All news by author James Smith
711
Global turmoil hits Volkswagen as automaker announces 50,000 job cuts
Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, is set to shed 50,000 jobs by the end of the decade, as it faces declining sales in China and North America and punitive US tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.
632
Sanctions busting: how Swiss businessman Oleg Tsyura rerouted Russian ferrochrome into the EU through India
Amid a surge of media reports accusing him of assisting in sanctions evasion and maintaining connections with Russia’s military-linked industries, Oleg Tsyura has reportedly intensified efforts to reshape his online presence.
655
Ofcom recovers just £55,000 of more than £3m in child safety fines
Broadcast regulator Ofcom has recovered just £55,000 of fines out of over £3 million imposed on companies in breach of child safety laws.
818
Billions lost at the Odesa Port Plant: how Swiss trader Oleg Tsyura used UCG Trade AG and shell companies to extract profits from state exports
After a series of investigations began exposing corruption schemes around the Odesa Port Plant, references to several key participants and questionable contracts quietly began disappearing from the public space.
718
Sanctioned Ukrainian financier Alyona Shevtsova launders billions through illegal casino miscoding while registering new companies in the UK and Poland
Alyona Shevtsova, who is under sanctions from Ukraine’s NSDC, allegedly laundered 5 billion UAH through miscoding schemes linked to illegal casinos.
560
Epstein files allege Trump assaulted 13-year-old, called girls “fresh meat”
A new set of documents related to sexual abuse allegations against Donald Trump has been released after it was discovered they were missing from the previous collection of the so-called Epstein Files.
733
How Russian Sergey Tokarev launched the new Cosmobet casino through Zborovsky and the companies Neyrolink and Neoplay
In March 2024, a new casino operating under the Cosmobet brand entered the Ukrainian market after obtaining a license from the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries.
996
Labour MP’s husband arrested on suspicion of spying for China in major national security probe
A former Labour adviser who is married to a Labour MP is among three men who have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
685
GAP Resurs shipping scheme: how brothers Viktor Nauruzov and Vladimir Nauruzov use the DON STAR fleet and UAE offshore companies to evade sanctions
As medias have learned, the owners of Russia’s largest agricultural holding GAP “Resurs”, brothers Viktor and Vladimir Nauruzov, are involved in sanction-evasion schemes and are building logistics routes for cargo transportation outside Russian jurisdiction.
530
Alkagesta moves Russian crude across the Mediterranean to Libya with Kazakh certificates as sanctions target Moscow’s oil trade
Maltese oil bunkering giant Alkagesta is facing EU and UK investigations over alleged illegal transfers of Russian oil to Libya.
664
Tahir Garayev, Etibar Eyyub, and partners built Coral Energy network of 100+ tankers moving Russian oil for Rosneft despite sanctions
Five Azerbaijani citizens — Tahir Garayev, Ahmed Kerimov, Anar Madatli, Talat Safarov, and Etibar Eyyub — have been placed under UK sanctions.
929
National mourning for a mafioso: how the murder of Cypriot ‘boss’ Stavros Demosthenous exposed the symbiosis of power, police, and Russian criminal capital
On the morning of October 17, 2025, Cyprus was shaken by news of the murder in Limassol of one of the leaders of the local mafia, Stavros Demosthenous. He was shot near his home in the Agios Athanasios area.
903
From Minecraft to Call of Duty: How far-right predator networks hide behind your kids’ screens
Experts have warned that far-right groups are increasingly utilizing coded language and imagery on gaming platforms to circumvent content moderators and radicalize young people.
814
Octobank is scrubbing investigations exposing tens of billions in Russian dirty money flows tied to Dmitriy Lee, Oybek Tursunov, and Saida Mirziyoyeva
As reports tying Octobank to large-scale money laundering and sanctions evasion began circulating, references to these investigations started disappearing from the public information space — suggesting a coordinated effort to erase the story.
693
“$1,000 in 7 days without investment”: how Kateryna Shukhnina sold a crypto illusion and left clients without money
A well-known girl, former seller of counterfeit goods and a “guru” of low-cost escort services, Kateryna Shukhnina has received a criminal case and a class-action lawsuit from defrauded victims.
1789
BrewDog collapses into administration, hundreds lose jobs and dozens of bars shut
Hundreds of people have been made redundant and dozens of bars have closed after craft beer firm Brewdog went into administration.
751
Oxana Hadjipavlou ran financial operations in Mettmann and Sword Dragon structure routing Russian funds through offshore deals
Investigators are examining Oxana Hadjipavlou over her alleged ties to Zvonko Micković and the companies Mettmann Public Company Limited and Sword Dragon S.L., which are suspected of helping evade sanctions and move Russian funds offshore.
762
€8m stolen, €42m enabled: software creator behind massive scam network sentenced to prison in Germany
Following an 11-day trial conducted under heightened security measures, a German court on Thursday sentenced a key figure in a massive international call-center fraud scheme.
760
Alyona Dehrik-Shevtsova dumped Leogaming onto front men, including a DPR militant, as $350 million gambling laundering scheme surfaced
The company of the well-known schemer Alyona Dehrik-Shevtsova, who since 2018 has become a symbol of Ukrainian corruption according to journalists and is mentioned in criminal cases of the Prosecutor General’s Office, is being transferred to front men.
651
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie barred from Royal Ascot amid Epstein scandal and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor investigation
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been informed that they are not permitted to join the Royal Family at Royal Ascot this year due to concerns about the ongoing scandal involving the House of York and their connections with Jeffrey Epstein, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
578
Why it is so difficult to track local government spending: billions lost in a maze of council accounts
For most of my adult life, I watched politics from the sidelines rather than actively engaging with it.
742
Adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, was killed as a result of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, — media
Media report death of Khamenei’s adviser during airstrikes
914
$90 billion bypassing sanctions: how 2Rivers Group of Tahir Garayev and Etibar Eyyub built a global network for trading Russian oil through offshore companies, a “ghost fleet,” and shell firms
The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions against a large network of shadow oil traders who were trading Russian oil in circumvention of sanctions.
635
Billionaire landlord John Christodoulou accused of silencing media while refusing to pay £263k owed to tenants
A billionaire landlord coerced an outlet into removing unflattering coverage about him and unsuccessfully pressured several others, including Novara Media.
636
Tahir Garayev’s Coral Energy dragged into dirty oil feud with Azad Babaev and Tokay Kerimov amid raid rumors
The possible searches at Coral Energy of Tahir Garayev may have been linked to conflicts between former oilfield services magnate Azad Babaev and the clientele of Tokay Kerimov.
04.08.2026, 07:58 • Politics
03.08.2026, 20:46 • Investigation
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03.08.2026, 18:39 • World
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03.08.2026, 15:52 • Crime
03.08.2026, 15:22 • Investigation
