Top stories - Google News

• Russians go to polls against backdrop of Ukraine war and Putin’s tightening grip - The Guardian18 September 2026, 6:55 am
  Russians go to polls against backdrop of Ukraine war and Putin’s tightening grip  The GuardianWhat Putin’s war in Ukraine means for Russian elections as polls open  The IndependentInside Russia: Young people voting against Putin’s war in Ukraine  Channel 4Voting gets under way in controlled Russian election as war drags on  RTE.ieRosenberg: Russia's elections will have few surprises, but for the Kremlin they matter  BBC
  
• Met was negligent and reckless, sisters of 'Putney pusher' suspect tell BBC - BBC18 September 2026, 6:54 am
  Met was negligent and reckless, sisters of 'Putney pusher' suspect tell BBC  BBCSuspect in ‘Putney pusher’ case told family that investigation was ‘murdering him’  The Guardian'Putney pusher' investigation ongoing after suspect's death, police say  BBCHow the net closed on banker suspected of being ‘Putney Pusher’  telegraph.co.ukFamily of 'Putney pusher' suspect say he took his own life due to investigation - as Met refers itself to watchdog  news.sky.com
  
• FTSE 100 Live: London set for flat start despite UK retail sales rebound - Proactive financial news18 September 2026, 6:32 am
  FTSE 100 Live: London set for flat start despite UK retail sales rebound  Proactive financial newsRetail sales bounce back across Great Britain  The GuardianBritish retail sales rose 0.5% in August as hot weather boosted spending  Financial TimesDepartment stores and online shopping drive rebound in UK retail sales  The IndependentFTSE 100 Set for Flat Open as BoE Turns More Hawkish and BoJ Raises Rates  Share Talk
  
• Bank of Japan raises rates to highest since 1995 - Financial Times18 September 2026, 5:59 am
  Bank of Japan raises rates to highest since 1995  Financial TimesJapan raises interest rate to new 31-year high to curb rising prices  BBCJapan raises interest rates to 31-year high as central bankers fight inflation; retail sales rise in Great Britain – business live  The GuardianWhy Japanese stocks rose as government bond yields and the yen fell after rate hike  CNBCBOJ Governor Ueda's comments at news conference  Reuters
  
• Perth shark attack: swimmer missing after incident off Sorrento Beach in Western Australia - BBC18 September 2026, 5:42 am
  Perth shark attack: swimmer missing after incident off Sorrento Beach in Western Australia  BBCSwimmer dies after being bitten by shark off popular Perth beach  The GuardianWild scenes as fatal shark attack shuts Perth beach  perthnow.com.au‘I couldn’t save my mate’: Witnesses recount shark mauling at Perth beach  Nine.com.auPopular beach closed after shark attack  News.com.au
  
• Closures on the M1 in Leicestershire after lorry overturns - BBC18 September 2026, 5:32 am
  Closures on the M1 in Leicestershire after lorry overturns  BBCHuge queues as busy motorway closed by police after lorry overturns  Derbyshire LiveM1 traffic LIVE: Rush-hour chaos with 45-minute delays after TK Maxx lorry overturns  Daily ExpressNottinghamshire traffic and travel updates: Friday 18 September  West Bridgford WireDerbyshire traffic and travel: Severe delays on A50 and A453 and M1 closed due to truck crash  Derbyshire Times
  
• Badenoch instructs lawyers to fight Labour over council’s 94pc tax rise - telegraph.co.uk18 September 2026, 5:30 am
  Badenoch instructs lawyers to fight Labour over council’s 94pc tax rise  telegraph.co.ukBadenoch says she is instructing lawyers to challenge government after Tory-run council's 94% tax hike  BBCWandsworth Council announces record council tax increase  news.sky.comBorough leaders challenge ‘unfair’ Government funding  Wandsworth Borough CouncilEnd of an era as Thatcher’s favourite council backs 94% tax rise  Financial Times
  
