5 Big News Stories Overnight - Saturday, June 20, 2026

DR Congo's deadly Ebola outbreak is 'evolving fast', WHO warns

France 24 reports:

The fatal Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is spreading rapidly, the WHO warned Friday, despite accelerating efforts to tackle the virus.

The WHO said it was still racing to catch up with the worsening situation gripping northeastern DR Congo.

"The outbreak remains serious" and is "evolving so fast", said Marie-Roseline Belizaire, the WHO Africa emergencies chief.

"However, I have seen a response that is growing stronger every day," she told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Bunia, the capital of DR Congo's Ituri province, the outbreak's epicentre.

PHOTO: United Nations

Meloni accuses Trump of lying over claims she ‘begged’ for a picture

The Telegraph reports:

Donald Trump has opened a row with Giorgia Meloni after claiming she “begged” to have a photograph taken with him at the G7 summit.

Italian politicians reacted furiously to the US president’s claim, saying he had offended the entire nation, and the prime minister herself responded on social media.

Ms Meloni was once regarded as one of the Trump administration’s staunchest allies in Europe, but recent clashes over the Iran war and insults to the Pope have soured relations.

Mr Trump told an Italian news programme on the La7 channel he agreed reluctantly to have a photograph taken with Ms Meloni at the G7 meeting because he “felt sorry” for her.

Frank Stronach, Canadian Billionaire, Is Found Guilty in Sex-Crimes Case

WSJ reports:

Frank Stronach, the founder of auto-parts giant Magna International, was found guilty Friday of sexual assault and indecent assault in cases involving two women that stretched back decades.

The 93-year-old Austrian-Canadian billionaire was acquitted of three other charges involving a third woman. When the trial began in February, he was facing 12 charges involving allegations from seven women. Over the course of the trial, prosecutors withdrew or agreed that he shouldn’t be found guilty of five charges, and Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy said she couldn’t convict on two others, citing the unreliability of the complainant’s evidence.

Stronach left a Toronto court without commenting on the verdict. One of his lawyers, Leora Shemesh, told reporters that he had been convicted of the “least serious” of the offenses and that she would take time to “digest” Molloy’s decision and “understand it a little bit better.”

Over the past several years, more than a dozen women have accused Stronach of sex crimes, dating back decades. Many of the complainants alleged a similar pattern of behavior, accusing Stronach of meeting them at Rooney’s—a Toronto restaurant and nightlife hot spot that he owned—and inviting them back to his condo where they said the assaults would occur.

Oil tanker traffic in Strait of Hormuz jumps after U.S. and Iran implement deal to open sea lane

CNBC reports:

At least 20 oil tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Iran began to reopen the sea lane to commercial ship traffic, according to the trade intelligence firm Kpler.

Tanker transits on Thursday hit the highest level since June 2, the firm said. However, traffic is still below prewar levels when more than 100 ships, including dozens of tankers, transited Hormuz daily.

In total, 25 ships transited Hormuz on Thursday including cargo, container and other vessel classes, in addition to the tankers, according to Kpler. Traffic has picked up after the U.S. Navy ended its blockade of Iran, while Tehran is allowing ships to cross Hormuz for 60 days without paying tolls.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters Thursday that the Iranians so far “are honoring their end of the commitment.”

PHOTO: Alexander Schimmeck, Unsplash

Train driver dies and 89 people injured after two trains collide near Bedford

The Guardian reports:

A train driver has died and 89 people have been injured after two trains collided in the Bedford area, with emergency services working into the night.

Of those injured, 11 people suffered “very serious” injuries and 22 were seriously injured, East of England ambulance service said, while a further 56 people had minor injuries and were treated at the scene or taken to hospital.

The two East Midlands railway services involved were the 4.40pm from Corby to St Pancras and the 3.50pm from Nottingham to London St Pancras, the rail operator said.

Air ambulance helicopters were on the ground after the collision happened just south of the Elstow interchange between the A421 and the A6.

Members of the public were told to stay away from local hospital emergency departments on Friday night unless they were suffering from a genuine emergency.