Almost 40 countries have legalized same-sex marriage

Our World in Data

• February 24, 2026 at 06:39 AM

Almost 40 countries have legalized same-sex marriage

The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Since then, almost 40 other countries have followed suit.You can see this in the chart, based on data from Pew Research. By 2025, same-sex marriage was legal in 39 countries.Last year, two countries were added to the total. Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and a same-sex marriage bill also took effect in Liechtenstein.Explore all our writing and data on LGBT+ rights.

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Gushwork bets on AI search for customer leads — and early results are emerging

Gushwork has raised $9 million in a seed round led by SIG and Lightspeed. The startup has seen early customer traction from AI search tools like ChatGPT.

TechCrunch• Feb 26, 2026, 12:00 AM

Anthropic acquires computer-use AI startup Vercept after Meta poached one of its founders

Seattle-based Vercept developed complex agentic tools, including a computer-use agent that could complete tasks inside applications like a person with a laptop would.

TechCrunch• Feb 25, 2026, 11:49 PM

New York sues Valve, alleging its loot boxes are ‘quintessential gambling’

New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Valve for "illegally promoting gambling" through the loot box systems it has built for video games like Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2, according to a press release. The attorney general seeks to "permanently stop Valve from promoting gambling features in its games, disgorge all ill-gotten gains, and pay fines for violating New York's laws." "This loot box model that Valve has developed - charging an individual for a chance to win something of value based on luck alone - is quintessential gambling, prohibited under New York's Constitution and Penal Law," the lawsuit says. Valve … Read the full story at The Verge.

The Verge• Feb 25, 2026, 11:22 PM

Nvidia has another record quarter amid record capex spends

"The demand for tokens in the world has gone completely exponential," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said about the company's earnings.

TechCrunch• Feb 25, 2026, 11:04 PM

How the new Galaxy S26 phones stack up against each other on paper

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 phones introduce a slate of new AI-powered features, including some new photography tools. | Image: Samsung Samsung has just announced its new Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. While they aren't radical departures from last year's models, they bring a handful of notable upgrades. All three run on Qualcomm's Galaxy-centric Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which delivers improved performance and powers a slew of new AI-based features. This includes the ability to screen unknown calls and edit photos by typing what you want changed, along with an update to Google Gemini that can carry out certain tasks in supported third-party apps, like Uber and DoorDash, on your behalf. Starting at $899.99, the S26 is the smallest and mo … Read the full story at The Verge.

The Verge• Feb 25, 2026, 10:26 PM

Judge: xAI can’t claim OpenAI stole trade secrets just by hiring ex-staffers

Even twisting an ex-employee's text to favor xAI's reading fails to sway judge.

Ars Technica• Feb 25, 2026, 10:09 PM