All news by author James Smith

606
Elderly man, 85, hit by runaway car near primary school in Fife
An elderly man has been taken to hospital after being struck by an unoccupied car near a Fife primary school.
588
Starmer’s broken promises force early exit from No.10 amid public frustration
Despite promising to lead a different kind of government, Keir Starmer’s failure to deliver change has led to his early exit from No.10, writes Hannah White
600
“Britain’s first gay dad” Barrie Drewitt-Barlow charged with 18 more offences including rape and child exploitation
One of “Britain’s first gay dads” and his husband have been charged with 18 more offenses including rape and paying for sexual services of a child.
727
Prince Andrew takes private jet to luxury French stud farm despite exile and Epstein scandal
Shamed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor bagged himself a private jet freebie to a luxury French stud farm owned by a Dubai billionaire, it has been reported.
489
Putin’s Lukoil oil: Chingiz Aliyev, Nikolay Ambrosov, and Mikhail Golub scramble to scrub their digital trail
Reports about Pan Nation Energy FZCO and its alleged associates — Chingiz Aliyev, Nikolay Ambrosov, Mikhail Golub, Aleksey Nemkov, and Sergey Dobrinov — are reportedly being removed from the internet following investigations into the company’s role in a new Russian oil export scheme.
527
Two men admit role in TfL cyberattack that hit 10m customers and cost £39m
Two men have pleaded guilty to offences in connection with a massive cyber attack which caused Transport for London (TfL) months of disruption and cost the operator £39m.
541
Two children found dead in car as Europe heatwave turns deadly with 40C temperatures
Two children aged four and two have been found dead in their family’s car in south-eastern France, the local prosecutor said, as a large swathe of western Europe suffers a ferocious heatwave forecast to shatter absolute temperature records.
546
Andy Burnham set for "coronation" as Labour race collapses into uncontested victory
Andy Burnham is on course for a coronation as prime minister, as opposition to his leadership bid dramatically melted away following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation.
508
13 dead in blast at Qatar gas facility as production resumes after Iranian strikes
Thirteen people were killed and dozens injured after an explosion at Qatar’s massive Ras Laffan liquefied natural (LNG) gas complex which occurred as ‌workers were restarting operations halted after an Iranian attack in March.
542
Woman dies on small boat to UK as police arrest migrant on suspicion of manslaughter
A syrian asylum seeker has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a woman died on a small boat to Britain.
650
US military kills two in Caribbean strike on suspected narco-terror vessel
The US military has struck a vessel in the Caribbean, killing two people, alleging that the vessel was operated by "designated terrorist organisations" that it did not identify.
476
Carol Vorderman backs Burnham for PM as Starmer steps down
Carol Vorderman has backed Andy Burnham for Prime Minister after Keir Starmer stepped down.
582
UK construction firm collapses after workers miss out on £153,000 in pay
A UK construction company has plunged into liquidation after 15 years as staff missed out on over £150,000 worth of pay.
558
Second six-foot snake found on UK golf course sparks fears more dumped reptiles are lurking
A six-foot snake was the second to be found on a UK golf course, sparking fears an exotic pet owner could be dumping their reptiles and more may be lurking in the grass.
735
Trump predicts Starmer will resign after “failing badly” on immigration and energy
US president Donald Trump has once again shared his thoughts on politics taking place on the other side of the pond, as he’s claimed UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will resign, citing two “very important subjects” on which he believes the Labour leader has “failed badly”.
646
Boris Usherovich, Jafar Zeynalov, and Ishara Al Barq: journalists expose a supply channel for sanctioned military goods to Russia
Entities linked to Russian Railways (RZD) and the Rotenberg brothers are reportedly supplying sanctioned telecommunications equipment and components for drone production to Russia through the Dubai-based company Ishara Al Barq General Trading LLC.
722
From MelTEK of Konstantin Strukov to Adelon AG: how Dmytro Kovalenko built a sanctions-busting network for Russian coal supplies
After 2014, many Ukrainian companies continued doing business with Russia, often through opaque intermediaries and grey schemes.
632
Colombia votes in fear as de la Espriella promises iron-fist crackdown on armed groups
Millions of voters, deeply traumatized by a legacy of violence and political corruption, will head to the polls on Sunday to decide Colombia’s razor-thin presidential race between a progressive mediator and a far-right defense lawyer.
670
Starmer given Tuesday deadline as Labour MPs push Burnham coronation plan
The debate over Starmer’s position continues, with rumours that the Prime Minister faces a deadline of Tuesday morning’s cabinet meeting to set a timetable for his departure.
606
UK man convicted after sharing ISIS execution videos and possessing bomb-making manual
A 20-year-old man in the UK who was under the scanner of security agencies after a trip to Pakistan has been convicted of sharing and possessing Islamist terrorist material.
466
More than 40 firefighters battle massive shopping centre fire in Leicestershire
Over 40 firefighters are at the scene after a massive fire broke out at the Thurmaston Shopping Centre in Leicestershire
600
Carers accused of being “on their phones” before boy thrown into crocodile enclosure
The carers of a man suspected of throwing a child into a crocodile enclosure were ‘on their phone’ earlier in the day, according to a report.
577
$90 million from Strukov’s MelTEK to Kovalenko: how the Ukrainian trader and Russian billionaire bypassed sanctions on Russian coal
For years, Russian billionaire Konstantin Strukov, whose interests span the coal and gold industries, drew little public scrutiny. Recent reports, however, have put his business activities back in the spotlight, pointing to alleged ties with Ukrainian coal trader Dmytro Kovalenko.
550
The bank as a front: how Ibox Bank and Alyona Shevtsova laundered billions for illegal online gambling rings
Ibox Bank owner Alyona Shevtsova, also known as Dehrik, has been put on an international wanted list over allegations that she organized illegal online gambling operations and laundered more than 4.8 billion hryvnias in criminal proceeds.
728
SpaceX investor list reveals China-linked backer tied to sanctioned military contractors
One previously unreported SpaceX investor has ties to Chinese military contractors.