Exclusive: US Senator suggests architects behind ‘frenzy’ of blockbuster corporate deals have ‘badly miscalculated’Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren has warned that corporate mergers approved by the Trump administration – including a pending deal that would put two of America’s largest news outlets under the control of a family sympathetic to the president – could be undone by a future administration.“After 2028, we’ll have new players in Washington, and everyone who’s engaged in this merger frenzy right now is aware of that,” Warren said in an interview. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/25/elizabeth-warren-trump-mergers">Continue reading...</a>

Exclusive: US Senator suggests architects behind ‘frenzy’ of blockbuster corporate deals have ‘badly miscalculated’

Elizabeth Warren says ‘tsunami of anger’ could prompt reversal of Trump-era mega mergers

Experts say law not enough to stop children accessing harmful content online and more ‘convincing strategy is required’More than 80% of under-16s in Australia said they were still using social media three months after legislation banning them from it came into force, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-363695">research</a> shows.Australia is the first country to ban social media for children. Since December 2025, under-16s have been prohibited from having accounts with many social media platforms including TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jun/24/australia-under-16-social-media-ban-no-substantial-effects-study">Continue reading...</a>

Experts say law not enough to stop children accessing harmful content online and more ‘convincing strategy is required’

Four in five under-16s in Australia using social media despite ban, study shows

British disinfectant brand withdraws advert about a man’s efforts to find a ‘clean and untouched’ womanThe British hygiene brand Dettol has apologised after an advertisement released in China, which it said was intended to criticise “toxic men”, was widely condemned on social media as offensive to women.The five-minute advert for a multipurpose disinfectant, released across many online platforms at the end of May, features a man comparing his girlfriend with his former partner. Learning that his former girlfriend previously lived with someone else, the man likens their relationship to a “secondhand service”. He then tells his friends that he intends to find a “clean and untouched” woman for whom he can be the first sexual partner. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/24/dettol-apologises-toxic-men-advert-backlash-china">Continue reading...</a>

British disinfectant brand withdraws advert about a man’s efforts to find a ‘clean and untouched’ woman

Dettol apologises after ‘toxic men’ advert sparks backlash in China

About 1,600 workers signed petition against tool that tracked staff keystrokes, mouse clicks and computer screen contentMark Zuckerberg’s Meta has paused a program that tracked employees’ computer activity amid data privacy concerns and a staff backlash.The owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp had introduced a tool that tracked staff keystrokes, mouse clicks and content displayed on computer screens in order to collect data for training its AI models. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/24/meta-pauses-employee-tracker-for-ai-training-amid-privacy-concerns">Continue reading...</a>

About 1,600 workers signed petition against tool that tracked staff keystrokes, mouse clicks and computer screen content

Meta pauses employee tracker for AI training amid privacy concerns

Appointment of James Purnell, former chief executive of Flint Global, described by one Labour MP as ‘very bad sign’The advisory firm led by Andy Burnham’s incoming chief of staff counted BP, Amazon, Jaguar Land Rover and Uber among its clients, transparency records reveal.Burnham is facing unease within Labour over the lobbying links of James Purnell, a longstanding friend and former cabinet minister who was most recently chief executive of Flint Global. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/24/james-purnell-andy-burnham-pick-chief-of-staff-firm-bp-apple-amazon">Continue reading...</a>

Appointment of James Purnell, former chief executive of Flint Global, described by one Labour MP as ‘very bad sign’

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

UK regulator has increased its scrutiny of fashion retailers over potentially misleading environmental statementsAds for Calvin Klein, Adidas and Uniqlo promoting “recycled” clothing and shoes have been banned by the UK watchdog after the advertisers were unable to prove their green claims.Each of the fashion companies ran paid-for Google ads, with Adidas promoting “recycled running shoes”, Calvin Klein “recycled” tops for women, and Uniqlo advertised fleece coats and jackets made from “recycled materials”. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/24/adidas-uniqlo-calvin-klein-ads-banned-asa-uk-recycled">Continue reading...</a>

UK regulator has increased its scrutiny of fashion retailers over potentially misleading environmental statements

Adidas, Uniqlo and Calvin Klein ads in UK banned over ‘recycled’ clothing claims

Advocates sound alarm after zines were used as evidence to convict protesters of terrorism charges tied to 2025 protest at Texas ICE facilityIt’s the day after Mother’s Day, the first one Elizabeth Soto has spent apart from her three children. Sitting in jail in Wichita Falls, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/texas">Texas</a>, her face is washed out by the overhead fluorescent lighting, and her dingy jumpsuit blends into the cinder block walls surrounding her.Speaking through a glass separator, she tells me she celebrated the holiday with her children over the jail’s video-call system while they had dinner at their grandmother’s. “I’ve been a full-time mother all of their lives,” she said. “I’ve never been away from them.” <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jun/24/prairieland-texas-ice-protests-zines">Continue reading...</a>

