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Mammoth deal has raised questions about corporate consolidation and editorial independence in media.Published On 30 Sep 202630 Sep 2026A United States judge has entered an order giving the green light for the media giant Paramount to complete its $110bn acquisition of entertainment company Warner Bros., despite fears about the long-term impacts of media consolidation.On Wednesday, US District Court Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin approved a settlement between Paramount, Warner Bros, and a group of 12 states that had sued to block the merger.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listIn her ruling, Martinez-Olguin described the proposed deal as a “fair, reasonable, and…

The committee said there were “considerable challenges” for the BBC and warned that the current TV licence fee is “outdated and no longer fit for purpose”.Currently, about 94% of individuals use the BBC each month but only 80% of households pay for a TV licence, the MPs noted.”The licence fee should be reformed so it is no longer linked to the consumption of live TV or to a particular device, such as a television set,” the committee said. “This should be an easier sell to licence fee payers if expanding the base is paired with a drop in the individual…

Google parent company Alphabet has launched Gemini 4 Argon, a new AI model built to handle a variety of tasks such as coding, research, and writing. But it’s cybersecurity that Gemini 4 Argon is supposed to have a particular knack for, according to Google. Argon is only being rolled out to a select group of the company’s cyber partners through its Fairwind Program, Google’s security initiative. The model was trained specifically for defensive cyber work, and the company says it can “autonomously find, validate, and patch critical software vulnerabilities.” Argon is also said to be good at coding and engineering,…

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic and other artificial intelligence companies over dangers their technology may pose to consumers, the agency said Wednesday. The AI giants and other tech companies in recent months have disclosed examples of their AI agents going beyond human instructions, finding their way onto the internet and hacking external websites. An FTC spokesperson confirmed the investigation but declined further comment. The investigation was first reported by the New York Post, which said it has been underway for months. Representatives for Anthropic and OpenAI did not immediately respond to messages for…

The Fed just raised rates, yet Bitcoin keeps climbing. Mark Moss, host of the Market Disruptors podcast, explains why he thinks most people are misreading why long-term rates are rising, how a booming economy could be part of the answer, and why he says Bitcoin benefits from both the debasement trade and a bullish technological future. Chapters:0:00 Mark Moss on the Fed’s “Token Raise” and an October Pause1:54 The Flat Yield Curve, Bank Lending, and the 5.1% 10-Year2:56 Why Bitcoin Is Rising as Rates Rise: “Price Is Truth”5:40 Bitcoin vs. Gold: The Debasement Trade and a Bullish Future6:19 Can the…

Galaxies can contain hundreds of billions of stars, but every one of those stars begins with cold, dense gas. Large galaxies, including the Milky Way, are surrounded by an enormous reservoir of this material known as the circumgalactic medium, or CGM. The CGM extends roughly 10-20 times farther than the visible part of a galaxy. Over time, some of this gas can cool, flow inward, gather into dense clouds, and eventually form new stars. Because stars give rise to planets and the conditions necessary for life, the CGM plays an important role in a galaxy’s long term evolution. Yet astronomers…

A new study systematically mapped likely Philippine eagle nesting habitat on Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island and the species’ main stronghold.Approved mining concessions overlap with 41% of highly suitable nesting habitat and 65% of its core areas, the researchers found, while only 35% of highly suitable habitat identified across the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor lies within protected areas.Indigenous ancestral domains separately overlap with 65% of core high-quality nesting habitat, highlighting their importance to the species’ conservation.The study authors say their findings can help identify priority spots for conservation interventions.See All Key Ideas A new study mapping the likely…

(Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/NurPhoto via Getty Images) As prediction markets have exploded in popularity over the past two years, they have also become increasingly controversial – setting off a lobbying-fueled power struggle for regulation of the platforms.  Amid allegations of insider trading, bets on military operations, and deceptive marketing practices, some states are seeking to sue or ban prediction markets.  But the federal government has taken an unusual role in the legal battle, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission suing states that seek to enforce their gambling laws against prediction-market platforms. Prediction market companies contend they are offering…

Keir Starmer reminded us often that his father was a toolmaker, a skilled occupation. In his Labour party conference speech, Andy Burnham referenced his parents, Eileen and his late father Roy. He did not mention that Roy was a telecoms engineer, also a skilled job, and one that was and is fully unionised, with decent terms and conditions. Perhaps the PM sees in that not just the past but also the future of work.Keith FlettTottenham, London Andy Burnham’s belief that investment in public spending will save money in the longer term is a positive-sum calculus targeted at improving the quality…

Claim: America.gov — an artificial intelligence chatbot the U.S. government launched in September 2026 — stated that U.S. President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, contradicting his longstanding claim that he won three elections. Rating: On Sept. 29, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration launched America.gov, an artificial intelligence chatbot intended to answer questions related to the government. Shortly after, a rumor circulated online that the chatbot said former President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential vote, contradicting a longstanding claim by Trump that Democrats “stole” the 2020 election. Trump made the claim that he won the 2020 election…