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George Clooney Defends Mark Ruffalo’s ‘Ability to Speak Freely’ About Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal and Doesn’t See How the Merger ‘Financially Ends Up Making Sense’
George Clooney used a press conference ahead of receiving the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to weigh in on Hollywood’s biggest current controversy: Paramount Skydance’s pursuit of a merger with Warner Bros. He defended fellow actor Mark Ruffalo’s right to criticise the deal, after Ruffalo was accused by Paramount of using “antisemitic…
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Acer reveals lightweight laptops, gaming handhelds and AI desktops at IFA 2026
Acer has rounded out its IFA 2026 laptop lineup with two ultralight models, the Swift Blade 14 and Swift Air 16, both pitched squarely against Apple’s MacBook range. The Swift Blade 14 weighs just 799g and measures as little as 12.95mm thick, undercutting the 13-inch MacBook Air’s weight by nearly a pound thanks to a…
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Criminals publish data of 8.7m people after airports hack
Criminal hackers have published the personal data of nearly nine million people online after breaching Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports. The attackers had attempted to extort MAG, but the ransom was not paid, prompting them to release the stolen material for free on a website accessible via…
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UK goes shopping for homegrown AI with £100M procurement scheme
The UK government has launched the first competitions under a £100 million procurement scheme designed to give homegrown AI startups a route into public sector contracts. Chancellor John Healey unveiled the R&D Procurement Scheme, part of the wider Sovereign AI initiative, at a G20 finance ministers meeting in North Carolina, with ministers framing it as…
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Political tax row, gangland trial and record £125m Fernández deal
A thinktank warns Chancellor John Healey he must raise taxes to fund defence spending, an Old Bailey trial exposes a violent North East crime feud, and Manchester City complete a British-record £125m signing of Enzo Fernández. Also: a Sydney teen’s terror plot guilty plea and children’s mental health crises rising.
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“You can’t just throw new people at that problem”: Bethesda devs doubt future Elder Scrolls and Fallout games will have the same “quality level”, after losing seasoned staff to Xbox cuts
Unionised staff at Bethesda Games Studios have voiced fresh concerns that Microsoft’s latest round of layoffs will undermine the quality of future Elder Scrolls and Fallout titles, arguing that decades of institutional knowledge and technical expertise have been lost in the cuts. The comments, made to The Guardian, come as the union continues negotiating severance…
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BP appoints new chair after contentious ousting of Albert Manifold in May
BP has appointed Ian Tyler as its permanent chair, ending a months-long search triggered by the controversial removal of Albert Manifold in May. The move is intended to draw a line under recent boardroom turmoil at the oil and gas company, with Tyler having already been serving as interim chair since Manifold’s abrupt exit after…
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Clíodhna O’Sullivan’s Romantasy Novel ‘Her Hidden Fire’ Getting YA Series Adaptation With Great Island Attached
Irish production company Great Island has optioned Clíodhna O’Sullivan’s bestselling romantasy novel Her Hidden Fire for an eight-part young adult television adaptation, backing the Cork-based company’s push into international scripted YA content. The story follows Éadha, a servant in a stratified magical world who secretly gives her hidden power to Ionáin, the heir she loves,…
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This new Roomba seals itself to your carpet
iRobot has unveiled a new flagship robot vacuum, the Roomba Max 875 Combo, alongside a midrange sibling, the Roomba Plus 678 Combo, marking the company’s first appearance at a major trade show in years since being bought out of bankruptcy by contract manufacturer Picea Robotics in January. The headline feature is a new sealing system…
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Israel court blitz, BT’s copper windfall and Tulsa King’s return lead today’s news
Apple pushes for expedited discovery in its OpenAI trade-secrets case; BT eyes over £2bn recycling old copper cables; plus Doncaster Rovers sign James Collins, Tulsa King’s fourth season, an Emily Blunt honour and a new Alex Ross Marvel graphic novel.