Top World News
Reform mayor courted US oil and gas executive about fracking in UK
Feb 24, 2026 - World 
Exclusive: Documents show Andrea Jenkyns asked how she could help firm after major gas find in LincolnshireLincolnshire’s Reform party mayor, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, has courted the head of an American oil and gas dynasty in the hope of bringing fracking to the county, the Guardian can reveal.Egdon Resources, a British subsidiary of the US fracker Heyco Energy, announced a major gas discovery in Lincolnshire’s Gainsborough Trough last year. Jenkyns, who became the first mayor of Greater Lincolnshire in May, reached out personally to the company asking how she “could help with your recent gas find in my county”, according to records released by the mayoral authority in response to a freedom of information request. Continue reading...
Criminals ‘systematically’ targeting UK shops, costing £400m last year, say retailers
Feb 24, 2026 - World 
British Retail Consortium warns over ‘endemic’ violence towards shop workers and says theft is causing anxietyCriminal gangs are “systematically” targeting shops, retailers have warned, with 5.5m incidents of shoplifting detected last year, costing the industry an estimated £400m.The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned over “endemic” violence towards shop workers – who faced an average 36 incidents of violence involving a weapon every day last year – and said high levels of theft was causing “anxiety” among retail staff. Continue reading...
Robert Carradine, Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire actor, dies aged 71
Feb 24, 2026 - World 
The actor killed himself, his family said in a statement that aimed to raise awareness of ‘his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder’Robert Carradine, a member of the famed acting family who was known for his roles in Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire, has died aged 71.Carradine killed himself after years of living with bipolar disorder, his family said in a statement which they said they hoped would raise awareness. Continue reading...
Four years into Ukraine invasion, Russia’s gains are small, while Kyiv remains resilient
Feb 24, 2026 - World 
With the Russian military performing poorly, Ukraine is clarifying strategy and pushing back with modest successRussia’s invasion of Ukraine, now entering its fifth grim year, has already gone on longer than the entire fight on the eastern front in the second world war. The Soviets marched from the gates of Leningrad to Berlin in a little over 15 months in 1944-45; today the Russian rate of gain in Pokrovsk in Ukraine is 70 metres a day, in Kupiansk, 23 metres, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.The gains are trivial, given Ukraine’s size, amounting to 1,865 sq miles during 2025 (about 0.8% of the country) – so the idea touted by the Russians, sometimes accepted by a credulous White House, that Ukraine is suffering a slow-motion defeat, is not accurate. In reality, even allowing for the fact that hundreds of thousands of homes are without electricity, heating and water after Russian bombing, Ukraine is clarifying its strategy and pushing back with modest success. Continue reading...
Chris Baghsarian’s body dumped on Sydney’s outskirts within 40 hours of kidnapping, police suggest
Feb 24, 2026 - World 
NSW detectives say Toyota Corolla involved in crime was spotted in Pitt Town one day after 85-year-old abducted from North Ryde homeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice believe the body of missing 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian could have been dumped on Sydney’s outskirts just 40 hours after he was kidnapped in a case of mistaken identity.New South Wales police said they had found human remains near a golf club in Pitt Town at about 8am on Tuesday. Continue reading...
