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)
Polanski request to postpone Greens’ conference to focus on byelection refused by party 18. September 2026 (18:26) Exclusive: Leader understood to have wanted to concentrate on Holborn and St Pancras campaign in London but executive committee voted against planZack Polanski requested that the Greens’ ruling executive committee postpone the party’s imminent annual conference so they could focus on the Holborn and St Pancras byelection but was refused.While party officials say the formal request came from staffers worried about diluting resources by staging a conference a week before Polanski tries to win Keir Starmer’s former Commons seat, the Guardian understands the party leader wanted this to happen. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
