Wednesday, February 18, 2026 |
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| Winter Olympics: Gold, silver and... side-eye |
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The 2026 Winter Olympics have somehow managed to strike the perfect balance between elite sport and scandal. And honestly, we wouldn't expect anything less. It all kicked off earlier this month when the Olympics unveiled an AI-generated introduction, swiftly sparking backlash over the lack of human creativity. Despite the big wins on the slopes, the medals themselves soon started making headlines, prompting an investigation after several reportedly broke within hours of being received. Then came along Sturla Holm Laegreid, the Norwegian Olympian who some have suggested deserved a separate medal for audacity after confessing to cheating on his girlfriend of six months live on TV, moments after securing bronze. His ex-girlfriend has since broken her silence, and let's just say she isn't exactly swooning over the grand gesture. Speaking of cheating, Canada's curling team found itself in a tense clash with Sweden after Swedish players accused Canadian sweepers of making contact with the stone after release, prompting calls for officials to take a closer look at the play. With the Winter Olympics drawing to a close on Sunday (22 February), there's still little sign of things slowing down. It recently emerged that the Olympic Village experienced something of a condom recession, with 10,000 used in just three days. Mark Adams put it down, in part, to timing, joking that it "shows that Valentine's Day is in full swing in the village, and I don't think I can add very much more to that". Let the games continue, I guess... |
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| NFTs were once a dystopian status symbol – but now, their value is seemingly plummeting |
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Who is Eileen Gu? The 'inspirational' star of the Winter Olympics sparking debate |
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He's a singer, actor, and now Harry Styles is curating a London festival. London's Southbank Centre has announced that the Aperture singer is curating the 31st edition of Meltdown, the world's longest-running artist-curated music festival, as part of the iconic venue's 75th anniversary this year. Since 1993, Meltdown has invited an artist each year to curate a programme that "captures the creative energy of its moment and the interests of the curator." Previous curators of the festival include some prestigious names such as Little Simz (2025), Chaka Khan (2024), Grace Jones, David Byrne, Yoko Ono, Nile Rodgers, M.I.A., David Bowie and Patti Smith. Meltdown festival curated by Harry Styles will take place for 11 days from 11th to 21st June 2026. It marks a big summer for Styles, who is set to perform a record-breaking 12-night run at Wembley Stadium with his Together, Together tour from 12th – 29th June and 1st – 4th July 2026. Read more here |
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Meta has secured a patent outlining how artificial intelligence could manage and operate a person's social media accounts after their death. Though Meta has reassured users not to worry, as there are no plans to implement this. The patent was submitted in 2023 by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth and granted in December 2025. It outlines technology designed to replicate a user's social media activity during extended absences, including after death. The system would be trained on an individual's online behaviour, analysing how they post, comment, and reply to direct messages. In essence, it describes a digital replica capable of maintaining your social presence without you being physically there. The filing also describes technology that could enable a large language model to mimic a person in real-time voice or video conversations, generating responses that sound and appear like the original user. That said, a Meta spokesperson told Indy100: "We have no plans to move forward with this example." Patents are often filed to document and protect ideas that may never be brought to market. Even if a patent is granted, it doesn't necessarily mean Meta plans to develop or launch the concept. In many cases, patents serve as a way to explore potential innovations for the future. | |
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If you only have 100 seconds... |
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A Norwegian retailer has vowed to hand out free copies of GTA 6 to parents whose babies are born on the game's launch day. In a post shared on Instagram, Komplett reassured followers, "This is actually not a joke". With nine months to go until the big GTA day, the company added: "If you have a baby on the release date, you'll get the game for free from us". However, much like an unpredictable due date, the hotly anticipated title has already been pushed back twice – first slated for late 2025, then 26 May 2026, and now 19 November. The shifting timeline has left some wondering what happens if babies arrive on 19 November, only for the game itself to be delayed yet again... Find out more here |
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