Facebook rolls out an AI companion app for creators

Facebook announced on Wednesday that it’s reimagining its Creator Studio tool as a stand-alone AI companion app designed to help creators grow their audiences on the social network. By giving creators access to this AI companion app, Meta is looking to keep creators active on Facebook as it competes for their attention against rivals like TikTok and YouTube. The company also likely hopes that the app will eliminate the need for creators to turn to third-party tools like ChatGPT when brainstorming content ideas and analyzing performance. The new app, which is currently being tested with select creators, will have Facebook’s recently launched AI creator assistant built into it. The assistant provides creators with personalized recommendations based on their content style, performance, audience engagement, and goals.

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Deezer says its new feature lets fans remix songs with artist consent

Global music streaming service Deezer announced on Wednesday the launch of its new feature, “Remix Lab,” which allows fans to creatively remix songs with the consent of the original artists and rights holders. Plus, the company says artists actually get paid for every stream of these remixed tracks.

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Agility Robotics plans to go public via SPAC in a $2.5B deal

In Brief Posted: 9:48 AM PDT · June 24, 2026 Image Credits:Agility Robotics Kirsten Korosec Agility Robotics plans to go public via SPAC in a $2.5B deal Agility Robotics, the humanoid robotics startup that spun out of Oregon State University in 2015, plans to go public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company Churchill Capital Corp XI in a deal that values the company at roughly $2.5 billion. The transaction is expected to generate more than $620 million in proceeds, including about $200 million from a group of new and existing institutional investors, the company said.

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NTSB launches probe into fatal Texas Tesla crash

In Brief Posted: 9:39 AM PDT · June 24, 2026 Image Credits:CFOTO/Future Publishing / Getty Images Sean O'Kane NTSB launches probe into fatal Texas Tesla crash The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened an investigation into a crash that happened over the weekend in Texas, in which a driver slammed into a home in Katy, Texas, killing a resident. The family of that victim, 76-year-old Martha Avila, has also filed a lawsuit against the driver, Michael Butler, and Tesla, alleging negligence.

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Figma adds code layers, support for animations, more AI features in new update

Figma on Wednesday showed off an update that adds a new code layer, support for motion and shaders, and the ability to create custom plug-ins for various tasks using AI. The design platform has been working on bringing code integration into its tool for a while. Last year, it unveiled an AI prompt-based prototyping tool, Figma Make, and has since launched integrations with Claude Code and Codex to improve the hand-off between coding and design.

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The dawn of the designer baby – podcast

Today in FocusGene editingThe dawn of the designer baby – podcastMore ways to listenApple podcastsSpotifyRSS FeedDownloadPresented by Helen Pidd with Jenny Kleeman; produced by Casey Magloire, Tom Glasser and Ross Burns; executive producer Eli BlockThu 25 Jun 2026 03.00 BSTShare00:00:0000:00:00Jenny Kleeman investigates ‘Biotech Barbie’ Cathy Tie, the controversial entrepreneur hoping to revolutionise human reproduction by letting parents edit their embryosMeet Cathy Tie: serial entrepreneur, self-described “Biotech Barbie”, and the woman aiming to revolutionise reproduction by using Crispr to edit human embryos.Beneath the tech-startup polish lies a provocative mission: to take the biological lottery out of the hands of nature and place it into the hands of parents.But as Jenny Kleeman tells Helen Pidd, all is not quite as it seems with Cathy Tie. Photograph: Caroll Taveras/The Guardia…

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Supergirl review – sprightly and sparkling superhero yarn without the usual baffling DC backstory

… Milly Alcock as Supergirl and Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem. Photograph: Warner Bros/PAView image in fullscreenWhere’s my dog? … Milly Alcock as Supergirl and Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem. Photograph: Warner Bros/PAFilmReviewSupergirl review – sprightly and sparkling superhero yarn without the usual baffling DC backstoryMilly Alcock’s Supergirl joins with Eve Ridley’s Ruthye to fight an evil intergalactic human traffickerPeter BradshawWed 24 Jun 2026 17.00 BSTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThe sexual politics of perceived female maturity has always been a problem in this particular set of superhero films.

