All news for 2026-03-24

693
UK troops shoot down drones targeting allied base amid Iran conflict escalation
British troops shot down over a dozen Iranian “suicide” drones over an allied base in northern Iraq last night.
537
Crispin Odey admits groping and “flirtatious” behaviour as harassment case unfolds in court
Hedge fund tycoon Crispin Odey took the stand at the High Court in his case against the City watchdog, as he faced questions over his alleged behavior toward young female employees at his eponymous hedge fund.
588
Bank of London fined £2mn for misleading regulators
Fintech, where Peter Mandelson and Harvey Schwartz were board members, is given £2mn penalty by Bank of England.
694
Ukraine moves to fire judge who ruled state takeover of PrivatBank illegal
Ihor Kachur, who shocked the country in 2019 by ruling that the state’s takeover of Ukraine’s largest bank was illegal, is being dismissed over a separate judicial corruption scandal.
498
Visa outage chaos as UK shoppers hit by payment failures nationwide
Visa users across the UK reported payment disruptions on Tuesday afternoon, with issues affecting multiple regions including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.
664
Turkish mill receives wheat from sanctioned Russian company
Two family members managing a Russian drone company are also exporting grain from occupied Ukraine. The grain is shipped to Turkey and Egypt, even though Ukraine labels the trade as a war crime.
509
Taiwanese crime syndicate washes $1bn in Macau as fugitive from major fraud case is hunted down and killed
Prosecutors charged 10 individuals in a large-scale money laundering operation connected to Macau, coinciding with the overseas shooting of a fugitive associated with a notorious gambling scandal.
450
Conflict around Azur Air: the Russian company Wildberries is attempting to acquire the airline from the Turkish Kockar family, owners of the international tourism group ANEX
Wildberries & Russ, increasingly resembling a large-scale corporate raiding structure, risks straining Russia–Turkey relations.
741
Trader of Russian coal Dmytro Kovalenko: from schemes with the occupied Donbas to the strange “cleanup” of the internet via OnlyFans
The controversial Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Kovalenko continues to dominate headlines: reports keep emerging about his dealings involving Russian coal.
551
Israel’s nuclear status seen as barrier to Middle East weapons-free zone
Israel’s nuclear arms program was considered the major obstacle to establishing a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, declassified files from 1993 reveal.
741
Reform UK councils roll back climate targets and scrap emergency declarations
Seven out of ten Reform UK controlled councils have scrapped their climate targets since being elected last May, while the party continues to push discredited ideas about the cause of man made climate change, according to new academic analysis.
614
Ed Miliband’s big plan for the UK is so stupid no sane country would ever consider it
A distinctive feature of this inflexible Labour government is its tendency to look in two different directions simultaneously.
544
Rachel Reeves vows crackdown on firms cashing in on Iran war as fuel prices surge
A crackdown on companies profiteering from the Iran war at the expense of millions of Brits is among cost-of-living plans announced by Rachel Reeves today.
613
Evil parents jailed for life after killing helpless baby boy in horror abuse case
A Wirral couple convicted of murdering their baby boy have been jailed.
521
Married at First Sight star Mel Schilling dies aged 54 weeks after revealing cancer had spread to brain
Married at First Sight star Mel Schilling has died at the age of 54, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
733
King Charles backs Jewish security group as firebomb attack sparks fear and armed patrols
King Charles has become patron of the Community Security Trust (CST), the charity which monitors antisemitism and provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK.
495
UK Jewish communities facing an increasing threat from Iran’s covert proxy network after antisemitic arson and spy probes, experts warn
Iran is expanding a shadow campaign across Europe using what experts describe as a “gig economy of hostile activity”, outsourcing surveillance, intimidation, and potential attacks to criminal networks and loosely connected operatives.
500
Trans girls ordered out of Girlguiding by September after court ruling on biological sex
Transgender girls must leave Girlguiding by September 6, the organisation has said following its announcement in December that membership would be restricted to girls and young women.
644
Local taxpayers left to foot £900,000 bill for Trump’s Windsor security
A police force has been told it will not be reimbursed more than £900,000 spent policing US president Donald Trump’s state visit to Windsor.
655
Fireball at Texas refinery sparks emergency response and regional lockdown
A Texan oil refinery has exploded, shaking residents’ homes as they are urged to find shelter.
621
From £6.5m Dubai mansion to refuge in Algarve as conflict escalates
Rio and Kate Ferdinand have fled Dubai for sunny Portugal as the Middle East war rages on, it is believed.
639
Moscow threatens London with “consequences” amid strikes on Ukraine: NATO scrambles aircraft in Poland and Romania
Vladimir Putin has launched massive new strikes on Ukraine forcing NATO to send warplanes from two allied countries in Europe.
800
From Ireland to the front: how EU-made alumina reaches Russian weapons manufacturers
Leaked transaction data reveals how a major refinery in Ireland is part of the aluminum supply chain for Russian weapons manufacturers arming Putin’s forces as they attack Ukraine.
593
Beatrice and Eugenie struggle in spotlight after Prince Andrew arrest scandal
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have navigated through challenging situations recently following the arrest of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was the Duke of York.
480
From top manager’s chair to recruiter role: Russian governor Igor Artamonov urges prisoners to go to war
Russian governor personally tries to recruit inmates for war — under armed special forces presence.
12