US justice department approves $111bn merger of Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery 13. June 2026 (00:08) Deal still under UK scrutiny with new investigation, and could face lawsuit from state attorneys generalDonald Trump’s Department of Justice has decided to approve the $111bn merger of Paramount Skydance, controlled by the Ellison family, and Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of networks like CNN and HBO.The deal was approved by the justice department’s anti-trust division after months of review, and despite the concerns of many people in the entertainment and media industries who believe it will hurt competition by reducing the number of film studios and – most likely – merging two news networks, Paramount’s CBS News and CNN. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Blood test can find thousands of genetic conditions in pregnancy, say scientists 13. June 2026 (00:00) Technique that examines fragments of foetal DNA in mother’s bloodstream could limit need for invasive screening, according to researchersA new maternal blood test that can detect thousands of serious genetic conditions in the developing foetus could limit the need for invasive screening during pregnancy, according to scientists.The test, to be described at the European Society for Human Genetics conference in Gothenburg on Saturday, relies on detecting tiny fragments of a foetus’s DNA that circulate in the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy. Using advanced sequencing techniques, scientists were able to identify a very high proportion of genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, that are currently only reliably diagnosed using amniocentesis or other invasive tests. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Merope Mills awarded CBE in king’s honours list for Martha’s rule campaign 12. June 2026 (23:30) Journalist and healthcare campaigner was driving force behind patient safety initiative after death of 13-year-old daughterThe healthcare campaigner and journalist Merope Mills has been made a CBE in the king’s birthday honours list for services to patient safety.Mills, a senior editor at the Guardian, was a driving force behind the introduction of an initiative in England said to have potentially saved hundreds of lives. She has spent years campaigning for the introduction of Martha’s rule under which patients, relatives and staff can seek a second opinion if they have concerns about the care being provided. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fraudster jailed after scamming London renters out of £77,000 12. June 2026 (22:36) Frederic Priestley, 32, falsely advertised property he did not own for rent on Facebook, obtaining payments and depositsA man has been jailed after defrauding more than 30 people out of more than £77,000 in a rental scam, police said.Frederic Priestley, 34, from Southwark, London, falsely advertised a property for rent on Facebook between April and September last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police arrest suspect in shooting at Ohio festival that wounded 12 12. June 2026 (22:30) Eljay Crisp-Carr was arrested on Thursday, and police are still searching for another suspect in Toledo shootingPolice in Ohio have arrested a suspect in a recent shooting that wounded 12 people at a crowded weekend neighborhood street festival.Eljay Crisp-Carr, 20, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with 11 counts of felonious assault. Court documents do not list an attorney for him, and no one answered a call to a phone number associated with him on Friday morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Derbyshire police officer investigated over AI-generated ‘evidential material’ 12. June 2026 (22:12) Unidentified officer removed from frontline duties in the first known case of its kind in the UKA police officer is under criminal investigation over the alleged use of artificial intelligence and has been removed from frontline duties in the first known case of its kind in the UK.The officer, who has not been named, is being investigated over allegations of using the technology to “create evidential material in a number of cases” and perverting the course of justice. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pro-Palestine activists sentenced as terrorists over damage at Israeli arms factory in UK 12. June 2026 (21:56) Four found guilty get tougher conditions as judge says actions were ‘designed to intimidate the UK government and a section of the public’A judge has imposed lengthy custodial sentences on four Palestine Action activists who smashed up drones and other equipment at an Israeli arms manufacturer’s UK factory after ruling that there was a “terrorist connection” to their offending.Charlotte Head, 30, and Leona Kamio, 30, were each jailed for five years and Fatema Rajwani, 21, was sentenced to four years and 8 months for criminal damage in relation to a 2024 break-in at the Elbit Systems UK site in Gloucestershire. Samuel Corner, 23, who was additionally convicted of grievous bodily harm without intent for striking Sgt Kate Evans with a sledgehammer, was sentenced to seven years and eight months. Each will also spend an additional year on licence and be subject to 15 years of terrorist notification requirements. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
FBI raid of Ohio voting rights group stokes fear of pre-midterm crackdown 12. June 2026 (21:26) Agents seized phones and laptops of Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a group that does voter registration workThe FBI raided the office of a voting rights group in Ohio on Thursday, prompting immediate concerns the Trump administration is cracking down on such organizations ahead of the midterm elections.FBI agents raided the Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a grassroots group that does voter registration work, said Prentiss Haney, a board member of the group. Agents seized computers and phones, he said, and also showed up at homes of people affiliated with the group throughout the state and interviewed them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ant Middleton backs Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon in Makerfield byelection 12. June 2026 (20:57) Endorsement by former soldier, despite party’s apparent efforts to distance itself from him, is likely bid to attract Restore Britain votersReform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield byelection has been criticised for welcoming an endorsement by Ant Middleton, the former soldier and TV presenter who the party had distanced itself from over his increasingly extreme views.Robert Kenyon shared a video of himself with Middleton, who he described as “one of my heroes”. Middleton has previously said “well done Southampton” in the wake of violence after the murder of Henry Nowak, and has repeatedly used his own X account to make anti-Muslim comments. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US-Iran peace deal remains elusive as Trump and Tehran trade conflicting claims 12. June 2026 (20:23) US president dismissed Iranian media reports agreement was close, despite earlier suggesting a deal could be signed this weekendMiddle East crisis – live updatesProspects for an immediate end to the war between Iran and the US remained uncertain on Friday amid a chaotic series of conflicting claims and counter-claims by US and Iranian officials about ongoing negotiations.Donald Trump seemed to distance himself from his earlier comments that suggested a preliminary agreement could be signed as soon as this weekend, with a series of angry social media posts describing the Iranians as “very dishonorable people to deal with”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