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Dyson HushJet Mini Cool fan review: I’ve never tested a handheld fan this powerful – or this loud

Chill out: ‘The design is simple, comfortable to hold for extended periods and minimalist.’ Photograph: Alan Martin/The GuardianView image in fullscreenChill out: ‘The design is simple, comfortable to hold for extended periods and minimalist.’ Photograph: Alan Martin/The GuardianThe FilterGadgetsReviewDyson HushJet Mini Cool fan review: I’ve never tested a handheld fan this powerful – or this loudThe first portable fan from Dyson is stylish, easy to use and powerful. Did someone mention a 55mph top speed?

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Job-dropping: why employees are turning down high-paying promotions

Yeah, thanks but no thanks.’ Photograph: Oscar Wong/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreen‘Six figures, you say? Yeah, thanks but no thanks.’ Photograph: Oscar Wong/Getty ImagesPass notesWork & careersJob-dropping: why employees are turning down high-paying promotionsClimbing the career ladder may soon be a thing of the past, as workers prioritise their mental health and lifestyle.

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UK records its hottest June day and France its hottest day ever as heatwave sweeps Europe

The Met Office issued a rare red extreme heat warning for 9am on Wednesday until 9pm on Thursday. Photograph: Andy Hall/The GuardianView image in fullscreenThe Met Office issued a rare red extreme heat warning for 9am on Wednesday until 9pm on Thursday. Photograph: Andy Hall/The GuardianExtreme heatUK records its hottest June day and France its hottest day ever as heatwave sweeps EuropeTemperature of 36.1C (97F) recorded in Hampshire, while two-thirds of Europe’s population experience temperatures above 30CAjit Niranjan and Ashifa KassamWed 24 Jun 2026 19.03 BSTFirst published on Wed 24 Jun 2026 16.12 BSTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThe UK has broken its all-time temperature record for June and France has recorded its hottest day ever for the second day running, as a heatwave affecting more than 90 million people sweeps across swathes of Europe.As the UK and France registered recor…

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Burnham’s pick for chief of staff led firm that advised BP, Apple and Amazon

It is understood Purnell has given up his shares, will no longer have a connection to the firm, and has no access to Flint emails or systems with immediate effect. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The GuardianView image in fullscreenIt is understood Purnell has given up his shares, will no longer have a connection to the firm, and has no access to Flint emails or systems with immediate effect.

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Scotland’s World Cup dream hanging by a thread after Vinícius sparks Brazil victory

Vinícius Júnior and Rayan celebrate as Scott McKennaholds his head in his hands. Photograph: Marta Lavandier/APView image in fullscreenVinícius Júnior and Rayan celebrate as Scott McKennaholds his head in his hands. Photograph: Marta Lavandier/APWorld Cup 2026Scotland’s World Cup dream hanging by a thread after Vinícius sparks Brazil victoryEwan Murray at Miami StadiumThu 25 Jun 2026 01.22 BSTLast modified on Thu 25 Jun 2026 04.02 BSTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleScotland will now play the waiting game.

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Elon Musk loses trillionaire status as SpaceX and Tesla stock drops

Elon Musk during President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, China in May. Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/APView image in fullscreenElon Musk during President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, China in May. Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/APElon MuskElon Musk loses trillionaire status as SpaceX and Tesla stock dropsFalling shares push tech mogul back down to billionaire ranks after SpaceX IPO made him world’s first trillionaireSanya MansoorWed 24 Jun 2026 21.02 BSTLast modified on Wed 24 Jun 2026 23.45 BSTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleElon Musk was no longer a trillionaire by the time markets closed on Wednesday.

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One in four graduates will lose financially from going to university, IFS estimates

Graduation day on London’s South Bank. The Department for Education says it plans to make proposals to cap student numbers for courses with poor outcomes. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenGraduation day on London’s South Bank. The Department for Education says it plans to make proposals to cap student numbers for courses with poor outcomes.

