10 Things Global News - 24th February 2026
Succinct, unbiased news from around the world
Ukraine War Enters Fifth Year With No End In Sight
Mexico Deploys Troops After Cartel Leader Killed
Trump Says Iran Strike Would Be Easily Won
US Accuses China Of Nuclear Arsenal Expansion
Supreme Court To Hear Boulder Climate Case
FedEx Seeks Refund After Tariff Ruling
Mandelson Released On Bail After Arrest
China Expands Export Bans On Japan Firms
France Restricts Access For US Ambassador
Australia Launches Antisemitism Inquiry
Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, Europe’s largest conflict since the Second World War is now grinding into a fifth year with no decisive end in sight. United States-brokered talks have brought delegations from Moscow and Kyiv together, but disagreements over Russian-occupied territory and Ukraine’s security guarantees continue to block progress.
The human toll is immense. A recent report estimated 1.8 million soldiers killed, wounded or missing on both sides, including 1.2 million Russian casualties and up to 325,000 deaths. Ukrainian military casualties were put at between 500,000 and 600,000. The United Nations has recorded 14,999 civilian deaths and more than 40,600 injuries, with at least 763 children killed. Last year alone, 2,514 civilians were killed.
Territorial gains remain limited. Russia occupies 19.4 percent of Ukraine and has gained just 0.79 percent over the past year, underscoring the war’s attritional nature.
Sources: RFI, PBS
A day after Mexican special forces captured Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, violence spread across at least 20 states. Officials said he was seriously wounded in a firefight in Jalisco and died while being transported toward the capital.
In retaliation, cartel gunmen set up more than 250 roadblocks, torched vehicles and launched attacks affecting security forces and infrastructure. Security officials said at least 25 National Guard members were killed in Jalisco as the violence unfolded, with additional casualties among prison and local justice personnel. More than 70 people died in the attempt to capture him and the aftermath.
Authorities deployed thousands of additional soldiers to western Mexico, sending an extra 2,500 troops on Monday and bringing the overall deployment since Sunday to about 9,500. Operations remain underway to clear highways, secure facilities and prevent further attacks.
Sources: Associated Press, Mercopress
President Donald Trump rejected reports that his top general opposed military action against Iran, insisting that any strike would be “easily won” while maintaining that he prefers a diplomatic deal. He said he would rather reach an agreement but warned that if talks fail it would be “a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people”.
Trump dismissed media accounts suggesting internal debate over limited strikes, saying General Daniel Caine believes that going against Iran at a military level would be something easily won. He added that Caine “has not spoken of not doing Iran” and would lead if ordered.
The comments come as the United States assembles what is likely the largest deployment in the region since 2003, including two aircraft carriers, fighter jets and refuelling tankers, while diplomats pursue a new round of nuclear talks this week.
Sources: Bloomberg, Iran International
The United States has accused China of deliberately and without constraint massively expanding its nuclear arsenal, as the New Start treaty between Washington and Moscow expired earlier this month. Officials said the lapse of the last arms control agreement between the top nuclear powers creates an opportunity to pursue what they describe as a better agreement that includes Beijing.
At the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, a senior US official said New Start did not account for what he called an unprecedented, deliberate, rapid and opaque nuclear weapons build-up by China. He said Beijing is on track to have the fissile material necessary for more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030 and may achieve parity within the next four or five years.
China rejected the accusations, saying it firmly opposes distortion and smearing of its nuclear policy and would not engage in any nuclear arms race.
Sources: The Guardian, NDTV
The Supreme Court said it will hear a case from Boulder, Colorado, in which oil and gas companies are trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. The case could have implications for dozens of similar lawsuits brought by state, local and tribal governments.
Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil appealed after Colorado’s highest court allowed the Boulder case to proceed. The companies argue emissions are a national issue that should be heard in federal court, where similar suits have been dismissed. They say climate policy should not be set through fragmented state court actions.
