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Moment kidnap victim leaps from first-floor window, onto tree before fleeing on foot and chancing upon police: Gang is jailed
A man who was kidnapped and abused by a gang in Lincolnshire managed to escape by leaping from a first-floor window into a tree before fleeing on foot and flagging down a passing police car. The victim had been lured to an address in Market Rasen following the breakdown of a past relationship, where he…
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Inside the sad downfall of Country Road: Store closures, falling sales and ‘astronomical’ prices – so can the Aussie fashion icon survive?
Country Road, once one of Australia’s most iconic fashion brands, has posted its third consecutive annual loss, deepening concerns about its long-term survival amid store closures and weakening sales. A fashion expert has attributed the decline to the retailer being squeezed out of the middle market, as budget-conscious shoppers increasingly choose either ultra-cheap fast-fashion chains…
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10 Books That Are Page-Turners From Start to Finish
This is a light-hearted book recommendation piece rather than a ranked “best of” list, compiling ten novels the author considers genuine page-turners that reward readers even if they don’t usually enjoy reading. The selections span multiple genres, from dystopian science fiction to true-crime-inspired thrillers and pulpy horror-war mash-ups, united by fast pacing and compelling storytelling.…
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James Bond Frontrunner’s New Thriller Is Officially One of the Best Movies of 2026
Jack O’Connell’s new thriller INK, which dramatises the transformation of Britain’s The Sun newspaper, premiered at the Venice Film Festival to strong early reviews, cementing its status as one of 2026’s standout films. The film arrives at a time when O’Connell is being widely tipped as a frontrunner to become the next James Bond, adding…
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‘People are jumping out of the window. I have to go…’ Those were the last words Monica heard from her husband in the World Trade Centre. Here she reveals her battle to build a positive legacy – and how she found love again with a firefighter
Monica Iken lost her husband Michael on 11 September 2001, when he was killed at his desk on the 84th floor of the World Trade Centre’s South Tower during the terrorist attacks. The couple had married just eleven months earlier, and Michael’s final words to Monica on the phone were about people jumping from the…
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Steve Ballmer got suspended by the NBA because of a podcast and a jumbotron corruption scandal
Steve Ballmer, the Los Angeles Clippers owner and former Microsoft chief executive, has been suspended by the NBA for a year after an investigation found he misled the public about the team’s role in an illegitimate $28 million endorsement deal for star player Kawhi Leonard. The 35-page report, commissioned by the league and produced by…
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Defence Spending Standoff: UK Opposition Demands 3% Military Boost as Government Cuts Troops
Kemi Badenoch has set out how a Conservative government would fund a rise in defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030, proposing to reintroduce the two-child benefit cap and cut disability benefits to pay for it. The Tory leader warned that Britain could be at war with Russia within four years and accused Prime…
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Families told to stockpile food as UK supply chain risks mount
The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned that households should be encouraged to stockpile food to cope with growing risks to the UK’s supply chain, including extreme weather, cyber attacks and disease outbreaks. In a new report, the spending watchdog said the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had done “too little…
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Forget ‘Shadow and Bone,’ This 11-Year-Old Epic Fantasy Series Deserves Its Own Streaming Adaptation
An article argues that V.E. Schwab’s *A Darker Shade of Magic*, first published in 2015, deserves a television adaptation despite having spent roughly a decade without one materialising. The piece contends that with fantasy adaptations continuing to thrive on streaming platforms, Schwab’s Shades of Magic series—currently four books with more planned—offers rich, ready-made source material…
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Kemi Badenoch demands 3% defence spending as BoE economist urges rate rise
Badenoch cites Russian threat while the Bank of England’s Huw Pill warns rates must rise to curb Middle East-driven inflation; Apple faces a £2bn tracking lawsuit, Ultrahuman lands $70m, Maria Bartiromo exits Fox, and Netflix unveils its FTX drama The Altruists.