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Fake forensic report conspiracy: BJP Haryana chief corners Punjab CM Mann, demands immediate resignation

Bharatiya Janata Party Haryana president Archana Gupta on Sunday (June 21, 2026) demanded the immediate resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over allegations of insulting Sikh gurus and “orchestrating” a fake forensic report on a viral video.Addressing a press conference in Narnaul, Ms. Gupta said the viral video showed CM Mann indulging in an act of disrespect towards Sikh gurus, adding that “the people of Punjab and the country will never forgive” it.Ms.

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Assam couple booked for another birthday celebration on Brahmaputra bridge

A day after arresting 14 people for organising a midnight birthday bash on a busy bridge across the Brahmaputra River, the police in Guwahati have booked a couple for a similar offence.Personnel at the Bharalumukh police station detained Surajit Mandal and his wife, Bijaya Mandal, on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), residents of Guwahati’s Fatashil Ambari area, after a video of their birthday celebration on the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu went viral on social media.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ₹3,030-crore bridge, connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati, in February. It is the northeastern region’s first extradosed—somewhere between a traditional girder and a cable-stayed span—bridge.The video showed Mr Mandal, accompanied by a few friends, celebrating his wife’s birthday by allegedly blocking a portion of the road and using electronic sparklers and firecrackers.

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Muharram procession passes off peacefully in Srinagar amid police warning over hoisting flags, pics of terrorists

With stringent police advisories over hoisting flags and photographs of terrorists of national and international groups, a Shia Muharram procession was allowed on the traditional six-kilometre-long route in the city centre in Srinagar on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) and was attended by hundreds of mourners and Shia priests.Shia mourners, including women and children, assembled in Srinagar’s Guru Bazar around 6 a.m. and the procession culminated at Dalgate around 9 a.m.

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BJP imposing vegetarianism in Bengal, says Trinamool

The West Bengal government’s decision to engage ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness) for providing cooked meals in schools across the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area, has drawn fire from Opposition parties, who claim it is an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to impose vegetarianism.The announcement to engage ISKCON was made in the Budget presented by State Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta on January 22. Opposition parties, particularly the Trinamool Congress (TMC), said eggs would vanish from the menu with ISKCON being the supplier of midday meals in schools.Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’ Brien criticised the move and said it was an attempt to deprive children of nutrition by denying them eggs in the mid-day meal.“After the fish eating tamasha during the election campaign, the Gujarat Gymkhana finally reveals itself.

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31% of Rajya Sabha MPs have declared criminal cases: ADR

Around 31% of Rajya Sabha MPs have declared criminal cases against themselves, of whom 16% have declared serious criminal cases, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch.The analysis covered 226 of the 233 Rajya Sabha MPs. In the current Rajya Sabha, four seats from West Bengal are vacant.

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J&K govt. bids for Sufiyana music’s inclusion in UNESCO’s intangible heritage list

Sufiyana Mousiqi, believed to be in practice since the 15th Century in Kashmir with its muqamsor ragas, is for the first time bidding for the inclusion in list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has written a formal letter to Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and pressed for its inclusion in the UNESCO list.“Given the exceptional heritage value of Kashmiri Sufiyana Music and its relevance to the objectives of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention, I shall be grateful if the proposal is examined sympathetically and necessary action initiated for taking the nomination forward through the prescribed channels,” reads the letter of Mr. Abdullah.In the letter, the J&K Chief Minister sought the Union ministry’s support in “securing global recogn…

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Prominent civil rights activists to challenge Maharashtra RTI (Amendment) Rules, 2026 in court, send legal notice to govt

Prominent civil rights activists on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) sent a legal notice to Maharashtra government seeking a complete rollback of the Maharashtra Right to Information (Amendment) Rules, 2026, asking how these rules could be amended without prior disclosure or public consultation. They have sought the restoration of the legal position before the rules were issued, asking for a transparent and meaningful public consultation process involving RTI users, former Information Commissioners, journalists, transparency activists, civil society organisations and legal experts before framing any fresh rules.The legal notice has been issued by former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, advocate Prahlad Kachare, RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar, journalist Vinita Deshmukh, civil rights activists Vivek Velankar, Jugal Rathi and Mohammed Afzal.It claims that the provisions of the