Advocates sound alarm after zines were used as evidence to convict protesters of terrorism charges tied to 2025 protest at Texas ICE facility

‘This is injustice’: how leftist zines were used to sentence anti-ICE protesters to decades in prison

Television director who was sensitive to the needs of her actors and spent 21 years on Coronation StreetKay Patrick, who has died aged 84, directed more than 250 episodes of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She joined the show in 1994 and stayed with it for 21 years. “I was lucky to be there at such extraordinary times,” she recalled. Popular with the cast, she was an “actors’ director”, aware of their needs during the quick turnover and technical complexities of such a tightly scheduled programme.In 2014 Patrick was chosen to direct <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jan/17/julie-esmondhalgh-assisted-suicide-coronation-street-hayley-cropper">the episode</a> featuring the death of a popular character, Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh), who chose to take her own life rather than endure the excruciating pain of pancreatic cancer. Hesmondhalgh, who was bowing out after 16 years in the role, recalled “the almost holy atmosphere she created in the studio during those last scenes … She instinctively knew that it was a one-take moment, and so just blocked it and shot it with such understated love and sensitivity. It’s entirely down to Kay that those scenes were as raw and memorable as they were.” The episode drew more than 10 million viewers and was widely praised for its handling of a contentious issue. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jun/24/kay-patrick-obituary">Continue reading...</a>

Television director who was sensitive to the needs of her actors and spent 21 years on Coronation Street

Kay Patrick obituary

Nine newspapers report that star presenter will leave after executives met to discuss his future on Wednesday night<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/28/weekly-beast-email-austrailan-media-diary-free-newsletter-subscribe-sign-up?CMP=cvau_sfl">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here</a></li></ul>Nine Entertainment is expected to sever ties with Karl Stefanovic, Channel Nine’s highest-paid presenter, after the Today show co-host interviewed and embraced UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson.Executives held crisis meetings on Wednesday to consider the future of Stefanovic who has been a breakfast television star and face of the network for 20 years. There were fears the network’s advertisers would be targeted by online activists unhappy with Stefanovic’s roster of rightwing guests.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/28/weekly-beast-email-austrailan-media-diary-free-newsletter-subscribe-sign-up?CMP=copyembed">Sign up to get Guardian Australia’s weekly media diary as a free newsletter</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jun/24/karl-stefanovic-podcast-show-far-right-activist-tommy-robinson-nine-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>

Nine newspapers report that star presenter will leave after executives met to discuss his future on Wednesday night

Karl Stefanovic reportedly leaving Nine after podcast with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson

A court in Germany found that Google was responsible for what its chatbots say in search summaries. This is the accountability we needEarlier this month, a German court <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://the-decoder.com/landmark-german-ruling-declares-googles-ai-overviews-are-googles-own-words-and-makes-it-liable-for-false-answers/">ruled</a> that Google is liable for its AI search summaries. Rejecting defenses like “users can check for themselves”, and that they generally know “that information generated with AI should not be blindly trusted”, the court held that the AI’s summaries are reflections of the company and “above all an expression of Google’s business activities”.This is the latest skirmish in a decades-old battle over internet publishing. Historically, there were two different types of information distributors: carriers and publishers. A phone company is a carrier. It’ll transmit whatever you say, even discussions about committing a crime. Words are words, and the phone company does not know – nor is it liable for – the words you choose to speak. A newspaper, on the other hand, is a publisher. It decides the words it publishes, and what quotes to include in its articles. If those words or quotes are defamatory or otherwise illegal, it’s liable. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/24/ai-errors-companies-responsibility">Continue reading...</a>

A court in Germany found that Google was responsible for what its chatbots say in search summaries. This is the accountability we need

If an AI chatbot misleads you, who is to blame? | Bruce Schneier and Nathan E Sanders

