the stoic Dr Beatrice Mason, doing her best to maintain the health of her fellow internees in a Japanese prison camp during the second world war. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/20/stephanie-cole-obituary">Continue reading...</a>

Stage and screen actor admired for her television roles in Waiting for God, Tenko and Doc Martin

Stephanie Cole obituary

Six-part drama Gènesi tells the story of Adrià’s Catalan restaurant El Bulli from the day he arrived as a kitchen handRevered and reviled, during the 28 years he presided over El Bulli, a small restaurant in a remote corner of Catalonia, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/oct/19/ferran-adria-genome-of-cuisine">Ferran Adrià changed cooking for ever</a>.Now he is the subject of Gènesi (Genesis), a six-part TV drama screening on Catalan television with a worldwide release later in the year that recounts the story of El Bulli from the day he arrived there in 1983 as a kitchen hand with no background at all in haute cuisine. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/sep/20/ferran-adria-el-bulli-catalan-restaurant-tv-drama">Continue reading...</a>

Six-part drama Gènesi tells the story of Adrià’s Catalan restaurant El Bulli from the day he arrived as a kitchen hand

‘We broke the rules:’ why chef Ferran Adrià is the subject of new TV drama

The compelling documentary series is drawing to a close. But following people from childhood raises difficult ethical questionsIn 1963, a television crew documented the lives of 14&nbsp;children. Michael Apted, then a young researcher, saw Seven Up! as an opportunity to expose the British class system, juxtaposing public schoolboys with counterparts from children’s homes and council estates. Seven years later, Apted returned to direct an update – then went back again, and again. For the most part, his subjects followed the socioeconomic paths one might have predicted. But what emerged over the decades was much more piercing and poignant than initially envisaged. It turned out – as its participants have noted – that the programme was as much about life itself as class.The final instalment, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/15/70-up-review-itv1-itvx">70 Up</a>, currently being shown in two parts on ITV, is extraordinarily moving. We know that the children we see in the original footage will struggle with divorce, bereavement, depression, homelessness, redundancy and ill-health. Two of the original participants, and Apted himself, have died; <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/27/nick-hitchon-obituary">Nick Hitchon</a>, the boy from a Yorkshire farm who became an expert in nuclear fusion, gave a final interview days before his death. Yet these closing episodes, directed by Asif Kapadia, also capture deep joys such as parenthood, and the satisfaction of the self-knowledge they have earned. There are no simple&nbsp;arcs of redemption or tragedy, but something more muddled and nuanced. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/20/the-guardian-view-on-the-last-instalment-of-the-seven-up-series-growing-up-in-public">Continue reading...</a>

The compelling documentary series is drawing to a close. But following people from childhood raises difficult ethical questions

The Guardian view on the last instalment of the Seven Up! series: growing up in public | Editorial

Her last case was 50 years ago, written by Agatha Christie just before she died. Could I really follow in the footsteps of the Queen of Crime?When I was asked to write the first full-length Miss Marple novel since Sleeping Murder was published posthumously, 50 years ago in October, I immediately thought of my granny. My first encounter with the world of Agatha Christie was through her. Now I come to think of it, she was a rather Marple-ish figure in many ways: a keen knitter and gardener with a brilliant mind (she could complete the “big” crossword in seemingly about 15 minutes), highly perceptive about people and human nature and with a powerful moral compass. While kind and generous beyond measure, at times, like Miss Marple, she showed a steelier side.Christie created Jane Marple in a Christmas magazine story called The Tuesday Night Club in 1927, and this “white-haired old lady” made her book debut in 1930 with The Murder at the Vicarage. Rivalling Hercule Poirot in her readers’ affections, Miss Marple eventually appeared in 12 of the author’s 66 detective novels, plus 20&nbsp;of&nbsp;her 160 short stories. With more than 1bn Agatha Christie books sold in&nbsp;English, and another 1bn sold in translation, they are some of the most perpetually loved works ever written. But though Sophie Hannah was commissioned by&nbsp;Christie’s family to publish an authorised continuation of her Poirot novels in 2013, no one had ever been asked to write a new Miss Marple. Until now … <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/sep/20/i-was-asked-to-write-a-new-miss-marple-so-i-sent-her-to-the-alps">Continue reading...</a>

Her last case was 50 years ago, written by Agatha Christie just before she died. Could I really follow in the footsteps of the Queen of Crime?

I was asked to write a new Miss Marple, so I sent her to the Alps

The presenters look terrified and some of the celebs are hard to identify, but Strictly remains a rare refuge of joy At this point, Strictly Come Dancing cannot be allowed to fail. When we’re all living off our Wes Streeting-mandated prepper rations, it’s the only thing that will keep us going, linking us to a time when joy, sparkle and diversity brought the nation together. Enshittification stalks the show – it has long felt too repetitive, its celeb lineups seem to get feebler each year, and the departure of longstanding presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman threatened to be a lethal blow – so there’s a lot riding on this new series.“Strictly Come Dancing – still fabulous,” said the continuity announcer introducing the launch show, not sounding entirely sure. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/19/strictly-come-dancing-review-delighted-new-hosts-helps-show-feel-genuinely-fresh">Continue reading...</a>

The presenters look terrified and some of the celebs are hard to identify, but Strictly remains a rare refuge of joy

Strictly Come Dancing review – delighted new hosts help show feel genuinely fresh

