Plus: India's vanishing 'blue' city, and the scrap cars transiting from the US to Russia. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Today I bring you a report from Emma Vardy and Samantha Granville, who retrace the meteoric rise of rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, and the lavish parties that led to his downfall. We're also reporting on Indian architecture, the Georgian scrap car industry, and Irish rock music. Finally, you will likely fare better than Andy and I at today's quiz of the week. We both scored a paltry 3/7. | |
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| 'He thought of himself as a king' | | Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to go on trial in May 2025. Credit: Getty Images | The fall from grace of rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has been swift, with an extensive federal criminal case charging him in a sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. More than a dozen civil lawsuits have also been filed. Mr Combs has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, whether in relation to the criminal or civil allegations. |
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| | Emma Vardy and Samantha Granville, BBC News |
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| | The rapper lived on what has become known as Beverly Hills’s most expensive street. The high fences allow celebrities to hide from prying eyes. Hugh Hefner’s Playboy mansion sits a few doors down. The towering gates of Mr Combs' estate have flaming torches burning day and night.
Neighbours told the BBC they often called police over his parties. A freedom of information request by the BBC has revealed that officers were dispatched to parties at the P Diddy mansion 14 times over seven years. On a street where discretion and privacy are of the utmost importance, no-one wished to be named, but neighbours described privately to the BBC what they witnessed, saying they were fed up and disturbed by what they saw. “For six or seven years it was just parties, parties, parties,” one neighbour said, adding she saw females at all hours “coming out and sitting down on the street, they didn’t know where they were”. She said they appeared "lost" and "their underwear was showing". |
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| India's vanishing 'blue' city | The famed blue houses of Jodhpur are slowly losing their charm - and their colour. | Read more > |
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| Scrap car heaven | Thousands of US cars beaten up by accidents find their way to the Russian market through Georgia. | Here's how > |
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| How to cash on chats | WhatsApp and other messaging apps are free. So how are they making money? | Read the story > |
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| Your weekend listening: 'Try or die' | The BBC’s Africa Eye has been following one man’s journey on the Atlantic, hoping to reach Spain's Canary Islands from Senegal. | Listen here > |
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THE BIG PICTURE | Analysing footage of Hamas leader's killing |
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| | | The Hamas leader was the key figure behind the 7 October attacks on Israel. Credit: Getty Images | In our previous newsletter, we reported on how a chance encounter led to the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. My BBC Verify colleagues have been analysing drone footage released by Israeli forces, who say they show Sinwar's final moments. They were able to confirm it was taken in the north of Rafah, in southern Gaza. |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | Hasta la vista | How The Terminator foresaw our fears about AI, 40 years ago. | |
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And finally... in Ireland | The National Museum is preparing to display the guitar used by Irish rock and blues legend Rory Gallagher, after it was snapped up at a London auction for more than £889,000. The 1961 Fender Stratocaster was bought by concert giant Live Nation Gaiety Ltd, which had been in talks with the Irish government about donating it to the Dublin museum since its listing among memorabilia being sold by Gallagher's estate. The Cork-born musician, who died in 1995, had shelled out £100 for the guitar in 1963 and used it throughout his career. It certainly looks like it has seen some rock 'n' roll times. | |
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Six Steps to Calm | Discover a calmer future with this course of six science-backed techniques, weekly to your inbox. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | World of Business: Gain the leading edge with global insights for the boardroom and beyond, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | | The Essential List: The best of the BBC, handpicked by our editors, in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe. | | Football Extra: Get all the latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays to your inbox. Subscribe. | |
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– Jules | | | | |
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