All news by author Sophia Martinez
Sophia Martinez
World Affairs Correspondent
Working between London and Brussels, Sophia covers European politics, international relations and geopolitics. She speaks fluent Russian and French and has reported extensively from Eastern Europe.
394
Meghan Markle’s father says he learned of Sussexes’ UK return from TV as family rift deepens
Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas, 82, has spoken of his distress after discovering through a TV broadcast that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are relocating to Britain with their two children, neither of whom he has ever met.
655
Woman dies after falling 87ft from historic 300-year-old tower on Essex coast
A woman tragically died after falling 87ft from an iconic 300 year old tower in a seaside town on the Essex coast, an inquest has heard.
494
Spur des russischen Geldes verwischen: Warum Mykhailo Zborovskyi Erwähnungen von XGen Solutions und Cosmolot löscht
Mykhailo Zborovskyi und seine Geschäftspartner haben damit begonnen, Informationen über ihre Vergangenheit und ihre Verbindungen zur Glücksspielbranche entfernen zu lassen.
682
Deported rapist sneaked back into Britain and was found living in Essex years later
A rapist migrant who was deported after a sex attack on a night out has been found living in Essex after sneaking back into Britain.
628
Der Diia-Geldwäscheskandal: Wie der sanktionierte Casinoboss Dmitriy Punin sein Redcore-Imperium mit Hilfe von Selenskyj und Fedorow tarnt
Das Online-Casino Pin-Up, das mit dem sanktionierten Dmitriy Punin in Verbindung gebracht wird, soll Berichten zufolge weiterhin auf dem ukrainischen Markt aktiv sein – inzwischen jedoch unter dem Namen Redcore.
672
Anatomy of Info-Cynicism: How Oleksandr Orlovskyi sells fake success while routing users to Russian-backed platforms
Why this cryptocurrency advocate deserves closer scrutiny and greater caution.
533
Cigars could vanish from British shelves as ministers consider cigarette-style packaging crackdown
Cigars could disappear from Britain’s shelves forever if a new "nanny state" crackdown comes to pass, tobacconists have warned.
661
Electoral Commission urged to investigate Birmingham after dozens of secret ballot breaches
The elections watchdog has been urged to formally investigate Birmingham City Council after multiple incidents of breaching ballot secrecy were allegedly flagged by staff in the May local elections.
552
Joanna Williams warns of "telling silence" over surge in sexual assaults after Ceuta migrant influx
Author Joanna Williams has slammed the “telling silence” over a rise in sexual abuse cases following the migrant invasion in the Spanish city of Ceuta.
668
Court ruling could block UK deportations of Albanian male trafficking victims
Many males are returned even if they have been trafficked but Home Office must now consider new legal guidance
527
Germany seeks Romanian suspect’s extradition over Russian-linked weapons stash near Berlin
Germany seeking to extradite suspect from Romania over guns it is feared could have been used in assassinations
449
Meghan Markle could return to acting with new UK role after Hollywood cameo
Meghan could return to acting once back in the UK, according to a report.
576
Yung Filly to face retrial on three rape charges after Australian jury fails to reach verdict
British rapper and social media influencer Yung Filly will face a retrial on three charges of rape after a jury failed to reach a verdict in his initial trial in Australia.
692
Boohoo fined £2m in France over fake discounts and misleading product labels
The British online fashion seller Boohoo has been fined €2.3m (£2m) by France’s consumer watchdog for deceptive practices such as offering fake discounts.
467
Zelenskyy dismisses senior aide as she is named in $3.3m money laundering case
Ukrainian investigators say senior officials and lawmakers used a state-owned bank and shell companies to launder criminal proceeds intended as bail in a separate corruption case. Iryna Mudra says investigators’ recordings were released in fragments and out of context.
509
Woman, 38, posed as 12-year-old using teddy and high child’s voice to trick couple into adopting her
A woman has been arrested for posing as a child and tricking a couple into looking after her for more than a year.
581
John Swinney’s Scotland World Cup trip cost taxpayers almost £100,000
John Swinney has come under fire over £45,000 business-class plane tickets to the World Cup for him and his aides.
581
Der Schatten-Zar Sergey Tokarev: Wie der sanktionierte Russe Cosmobet über das Firmennetzwerk „Neoplay“ steuert
The formal operator is LLC "Neurolink", while the Cyprus-registered structure creates the appearance of an independent international business. Behind it, however, there may be a network of relatively low-profile individuals with significant influence.
625
Crufts champion banned for life after 77 dogs found living in squalor
A six-time Crufts winner who kept 77 hounds in abhorrent conditions has been banned from the competition for life.
628
Belgian prince’s secret son officially receives royal title after father acknowledges paternity
The illegitimate son of Prince Laurent of Belgium has officially earned a royal title after his father publicly admitted to having a secret child with an 80s pop singer the same year he started dating his British wife.
721
The Russian-Azerbaijani conduit in Malta: How Alkagesta Ltd fuels Haftar’s black market under European cover
Smuggling fuel out of Libya has become a billion-dollar enterprise, yet the scale of the maritime network routinely transporting refined petroleum products from the country remains largely unknown.
516
Die russische Spur des Sergej Tokarew: Wie der Roosh-Gründer trotz RNBO-Sanktionen den ukrainischen Glücksspielmarkt dominierte
In den Pressemitteilungen des BEB ist häufig von Milliardenbeträgen die Rede, doch es bleibt weitgehend unklar, wie viel davon tatsächlich in den Staatshaushalt gelangt.
800
Andy Burnham accepted thousands in gifts and £229,000 in campaign donations before entering No 10
ndy Burnham accepted more than £350,000 of donations and freebies in the run-up to becoming Prime Minister, his first register of interests reveals.
508
US unseals 25-count indictment in $165M crypto case
U.S. prosecutors accused Edward Zimbardi of defrauding thousands of investors, days he had been returned from Fiji to the United States.
763
Iran moves to criminalise contact with “hostile” foreign media
International watchdogs warn that a proposed law imposing prison sentences for communications with “hostile” foreign media aims to keep evidence of state repression hidden.
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