London council tax shock as another borough seeks permission to exceed 5% cap 18. September 2026 (20:19) Lambeth council is understood to have joined Bromley in examining whether it could get special Government permission to increase bills by more than the maximum 5% without holding a referendum(London News)
Attorneys for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs drop music mogul, alleging unpaid legal bills 18. September 2026 (19:49) The musician is serving a 50-month federal prison term for prostitution-related offensesAttorneys representing rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs say they are no longer acting for the disgraced star in a dispute over months of unpaid legal bills.The musician, who is serving a 50-month federal prison term for prostitution-related offenses, has become increasingly belligerent in recent months, causing “a total breakdown in cooperation and communication” with New York law firm Sher Tremonte, one of its partners, Michael Tremonte, said in a court filing.This article was amended on 18 September 2026. An earlier version wrongly stated that Combs sued record producer Jonathan Hay for defamation. Hay is the plaintiff. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Earl Spencer doubles down on claims about ‘monstrous’ call with Charles after Diana’s death 18. September 2026 (19:40) Buckingham Palace has refuted claim by Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother, that then prince told him ‘we’ll forget her soon enough’Earl Spencer has doubled down on his bombshell claim that King Charles said of Diana, Princess of Wales, “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough” days after her death, saying he is telling the truth.The alleged comments, revealed in Charles Spencer’s memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail, prompted Buckingham Palace to issue an extraordinary statement suggesting Diana’s brother had misremembered events, saying “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
North Korean anthem played for South Korea at Asian Games 18. September 2026 (19:18) Organisers have apologised for playing the North Korean national anthem for the South Korean men's hockey team at the Asian Games in Japan.(BBC News)
Brazil’s Lula announces higher welfare payments and free weight-loss jabs ahead of election 18. September 2026 (19:10) Critics say moves from leftwing incumbent president are electorally motivated two weeks before Brazil’s electionsBrazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has announced a 15% increase in the country’s main cash-transfer programme for poor families, as well as free weight-loss jabs, prompting criticism from opponents who say the moves are electorally motivated just two weeks before the presidential election.On 4 October, the leftwing incumbent will face the far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, who has been gaining ground in recent weeks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sensitive UK police data vulnerable to ‘compromise’ by US government and foreign actors 18. September 2026 (19:00) Exclusive: Official UK security assessment found Microsoft cloud platform storing files was at potential risk from hostile hackersVast troves of highly sensitive police data are lying on Microsoft cloud platforms which an official UK security assessment deemed to be vulnerable to “compromise” by foreign actors and the US government, a Guardian investigation can reveal.The files include criminal records, victim statements, internal emails and sensitive information held by more than 40 police forces across the UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
