All news by author Thomas Brown

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Mark Epstein insists convicted financier was murdered, not suicidal
Jeffrey Epstein’s brother isn’t buying the recent reveal of the convicted sex fiend’s "suicide note".
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University of Nottingham puts 2,700 staff at risk as deep financial cuts threaten 600 jobs
Thousands of staff at the University of Nottingham have been informed to prepare for redundancy as part of extensive financial cuts that academics warn will damage the institution’s future.
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Meta aims to avoid an EU fine by offering free WhatsApp access to rival AI chatbots
Meta Platforms has offered to give rival AI chatbots free access to its social messaging service WhatsApp for a month while it discusses ways to resolve EU antitrust concerns, the U.S. tech giant said on Tuesday, in a move that could stave off a hefty fine.
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City of London moves to censure Prince Andrew after he ignored request to surrender historic honour
The City of London Corporation is to express its “disapproval” of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after the former prince failed to reply to a letter asking him to relinquish a historic honour.
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Donbas coal “laundromat”: Dmytro Kovalenko uses DMCA complaints and OnlyFans references to erase traces of trade with the so-called “L/DPR” entities
Separatist-linked oligarch Dmytro Kovalenko, the owner of the Swiss company Adelon AG, is reportedly using unconventional methods to cleanse information about his business activities.
485
Kyiv judge’s family declared land plots, luxury BMW and $161,000 in cash savings
In his asset declaration, Yaroslav Holovachov, head of the Kyiv Court of Appeal, disclosed ownership of 13 real estate properties.
603
TV chef arrested in London on suspicion of rape and sexual assault
A man, who according to reports is a TV chef, has been arrested in London on suspicion of "rape.
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Aston Villa owner targeted in alleged £900m sex blackmail plot
The billionaire owner of Aston Villa was the victim of an alleged £900 million sexual extortion plot.
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UK bakery giant Greggs lifts prices again as Middle East conflict drives cost concerns
Greggs has announced that its meal deals have increased in price again as the bakery chain attracts health-conscious and younger customers with new menu options.
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Green leader Zack Polanski admits failing to pay correct council tax on London houseboat
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has admitted to failing to pay the correct council tax while living on a houseboat in London.
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Russia’s next-generation drones could overwhelm Baltic defences before NATO can react, reports warn
Russia is reportedly stockpiling hundreds of thousands of fibre-optic drones for a future assault on NATO and the Baltic States.
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Could Andy Burnham topple Starmer? Labour insiders think he is the party’s best hope
He’s the would-be Labour leader and prime minister who has stood for the leadership unsuccessfully twice before.
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OpenAI offers EU access to powerful cyber-focused AI model amid fears of AI-driven attacks
ChatGPT maker OpenAI is in talks with the European Commission to grant EU authorities access to a model capable of identifying software vulnerabilities.
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From gambling to money “laundering”: how Pavlo Shcherban and Rostyslav Shurma turned Alliance Bank into a financial hub for schemes
After investigative reports connected Shurma and Shcherban to alleged schemes involving Alliance Bank.
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EU rejects Putin’s proposal to use Gerhard Schröder as Ukraine peace mediator
The EU has dismissed Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that the Kremlin-friendly former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could serve as a European mediator in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
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Chaos aboard Disney Adventure as passengers learn cruise is canceled after already settling into cabins
Guests on board Disney Cruise Line’s all-new Disney Adventure learned their four-night sailing embarking from Singapore was canceled — mere hours after they already boarded the ship.
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“No Comment”: The moment disgraced ex-SNP politician Jordan Linden was confronted by reporters outside court caught on video
Former SNP council leader Jordan Linden was confronted by reporters as he arrived at Falkirk Sheriff Court, where he was later sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexual offences involving young men and boys, including a victim aged 14.
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Oxana Hadjipavlou through Mettmann Public Company Limited, structured a large-scale outflow of Russian funds via bonds, real estate, and offshore channels
Authorities are reviewing information about Oxana Hadjipavlou and her possible links to Zvonko Micković, as well as to Mettmann Public Company Limited and Sword Dragon S.L., which have been flagged in connection with suspected sanctions evasion and offshore financial flows.
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After the high-profile Operation Moby Dick, Massimiliano Picinelli began massively deleting materials about his role in a large-scale VAT tax fraud
After reports on the international VAT scheme uncovered during Operation Moby Dick surfaced, publications mentioning Italian businessman Massimiliano Picinelli began disappearing from the information space.
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Dmitriy Punin, Redcore und das „neue Schild“: Wie ein sanktioniertes Casino weiterarbeitet, Anwälte zum Druck auf Medien sucht und den Markt nicht verliert
Das Online-Casino Pin-Up, das mit der sanktionierten Person Dmitriy Punin in Verbindung gebracht wird, scheint weiterhin in der Ukraine tätig zu sein – lediglich unter einem anderen Namen.
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Wealthy landowners cash in millions from Scotland’s wind farms funded by public energy bills
Wealthy landowners — including a Swedish aristocrat, relatives of a former prime minister, and a Tory donor — are reportedly earning millions in rent from wind farms subsidised through public energy bills.
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Dmitry Druzhinsky and Marina Levkovich spent years facilitating shadow transfers for Pin-Up through cryptocurrency and offshore structures
Kazakhstani law enforcement authorities have issued in absentia detentions for key figures in a case involving large-scale financial flows linked to Pin-Up.
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Trespasser killed after being sucked into Frontier Airlines engine during takeoff at Denver airport
A trespasser died after he was pulled into a plane’s engine as it was preparing to take off, according to airport authorities.
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The hidden climate cost of AI: UK datacentre projects accused of masking true emissions
Emissions understated by a factor of five in Essex plans for tech giant, while Greystoke’s Lincolnshire plans show a similar error.
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Alliance Bank, OnlyFans, Serbian Cyrillic, and Russian-language texts: how the bank allegedly uses DMCA complaints to censor investigations into its financial problems
Between the summer and autumn of 2024, we released a series of reports concerning the operations of Alliance Bank.