The US’s deployment of weaponry in space marks the latest backward step from the show’s optimistic conception of the futureWho among us doesn’t dream of space in their youth?OK, maybe some of us. Like the ones with lives. While you were out playing hopscotch with little Jimmy and Susie, I was locked in my room mainlining episodes of Star Trek or the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/Noy3PSasq0o?si=mzJb5CziroQffVff&amp;t=68">weird, sanitized version of Aliens</a> that aired on broadcast TV. Fantastical science-fiction adventure seemed to offer more than playground games and actual human connection. Spaceships over relationships.Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/20/star-trek-air-force-weapons">Continue reading...</a>

The US’s deployment of weaponry in space marks the latest backward step from the show’s optimistic conception of the future

Star Trek is turning 60 – and the vision it promised feels more distant than ever | Dave Schilling

End of News Feed

Everyone in the world-models space is sitting on a pile of cash and a ton of buzz, but good luck getting anyone — from the founders to their own data suppliers — to tell you what they're actually building.


Everyone in the world-models space is sitting on a pile of cash and a ton of buzz, but good luck getting anyone — from the founders to their own data sup...

World model companies are keeping a lot of secrets

Many of The Boring Company's announced project have not materialized.

Elon Musk’s latest Boring Company pitch involves a Hyperloop between Austin and San Antonio

On Equity, we debated whether Ai executives are serious about wanting to slow down.

Is the AI industry really ready to slow down?

Vocci's lightweight ring costs $249, and might pose some privacy questions

Vocci’s ring adds a new form factor to meeting note-taking

ScrollEd turns textbooks into a scrollable, Instagram-like feed with video, audio, and quizzes. The Palo Alto startup, founded by student co-founders (and spouses) Utsav Gupta and Rebecca Neff, pitches at TechCrunch Disrupt.

ScrollEd turns textbooks into a scrollable, Instagram-like feed with video, audio, and quizzes. The Palo Alto startup, founded by student co-founders (an...

ScrollEd wants to turn textbooks into TikTok

The new legislation adds teeth to disclosure requirements for online influencers who are paid to post about politics.

New California law will penalize influencers who don’t disclose political ads

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. To get this in your...

TechCrunch Mobility: How do we know when an AV is safe enough?

Brynn Putnam and Tristan Walker have already done something that most founders only dream about: created companies so compelling that bigger outfits bought them. Putnam, a trained ballerina with a small chain of boutique studios, built the connected-fitness company Mirror and sold it to Lululemon for $500 million in cash less than three years later. [&#8230;]

Brynn Putnam and Tristan Walker have already done something that most founders only dream about: created companies so compelling that bigger outfits boug...

A small but growing number of founders are betting on bringing people together offline

Current ticket pricing ends in 6 days on Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Join 10,000+ founders, investors and tech leaders at Disrupt and save up to $200 on your ticket until then.

Current ticket pricing ends in 6 days on Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Join 10,000+ founders, investors and tech leaders at Disrupt and save up to $200 on y...

6 days left to get ahead at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

Without buyouts, Flock would "almost certainly" need to lay off staff.

Flock reportedly tries to shrink workforce with employee buyouts

Trump claimed, without evidence, that the AI backlash is a Democratic hoax.

Trump says it’s time to rebrand AI with a new name — and he’s also creating an AI Force

Google said Gemini had "acted appropriately" by ending each hack immediately.

Google’s Gemini is the latest AI model to hack other companies

Navy CTO Justin Fanelli talks co-investing alongside VCs instead of funding early research himself, recent buys like a $562 million autonomous refueling deal, and the Navy's updated wish list — from AI to quantum — for where founders should be building next.


Navy CTO Justin Fanelli talks co-investing alongside VCs instead of funding early research himself, recent buys like a $562 million autonomous refueling ...

The US Navy just told us what’s on its tech wish list for the next several years

Petlibro's new Granary 2 smart feeders use a built-in scale and (on pricier models) an AI camera to track exactly how much your cat is eating and when — though the fanciest health-monitoring features will cost you an extra subscription.


Petlibro's new Granary 2 smart feeders use a built-in scale and (on pricier models) an AI camera to track exactly how much your cat is eating and when — ...

Petlibro’s new AI-powered feeder is a game changer for multi-cat homes

This week two conversations about AI safety went viral that demonstrate just how hard it is to discern AI fact from fiction.

AI safety conversations have gotten unbelievable

Current ticket pricing ends Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Join 10,000+ founders, investors and tech leaders at Disrupt and save up to $200 on your ticket until then.

Current ticket pricing ends Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Join 10,000+ founders, investors and tech leaders at Disrupt and save up to $200 on your ticket un...

Prices go up in 7 days. Get your Disrupt ticket now.

Vals AI is hoping to make AI benchmarking a more neutral and trustworthy resource in a world increasingly inundated by AI models.  

Vals, backed by Andreessen Horowitz, is looking to become the gold standard for AI benchmarking

Truecaller says the one-way sharing requirement would hand a commercially valuable proprietary asset to telecom operators.

India forces caller-ID apps to feed spam reports to telcos

In one particularly odd interview, Norwood seems to malfunction and begin speaking Chinese.

Tilly Norwood’s press tour is going about as well as you’d expect for an AI

UP.Labs, now doing business under the name Vantora, is building startups for industrial corporations.

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Malcolm Wall Media

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