accessibility

Google is pushing back against a European Union effort that would require it to open Android to rival AI assistants. The dispute forms part of ongoing enforcement of the EU's Digital Markets Act, under which Brussels has pressed the company to give competitors greater access to its dominant mobile platform. Google argues the changes would harm user security and privacy, while regulators see them as key to fair competition in the fast-moving AI market.

The White House has filed a court brief arguing that journalists' access to the president is a 'privilege' rather than a right, as it defends its ban on outlets including CNN, Politico and MS NOW. The filing, reported by The New York Times, is drawing criticism from press freedom advocates who say it threatens the First Amendment and the public's ability to hold the administration accountable.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed that OpenAI breached Medicare, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The reported breach raises questions about how the US artificial intelligence company accessed government health data and what security safeguards failed. Details of the scale of the breach and Australia's response were not immediately available.

Anime fans are arguing over how Japanese anime titles should be translated into English. Some argue official translations take too many liberties with literal meanings, while others defend localized titles as clearer for Western audiences. The debate touches on accuracy versus accessibility, with both sides citing examples of titles they feel were improved or damaged by translation choices.

Attention is turning to state supreme court elections on the ballot this November in the United States. These races, often low-profile, draw interest because state supreme courts rule on abortion access, voting rules, redistricting and other contested issues. Observers are highlighting which states have open seats, how much money is flowing into judicial campaigns, and whether national political battles will spill into supposedly nonpartisan court contests.

The New York Times has published a feature on chartering a boat along the Kuskokwim River to reach the remote Alaska district represented by Mary Peltola. The piece, filed in the paper's politics and elections coverage, examines the vast, roadless terrain of her constituency and what it reveals about campaigning and representing communities accessible mainly by river.

Spotify is experiencing a partial outage, with thousands of users reporting problems logging in, using search, and connecting to devices via Connect. The disruption has pushed 'is Spotify down' into trending searches across the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Reports describe intermittent access rather than a full blackout, and users are awaiting confirmation from the company on when service will be fully restored.

European Union enlargement is back at the centre of the integration debate this autumn, with discussion focusing on how the bloc can absorb new members while reforming its own institutions. Commentators argue the question is no longer whether to enlarge but how to prepare the EU politically and structurally for it.

Spotify went down for thousands of users on Tuesday, with Downdetector logging a sharp spike in outage reports. Users across the US, UK, Canada and Australia reported problems accessing the music streaming service, making the disruption a top search topic in multiple countries. The company has not detailed the cause in initial reports.

Spotify is experiencing technical problems, with the streaming service confirming issues and many users reporting playback failures. CNET reports that listeners have been unable to access music and podcasts, prompting widespread discussion as people check whether the outage affects them. The company has not detailed the cause or a timeline for restoring full service.

A group of news outlets has asked a court to halt the White House's ban on certain media access while their legal challenge proceeds. The request seeks interim relief from the restrictions until the underlying case over press access to the White House is decided. Details of the outlets involved, the scope of the ban, and the court's response were not included in the available reporting.

Donald Trump has announced the launch of a new government website designed to make it easier for Americans to access public services. The initiative aims to streamline how citizens find and use federal services online, though further details about the site's features and rollout have not yet been made available. The announcement is drawing attention as part of the administration's broader push on government modernisation.

The Trump administration has launched an AI-powered version of America.gov, a website designed to give the public access to US government information. Details about the platform's features and rollout remain limited, with the announcement drawing attention to how artificial intelligence will be used to deliver official federal information to citizens.

The Trump administration has launched America.gov, a new website that uses artificial intelligence to deliver government services and information to the public. The site represents an effort to modernise how Americans access federal services online. Details are still emerging about how the AI tools work, what services the site covers, and how user data will be handled.

Several news organisations barred from White House access are asking a federal judge to extend a court order blocking the administration from enforcing the ban. The outlets argue the restrictions amount to unconstitutional retaliation against coverage the White House dislikes, while administration lawyers defend the move as a lawful exercise of control over presidential events. A ruling on the extended block is expected imminently.

Nevada legalized recreational marijuana, yet an illegal cannabis market continues to operate in the state. The persistence of illicit sales highlights the challenges legalization faces, including pricing, taxation and access that keep some buyers and sellers in the underground economy despite the legal alternative.

'Without the Hot Air' refers to David MacKay's well-known book 'Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air', which is freely available at withouthotair.com. The site provides free access to the book's analysis of energy consumption and renewable energy potential in Britain, with clear numbers rather than rhetoric. It is drawing renewed attention online, with readers sharing and discussing the resource.

A judge has ruled that immigrants in Wisconsin can continue accessing community health clinics, Head Start programs and adult education services. The decision preserves federal benefits and services for immigrant residents in the state while related legal challenges proceed. The ruling affects families who rely on Head Start for early childhood education and clinics for basic health care.

The UK government has abandoned a proposal to charge foreign visitors for entry to national museums. Announced in March as a way to boost funding, the idea was dropped by the culture ministry after months of consultation, which concluded the charge could also deter domestic visitors and harm attendance.

CBC's visual investigations team reports satellite imagery showing the Israeli military clearing rubble from bombed sites in Gaza. Experts and human rights advocates warn the removal work risks destroying potential evidence of alleged war crimes, complicating future accountability efforts. The findings are drawing attention to debates over evidence preservation and international investigations into conduct of the war.

ARTE has released an English-language documentary asking whether electric cars are truly more sustainable than petrol cars, examining the full environmental picture from battery production and electricity sources to manufacturing emissions and driving habits. The film reflects a growing public debate over how clean electric vehicles really are, and what choices consumers should make while charging infrastructure and battery recycling remain uneven.

Anthropic has published research examining GLM-5.3, a large AI model, and the risk that it is spreading advanced cyber capabilities to a wider pool of users. The report suggests capable models can lower the barrier for sophisticated offensive cyber operations, prompting discussion about how AI developers and governments should monitor and control the release of powerful models.

A new open-source project, virtio-nvgpu, promises near-native Nvidia GPU performance inside KVM virtual machines by exposing the host GPU directly to guests. The code is available on GitHub, and developers are discussing what it could mean for GPU virtualization, cloud gaming, and Linux virtualization setups that have long struggled with Nvidia driver support in VMs.

Voting rights scholar Carol Anderson is set to appear in Red Wing, Minnesota, for a live conversation with broadcaster Kerri Miller. The event, promoted by MPR News, will focus on Anderson's work on voter suppression and voting rights in the United States, drawing an audience interested in democracy, civil rights and current debates over ballot access.