Despite Friday’s awful rail crash, it was the PM-in-waiting’s journey from Manchester to London that dominated the headlinesBogglingly, Andy Burnham didn’t even wait to become prime minister before organising yesterday’s ludicrous photo of him <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/gallery/2026/jun/22/in-pictures-keir-starmer-andy-burnham-contrasting-days">standing in Westminster Hall</a>, backdropped by hundreds of fawning Labour MPs, like Dorothy surrounded by the munchkins. Or like the bit in Return of the Jedi where the detestably cutesy Ewoks <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk_HB2Pdk2M">worship C-3PO</a> as a god. Actually, the Westminster Hall visual was even naffer than the Ewoks singing their abysmal <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np6vAuS0KNs&amp;list=RDnp6vAuS0KNs&amp;start_radio=1">Yub Nub song</a> of triumph at the end of that movie. Maybe it’ll sell a lot of soft toys.Is there Andy Burnham merchandise yet? It feels as though it could be in the post. A decade ago, at the peak of the SNP’s powers, the party sold a whole diffusion line called the “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/06/election-merchandise-a-mugs-game-from-snp-onesie-to-ukip-chiffon-scarf">Nicola signature range</a>”, which included covetable items such as onesies, teddies and shopping bags, presumably ideal for filling with £2,600 salt and pepper grinders, or multiple gaming console gifts for any motorhome visitors. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/23/andy-burnham-british-media-rail-crash-manchester-london">Continue reading...</a>

Despite Friday’s awful rail crash, it was the PM-in-waiting’s journey from Manchester to London that dominated the headlines

Welcome to the Andy Burnham show: the Westminster frenzy sucking up the British media’s attention | Marina Hyde

From gripping medical dramas to thrilling crime shows nearly impossible not to devour in one go, it’s already been a great year for television. Here are Guardian readers’ top shows of the year<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/ng-interactive/2026/jun/08/the-best-tv-of-2026-so-far">The best TV of 2026 so far</a></li></ul>I absolutely loved Legends. It was tense, thrilling and even funny in bits, with an evocative early-90s soundtrack. The acting was all top quality, especially Johnny Harris [as Eddie McKee], who gave another great, morally nuanced performance. Although fictionalised, it brought well deserved attention to the amazing work of Customs kept secret for so long. I would have watched it in one go if I didn’t have to get up the next day! And we got to see a bit of Thatcher’s tearful leaving speech, which is always enjoyable. Edie, 47, Leeds, west Yorkshire, UK <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jun/23/sheer-genius-your-best-tv-of-2026-so-far">Continue reading...</a>

From gripping medical dramas to thrilling crime shows nearly impossible not to devour in one go, it’s already been a great year for television. Here are ...

‘Sheer genius’: your best TV of 2026 so far

26 June 1976: Paramedics are called out to over 40 fainting cases in Leeds, while overheating cars cause huge tailbacks Flaming June scorched its way through the record books again yesterday, as the temperature soared to<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/23/heatwave-1976-extreme-heat-climate-crisis-new-normal"> 91F (32.2C)</a> in London, only a shade lower than the hottest day ever recorded in the capital, in 1940. Office workers stripped off and plunged into the fountains at Trafalgar Square, and the more sedate businessmen retained their bowlers and brollies while bathing their tired feet. But things were not so happy for hundreds of commuters who sweltered in the oppressive heat for 90 minutes when a tube train became stranded in a tunnel after a signal failure between Swiss Cottage and St John’s Wood. Passengers overcome by heat smashed windows and stripped to the waist. But when the train arrived at Baker Street after what should have been an eight-minute journey, no one needed hospital treatment. An inquiry is being held.The AA and RAC reported a flood of calls from motorists whose cars had overheated. The M4 was blocked from Heston to Chiswick by a collection of broken down vehicles and there were tailbacks of three miles in both directions. The temperature at the AA station near Gallows Corner, Romford, Essex, was reported to have reached 101F, and it was said to be 99.7F at Hatfield, Hertfordshire. But the London Weather Centre said last night that some temperatures recorded during the day were misleading. “They were probably recorded in direct sunlight,” said a spokesman. Four places shared the honours as the hottest spots in Britain, he said: London; Heathrow Airport; Jersey; and Farnborough, Hampshire, all with 91F. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/24/britain-swelters-in-record-heatwave-1976">Continue reading...</a>

26 June 1976: Paramedics are called out to over 40 fainting cases  in Leeds, while overheating cars cause huge tailbacks

Workers jumping in fountains, tube windows smashed: how the Guardian reported the 1976 UK heatwave

End of News Feed

General Intuition has raised $320 million to scale AI trained on millions of hours of gameplay, betting action data can help AI develop something closer to human intuition.

General Intuition has raised $320 million to scale AI trained on millions of hours of gameplay, betting action data can help AI develop something closer ...

