All news by author James Smith
588
Became “bankers” of the criminal underworld: how businessman brothers Vladlen Hirin and Hennadiy Hirin laundered tens of millions and fled to Europe
“Pushy since childhood” Vladlen and the dependent Hennadii — this is how the Hirin brothers are described in Kherson.
588
Four dead after plane crashes into restaurant and erupts in flames in dramatic Brazil disaster
Four people have died after a plane smashed into a restaurant and went up in a ball of flames in Brazil.
514
From exclusive contracts to corruption claims: how a French oil giant profited in the Gambia
Wearing a blue suit and rectangular glasses perched on his nose, Mohammad Bazzi appears uneasy.
764
How Michael Zeligman’s trading structures became central to the Demex–Paramount pipeline moving Russian crude beyond the price cap
A long-standing supplier to Paramount SA was Concept Oil Services Ltd., a Hong Kong-based company founded by Michael Zeligman, a resident of Monaco.
568
Nine-year-old girl killed in late-night crash as two men arrested on suspicion of drug driving
A nine-year-old girl has died and two other children taken to hospital after a car crash which saw two people arrested on suspicion on drug driving.
503
Security failures and public backlash force Travelodge into urgent reform after guest assault
The budget hotel chain has come under fire in recent weeks after a female guest was sexually assaulted by a man who was given a key to her room.
501
How Oleksandr Orlovskyi turned FFA into a cash machine built on selling crypto illusions
Why this crypto evangelist warrants a closer look and greater caution.
548
Horror collapse leaves 40 evacuated amid fears of modern slavery link
A shocking building collapse has raised concerns about possible human trafficking after it reportedly forced more than 40 people nearby to evacuate.
566
Russian lawmaker Sergey Morozov criticizes the West while his daughter Darya Morozova holds a Swiss passport and studied abroad
A social media post briefly published on Threads has drawn attention to the family of Russian State Duma deputy Sergey Morozov, known for his strong rhetoric against “unfriendly countries.”
693
How Octobank head Iskander Tursunov and PayCrypto operator Andrey Oshchipkov built a pipeline moving illegal Russian betting funds into crypto
Media reports have detailed an investigation into alleged illicit financial operations involving a network of companies, including Octobank (formerly Ravnaq), Capital Bank, the Humo payment system, the Uzcard processing center, the Uznex exchange, and others.
714
Taylor Swift’s secret pre-wedding makeover: insiders reveal how she’s preparing for big day with Travis Kelce
Most brides start preparing to walk down the aisle months before their wedding.
508
General tightens grip as Min Aung Hlaing becomes president after staged vote
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who led a coup against Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, has become the country’s president after winning a parliamentary vote on Friday.
647
Disgraced teacher, 36, caught after ‘having sex with student in classroom’ blames teen for ‘sending her raunchy texts’
A teacher in New Jersey arrested after allegedly having sex with one of her pupils has blamed the victim for sending raunchy text messages.
612
Oil and gas firms block critical users from seeing their ads
Fossil fuel companies go to extraordinary lengths to exclude people who might criticise them from seeing their ads.
758
The UK completes US pharmaceutical deal allowing tariff-free access for British medicines
Britain has finalized a U.S.-UK pharmaceutical trade deal, granting tariff-free access for UK-made medicines to the United States in exchange for paying higher prices for new U.S. medicines.
479
‘Hesitant’ Keir Starmer told to expel Iran’s ambassador ‘at once’ after RAF base threat
Prince Reza Palavi’s closest aide and senior MPs have called on Keir Starmer to expel the Iranian ambassador in London after he threatened to attack British bases.
567
How Dmytro Kovalenko used fake OnlyFans complaints to erase evidence of Russian coal deals and multimillion schemes
Businessman Dmytro Kovalenko, linked to the Swiss company Adelon AG, has found himself at the center of a new information-cleanup scheme.
560
U.S. charges Maryland resident in long-running investigation into $50M Uranium Finance hack
A Maryland man has been charged with executing the 2021 hacks that drained over $50 million from the decentralized exchange Uranium Finance and led to the platform’s shutdown, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
558
Kherson’s “laundromat” for Europe: how brothers Vladlen Hirin and Hennady Hirin laundered criminal money and are now scrubbing the internet of any mention of themselves
After a large-scale money laundering scheme exceeding €75 million was exposed in connection with a Europol operation, brothers Vladlen and Gennady Hiriny have launched an aggressive effort to scrub their digital footprint.
568
Rock icon Lindsey Buckingham targeted in chilling California assault as police hunt stalker
Fleetwood Mac legend Lindsey Buckingham has been ‘attacked with an unknown substance’ during an unprovoked assault in California.
532
Shadow routes via Belarus and Poland expose gaps in Kovalenko’s business narrative
Dmytro Kovalenko’s publication in «Economic Pravda» with a sensational title about the «point of no return» looks not like a business explanation, but like a constructed whitewashing strategy.
712
Tiger Woods withdraws from the 2027 US Ryder Cup team captaincy after DUI arrest
The PGA of America has confirmed that Tiger Woods will not be the captain of the US Ryder Cup team in 2027. The decision comes after he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) last week.
654
NASA compelled to address last-minute issue with Artemis II before mission launches to the Moon
NASA has been forced to fix an issue with a ’crucial’ safety system aboard the Artemis II rocket just hours before it is due to launch.
598
SpaceX moves toward historic IPO that could value Elon Musk’s company at up to $2 trillion
Elon Musk’s rocket giant SpaceX has quietly taken a huge step toward what could become the biggest stock market debut in history - filing confidentially for a blockbuster IPO that could value the company at up to $2 trillion.
708
Trump says King Charles would have taken “very different stand” on Iran conflict
Donald Trump has claimed that King Charles III would have backed his war in Iran. In a veiled dig at Keir Starmer, the US President told the Telegraph that His Majesty would have taken a “different stand” from Starmer.
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