• Pokémon card launch creates Glastonbury-style buzz - BBC18 September 2026, 5:22 am
  Pokémon card launch creates Glastonbury-style buzz  BBCPokémon fans queue at Norfolk shops for 30th anniversary release  BBCThe Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Expansion Is Available Now  Pokemon.comWhy were people camping overnight outside a Basingstoke toy store?  Basingstoke GazetteBest Pokémon TCG deal: Shop 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box for under market price  Mashable
  
• Nebula image wins Royal Observatory competition - BBC18 September 2026, 5:12 am
  Nebula image wins Royal Observatory competition  BBCZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2026 WINNERS  Royal Museums GreenwichSee the dazzling images that won Astronomy Photographer of the Year  New ScientistA space shark, 'royal' auroras and a 'Venusian pearl': See the winners of the 2026 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest  Live ScienceThe best images of space you'll ever see. Here are the winners of the world's biggest astrophotography competition  BBC Sky at Night Magazine
  
• The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027 revealed - The Times18 September 2026, 5:00 am
  The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027 revealed  The TimesHow good is your London university? See how they all rank in new UK league table  London Evening StandardBest universities in Wales and the UK named in Times rankings 2027  Wales OnlineUniversity of Oxford ranked fifth-best university in the UK in new league table  Oxford MailHere's where the Bournemouth universities rank in latest guide from The Times  Bournemouth Echo
  
• Millie Bobby Brown adopts baby boy to become mother of two - The Times18 September 2026, 4:58 am
  Millie Bobby Brown adopts baby boy to become mother of two  The TimesMillie Bobby Brown Welcomes Baby No. 2 with Husband Jake Bongiovi (Exclusive Source)  People.comMillie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi Welcome Baby No. 2 Through Adoption  Harper's BAZAARMillie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi share first photo of baby No. 2: ‘Hi little guy!’  Page SixMillie Bobby Brown shares first pic of second baby and reveals gender after adopting again aged 22  thesun.co.uk
  
• Medical AI has a proof problem - Financial Times18 September 2026, 4:02 am
  Medical AI has a proof problem  Financial TimesBenchmark Scores Don’t Save Patients: Why Clinical AI Needs RCT-Grade Evidence Before It Touches a Workflow  The Clinical Trial VanguardProspective evidence for conversational medical AI is hard, but non-negotiable  Nature
  
• Hyrox athlete apologises and forfeits victory after defecating during race - The Independent18 September 2026, 3:25 am
  Hyrox athlete apologises and forfeits victory after defecating during race  The IndependentHyrox athlete apologises for continuing race after soiling herself  BBCThere’s a long history of athletes pooing themselves mid-race – why, and how can you avoid it?  The GuardianWhy do elite athletes soil themselves so frequently?  The New York TimesAustralian athlete apologizes after winning race despite involuntary bowel movement  NBC News
  
• British woman rescued in Malawi shootout that left four suspected kidnappers dead - BBC18 September 2026, 2:41 am
  British woman rescued in Malawi shootout that left four suspected kidnappers dead  BBCA British woman who was kidnapped in Malawi last week has been rescued and reunited with her family, police said.  news.sky.comBritish mother kidnapped in Malawi back home after rescue mission  The TimesBritish woman abducted in Malawi, police say  BBCKidnapped British mother rescued in Malawi shootout  telegraph.co.uk
  
• Floyd Samba’s debut double lifts Manchester City to Carabao Cup win over Norwich - The Guardian18 September 2026, 1:31 am
  Floyd Samba’s debut double lifts Manchester City to Carabao Cup win over Norwich  The Guardian'Just the beginning' - Samba, 17, steals Man City show  BBCMan City vs Norwich: Carabao Cup third round score updates, news, line-ups and free highlights  Sky SportsFloyd Samba’s Man City debut double has father Chris dancing  telegraph.co.ukMan City strike up Samba rhythm as they find surprise Haaland alternative  The Independent