British journalist Earl Spencer, who is also Princess Diana’s brother, says Prince Harry and his wife Meghan should be given official security, because the media now treats them much the same way as it treated his sister in the years leading up to her death.

Princess Diana was 36 when she was killed in a 1997 Paris car crash while being pursued by photographers on motorbikes. Her death sparked an outpouring of grief and a reckoning over whether the media, which splashed details of Princess Diana’s life across front pages for years, bore some responsibility.

Earl Spencer has been speaking to the media in the lead-up to the publication of his book about his sister, which is critical of her former husband, the now-King Charles. He said his sister’s death could’ve been preventable, and his book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, has made headlines around the world because it includes accusations about Charles making incendiary comments in the days after the princess’s death.

Asked by the BBC how he could prove the conversations had taken place, Spencer said he had included a specific line in his much-lauded eulogy at Diana’s funeral to counter the comments. Spencer also said his revelations about King Charles would not come as a surprise to Prince Harry or his older brother, heir-to-the-throne Prince William, and he said while he knew many more details about the king, he had chosen not to include them.

Sneaker company Converse has removed a social media ad that sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and lynching.

The Instagram ad photo showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. But critics said a white triangular image created by lighting on the skirt resembled a KKK hood and the way she held the sneakers made them look like the dangling feet of a lynching victim. Converse, owned by Nike, therefore issued a statement apologising and said it had removed the ad.

The Converse photo sparked swift criticism, including calls to fire staff involved in the ad and boycott the company. Retailers and top fashion brands have issued a string of apologies over the years for products and advertising criticised for being racially insensitive; Last month, US retailer Target Corporation pulled a children’s Halloween costume from its shelves after widespread social media backlash, apologising for selling a garment that critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures.

Other commenters defended Converse, saying they did not believe it was intentional.

Prime Minister Albanese has launched a formal bid for Australia to serve a two-year term on the UN security council in 2029 and 2030, insisting that it will be able to help with the cost of living.

A vote for the UN council spot won’t be held until mid 2028, but lobbying efforts will intensify during the prime minister’s visit to New York for the UN general assembly. Albanese also unveiled former News Corp head of broadcasting Siobhan McKenna as Australia’s next consul general to New York.

Australia has served on the security council five times since the UN was established after the second world war. The most recent stint was in 2013 and 2014, where Australia was able to lead a response to the Russian downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

So far, only Australia and Finland have put their hands up for a spot on the council, but other countries from the bloc could still launch bids. The prime minister said he was optimistic of getting support from Pacific nations, as well as south-east Asian countries in the Asean pact.