General Intuition’s $2.3B bet that video games can train AI agents for the real world

Un0 is an image-generation system tool that shows for the first time how the company's technology can replicate conventional AI systems.

Databricks’ former AI chief thinks he can cut AI’s power bill by 1,000x

Market research company Klue told customers that it believes the hacking group that stole their data is now deleting it. The company, however, warned about a second group of hackers wanting ransom.

Market research company Klue told customers that it believes the hacking group that stole their data is now deleting it. The company, however, warned abo...

Hacked Klue says criminals are deleting stolen customer data, but now other hackers are making threats

"There were employees doing things like, 'Claude is so helpful for me — it analyzes my calendar and my email and puts together a plan for me,'" he says. "That person was spending at a run rate of $30,000 a year for this."

"There were employees doing things like, 'Claude is so helpful for me — it analyzes my calendar and my email and puts together a plan for me,'" he says. ...

Parker Conrad knows which employees are worth their AI spend and says Rippling can help you, too

Users will be able to access their watchlists, real-time market data, live financial news, and Google's AI-powered "Key Moments" feature, which explains why stocks moved.

Users will be able to access their watchlists, real-time market data, live financial news, and Google's AI-powered "Key Moments" feature, which explains ...

Google Finance gets a dedicated app for Android

Netris provides software that runs on network switches, and offers a platform that helps neocloud operators reduce the time it takes to go live.

Netris raises $15M Series A from a16z to help AI neoclouds go live faster

The Department of Commerce declined to give the Chinese-owned automaker a special authorization to keep selling EVs in the U.S.

Trump admin bars Polestar from selling its new EVs in the US

Apple raises prices of MacBook Air and Pro along with iPad Air and Pro.

Apple raises Mac and iPad prices, spares iPhone for now

Two days left to lock in your spot at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 and save up to $190 before Early Bird rates expire on June 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Register today.

Two days left to lock in your spot at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 and save up to $190 before Early Bird rates expire on June 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Regi...

2 days left to save up to $190: Join 1,000+ founders and investors at TechCrunch Founder Summit

The Department of Transportation wants to remove the brake-pedal requirement for vehicles "designed to be driven exclusively by automated driving systems." 

Trump admin proposes axing brake-pedal requirement for AVs in a boost for Tesla

Adobe said that it will integrate Topaz Labs' tools across its apps.

Adobe acquires image and video enhancement tool maker Topaz Labs

Amazon’s latest India investment comes as global tech companies race to expand AI infrastructure in the country.

Amazon ups India bet with fresh $13B AI infrastructure investment

Security researchers found evidence that Russian authorities hacked the iPhone of a political opponent using a phone-unlocking device made by Cellebrite, even after the company said it would stop selling to Putin’s government. 

Security researchers found evidence that Russian authorities hacked the iPhone of a political opponent using a phone-unlocking device made by Cellebrite,...

Cellebrite said it cut off Russia, but Russia used its tools anyway

As ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet told TechCrunch in May, what China can currently buy are older-generation deep ultraviolet tools — gear first shipped about a decade ago — the same machines the MATCH Act would now put off-limits.

As ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet told TechCrunch in May, what China can currently buy are older-generation deep ultraviolet tools — gear first shipped abou...

Europe is pushing back on Washington’s chip war

Backed by Mayfield and Aramco Ventures, Vishal Sikka’s new venture brings together veterans from SAP, Infosys, and VianAI.

Former Infosys chief has a new startup that wants to challenge the IT services world

Right now he's merely a several-hundred-billionaire, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.

Elon suffers another day short of trillionaire status

In its first earnings report since going public, the AI chipmaker forecast a narrower gross margin in its core business, scaring investors.

Cerebras stock plunges after earnings as CEO says margin outlook was misunderstood

While AI dominates the layoff narrative, engineers are actually making up a larger share of new hires, according to SignalFire data.

AI was supposed to kill engineering jobs, but new data suggests they’re the most resilient

Top AI researchers Jonas Adler and Alexander Pritzel are leaving Google for Anthropic, following departures from top scientists Noam Shazeer and John Jumper.

Top AI researchers Jonas Adler and Alexander Pritzel are leaving Google for Anthropic, following departures from top scientists Noam Shazeer and John Jum...

AI researchers continue to leave Google for its rivals

Revenue quadrupled to $41.45 billion compared with the same period a year ago. The company's profit, meanwhile, rose from $1.88 billion to an incredible $28.2 billion year-over-year.

Revenue quadrupled to $41.45 billion compared with the same period a year ago. The company's profit, meanwhile, rose from $1.88 billion to an incredible ...

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