Officials in Boulder say the case is about fairness and dealing with in state harms, arguing the financial burden of adaptation should not fall solely on local taxpayers. The justices also asked whether the case is ready to be heard.
Sources: New York Times, Associated Press
FedEx has sued the Trump administration for a full refund of tariffs it paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after the Supreme Court ruled last week that the law did not allow the president to impose the taxes on imports. The complaint was filed in the US Court of International Trade.
The court’s decision did not offer guidance on whether businesses that paid IEEPA duties are entitled to refunds, a question expected to draw further litigation. FedEx said it had been responsible for paying the tariffs and was seeking redress, asking that duties collected on all entries subject to IEEPA duties be returned with interest as provided by law.
The ruling affected tariffs imposed under IEEPA, but did not impact duties applied under other laws. It is estimated that at least an additional $130bn was collected from tariffs imposed through IEEPA.
Sources: BBC, CBS News
Lord Mandelson has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations that, while serving as a government minister, he passed on market sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein. The Metropolitan Police said a 72 year old man was released pending further investigation.
Officers arrested him at an address in Camden, north London, and took him to a police station for interview. The arrest followed search warrants at two addresses in Wiltshire and Camden. He has not been charged with a crime.
The allegations surfaced after the US Department of Justice released documents including emails from 2009 that appear to show he passed on an assessment by an adviser about policy measures and discussed a tax on bankers’ bonuses and an imminent bailout package for the Euro.
Sources: New York Times, BBC
China has added 20 Japanese companies to an export control list that prohibits Chinese firms from selling them dual use items with potential military applications, in the latest escalation of a dispute over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan. Another 20 entities were placed on a monitor list subjecting exporters to stricter checks.
The measures, announced by the Commerce Ministry, include affiliates of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and other defence related subsidiaries. Prohibited items include rare earths, machine tools, batteries and chipmaking equipment. Firms on the monitor list must provide documented proof of civilian end use and risk assessment reports.
Beijing said the moves seek to deter Japan’s remilitarisation. The curbs follow Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo could deploy its military if China uses force against Taiwan, comments she has refused to withdraw after securing a landslide election victory.
Sources: Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg
France has moved to block US Ambassador Charles Kushner from having direct access to government ministers after he failed to attend a meeting over comments about the death of a far right activist.
Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot had summoned Kushner following a statement reposted by the US embassy in Paris concerning Quentin Deranque, 23, who died from head injuries after clashes between radical left and far right supporters in Lyon. Kushner did not attend and sent another official instead, citing personal commitments.
“In light of this apparent misunderstanding of the basic expectations of the mission of an ambassador,” Barrot requested that Kushner no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government. The ministry said he could continue to carry out his diplomatic duties and present himself for discussions.
Sources: Le Monde, Associated Press
Australia has opened a federal royal commission into antisemitism after a mass shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in December 2025 killed 15 people and injured 40. The inquiry, the country’s most powerful form of public investigation, began public hearings on Tuesday in Sydney.
Headed by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell, the commission will examine the events leading up to the attack, antisemitism and its drivers, and how law enforcement tackled the threat. Bell said security arrangements for the event and whether intelligence and law enforcement agencies performed to maximum effectiveness would form a major part of the work.
The alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, were inspired by Islamic State, according to police. Sajid Akram was shot dead at the scene, while Naveed Akram faces charges including 15 counts of murder and a terror offence.
Sources: Reuters, BBC
On this day …..
On this day in 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking from multiple fronts including the north, east and south. The assault followed months of military build-up along Ukraine’s borders and marked the largest armed conflict in Europe since 1945.
The invasion triggered sweeping Western sanctions against Russia, prompted large-scale military and financial support for Ukraine, and reshaped European security policy. NATO reinforced its eastern flank, while millions of Ukrainians were displaced.
The war continues to influence global energy markets, defence spending and geopolitical alignments. The people of Ukraine continue to suffer.