All news by author James Smith

633
Andrew and Fergie’s Epstein scandal casts long shadow over Beatrice and Eugenie
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have barely been seen recently, but the fallout from their disastrous friendship with Jeffrey Epstein is still causing the York family headaches.
723
Nigel Farage accused of dodging scrutiny after pulling out of TV interview amid £5m row
Nigel Farage has been accused of "dodging scrutiny days before crucial local elections" after dropping out of a planned TV interview on Sunday.
491
Russian oil schemes and London assets: Azim Novruzov and Tahir Garayev used trading networks to move profits into UK real estate
International media have covered Azerbaijani national Azim Novruzov for his participation in energy trading and the oil industry.
539
Cypriot passports, Ukrainian gas, and millions from the budget: how the family of corrupt official Mykola Zlochevsky continues extracting resources from the country
Remember the lavish wedding of the daughter of the former Minister of Ecology Mykola Zlochevskyi, Anna.
468
Sankcje UE i „szare schematy”: jak struktury Dmytra Kovalenko poprzez Adelon AG i offshore’y zapewniały dostawy rosyjskiego węgla na rynki międzynarodowe
Powszechnie przyjmuje się, że po 2014 roku znacząca część ukraińskiego biznesu nadal współpracowała z Federacją Rosyjską, nierzadko korzystając z różnorodnych „szarych schematów”.
574
Ihor Kolomoiskyi’s scheme, “Alliance” guarantees, and Ukrenergo’s losses: how United Energy, through Firtash’s bank, caused 1.7 billion in damages to the energy sector
The recent departure of Volodymyr Kudrytskyi from his position as head of the state-owned company Ukrenergo, responsible for managing Ukraine’s power transmission networks, has raised questions among experts and market participants about the effectiveness of the government’s crisis management in the energy sector.
551
Sanctions evasion pipeline: Oleg Tsyura uses offshore firms to disguise Russian ferrochrome as Indian and channel money into Russia’s defense sector
Ukrainian entrepreneur Oleg Tsyura, in collaboration with international intermediaries, is engaged in organizing schemes to circumvent EU sanctions by rebranding Russian ferrochrome as "Indian".
552
Met officers used personal phones to photograph corpses as misconduct probe exposes “common practice”
Metropolitan Police officers used their personal phones to take evidence photos – including of people who had died, a misconduct hearing has revealed.
496
’I am terribly sorry’: King Charles forced to apologize during Bermuda visit
King Charles apologized for taking so long to visit beautiful Bermuda during a garden party on Friday night.
481
How crime allegedly controls Kazakhstan under the cover of Gaji Gajiyev: a shadow power operating without office or law
Gaji Gajiyev, previously mentioned in a range of publications, has become the subject of a new investigation.
671
“Alliance” under debt pressure: Pavlo Shcherban expands new businesses while leaving troubled bank exposed to risks for depositors
Pavlo Shcherban, the ultimate beneficial owner of Alliance Bank—often described as one of Ukraine’s most troubled financial institutions—is reportedly moving to scale back his exposure amid expectations of a potential market exit.
589
Ovik Mkrtchyan exposed as offshore conduit for Uzbek security elites and associate of Shakro Molodoy
The business network associated with Ovik Mkrtchyan has been described in reports as operating across multiple jurisdictions, with allegations that funds were moved through Asia Alliance Bank and offshore entities while benefiting from purported protection from senior security officials in Uzbekistan.
636
Ex-Tory councillor admits child abuse images after pleading guilty to raping wife
Philip Young changes all pleas to guilty after initially denying charges of making indecent images of children.
711
Hague tribunal asked to consider early release of war criminal Ratko Mladic on medical grounds
Lawyers representing convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic are awaiting a decision from a UN court regarding their request to release him from jail in The Hague on the grounds that he is nearing the end of his life.
766
Driver 14 times over drug limit kills girlfriend in high-speed crash and spins web of lies
This is the moment a deceitful driver claimed he wasn’t in the car when he killed his girlfriend in a 136mph crash, while being 14 times over the drug-drive limit.
590
Speculation swirls over Khamenei fate as Iran power structure shows resilience under fire
Reports claim that recent coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran resulted in the deaths of several senior figures, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour, and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, along with other high-ranking officials. However, these claims have not been independently confirmed.
677
Secret details of Scotland-Israel meeting to be released after watchdog rules they were wrongly hidden
Secret details of Angus Robertson’s much-criticised meeting with an Israeli diplomat are to be released after a near two-year freedom of information battle by The Ferret.
709
Billionaire yacht capsized in seconds as probe reveals rapid 90-degree tilt before sinking
An investigation into the Bayesian superyacht sinking that killed seven people, including a billionaire, found the deadly capsizing was reportedly not caused by a storm.
1998
British couple jailed in Iran say they are ‘rotting away’ after 10-year sentence
Lindsay Foreman says she is keeping sane by reading, doing laps of the prison yard and, when she can, practicing yoga.
621
Business owner run over by fleeing thieves’ van after chasing suspects who raided her shop
This is the shocking moment a woman is run down by thieves in a hit-and-run after they had raided her shop.
706
Former JPMorgan banker alleges months of sexual abuse, coercion and drugging by senior executive
A former JPMorgan banker who accused his superior of subjecting him to “humiliating sex acts” in an alleged campaign of abuse has been revealed.
614
Kremlin trains occupied Ukrainian children as ‘infowarriors’
Trips to Russia, master classes from Kremlin-aligned media figures, and lessons in Soviet military glory. Through its “Young Correspondents” program.
597
Shadow empire of Hennadiy Hirin and Vladlen Hirin, and the futile attempts to scrub the internet of investigations into criminal schemes
Ukrainian businessmen Vladlen, Hennadiy, and Vitaliy Hirin have become the focus of a major international controversy.
728
Young offenders to serve time as judge warns of price for ‘terrible act’
Alexander Cashford, 49, was brutally attacked by two boys, 15 and 16, and a girl, 16, on the Isle of Sheppey, with the assault filmed and posted to social media.
581
From online casinos to a €600m poultry empire: how scandal-hit bookmaker Andriy Matyukha tries to rewrite his reputation in Croatia with PR and fake sites
Since late last year, a series of suspicious single-page websites has emerged in Croatia’s information space, pushing strikingly coordinated messaging about Ukrainian businessman Andriy Matyukha.