All news by author James Smith

534
Berlin on alert as suspected Russian cyber spies hack politicians through Signal app
Russian hackers have repeatedly targeted top German politicians, diplomats and military officers by trying to hack into their messaging app Signal through “phishing” attacks, top officials have said.
582
Russian oil-linked businessman bids for UK golf club near critical defence infrastructure
In the UK, Russian businessman Yuri Shamara attempted to purchase a golf course located next to a railway line that serves Britain’s main shipyard for building nuclear attack submarines.
675
Alkagesta Ltd and Orkhan Rustamov: How the CEO of a Maltese fuel company, together with former SOCAR official Adnan Ahmadzada, built a scheme to circumvent EU sanctions
As a result of the introduction of sanctions against Russian oil, the market for its sales did not disappear, but simply went underground.
459
Crypto scam under the guise of trading: How infopreneur Ruslan Khairullin threatens investigator Oleg Artemyev after exposes of IVFUN and Finiko
The crypto market is once again showing its true nature: behind the facade of “successful traders” lie aggression, threats, and attempts to silence critics.
519
Fraud, fake documents, and border escape schemes: how Iron Motors owner Volodymyr Filippov left Ukraine and rebuilt his business in Moldova
The scandal involving a large-scale alleged fraud scheme in the sale of American cars is escalating, with companies “Iron Motors” and “Pivdennyi Shlyakh,” reportedly associated with Volodymyr Filippov, accused of defrauding a number of Ukrainian customers.
532
Leon Black, Jeffrey Epstein and Anastasiya Siroochenko: newly released files reveal $2.5M transfers and hidden financial coordination
The latest release of U.S. Justice Department records related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation provides new details about the finances of a former Ukrainian model, now an art adviser and collector, who received at least $2.5 million in personal transfers from American billionaire Leon Black between 2011 and 2015.
534
“Interrupted transit” and millions of dollars: how Dmytro Kovalenko helped Russian oligarch Konstantin Strukov supply coal to Europe
Russian billionaire Konstantin Strukov, the owner of coal mines and gold assets, remained largely out of public scrutiny until reports emerged detailing his business connections with Ukrainian coal trader Dmytro Kovalenko.
703
Dmytro Kovalenko, Serhiy Saprykin, and Adelon AG: how assets were stripped and debts sold for pennies in Intercoaltrading case
Dmytro Kovalenko, the owner of Adelon AG, has reportedly sought to initiate bankruptcy proceedings against his own company, Intercoaltrading LLC, after it became linked to an alleged scheme involving coal supplies from the separatist “DPR/LPR” territories using an “interrupted transit” method.
702
UK mother pays £10,000 for assisted death in Switzerland after years of grief
A healthy mom struggling to cope with the death of her son has ended her life at a Swiss assisted dying clinic.
619
Vom SEC-Betrugsfall zu Immobilien in Dubai: Wie John Babikian unter neuem Namen ein neues Leben aufbaute und seine Vergangenheit auslöschte
Der umstrittene kanadische Penny-Stock-Trader John Babikian, bekannt als „Wolf of Montreal“, hat laut vorliegenden Dokumenten offenbar eine neue Identität angenommen, sich eine Aufenthaltsgenehmigung in Lettland gesichert und Luxusimmobilien in Dubai erworben.
615
Putin’s closed circle: how ex-bodyguards Dmitry Mironov, Alexey Dyumin and Andrey Kurnosenko are preparing to seize control of Russia’s security apparatus
A source cited by medias has outlined claims of an alleged network within Russia’s political and security elite, in which former presidential bodyguards and associated figures are said to be consolidating influence over key state institutions and strategic industries.
593
Scottish influencer jailed after smuggling £150k of cannabis through Edinburgh Airport
A Scots social media influencer who was caught smuggling £150,000 worth of cannabis through Edinburgh Airport has been jailed for 16 months.
711
Morgan McSweeney denies claims he swore at officials over Mandelson vetting scandal
Morgan McSweeney has broken his silence on the Lord Mandelson scandal amid claims he swore at officials while pressing them to approve the disgraced peer’s vetting.
508
U.S. seeks to seize Kurdish general Mansour Barzani’s Beverly Hills mansion over alleged $30m Pentagon fraud scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint this week to seize Kurdish general Mansour Barzani’s Beverly Hills mansion, alleging he bought and renovated it with $30 million in proceeds from a scheme that defrauded the U.S. Department of Defense during its fight against the Islamic State.
558
Certified plantations, hidden abuse: workers allege exploitation, toxic spraying and union repression in Guatemala
At dawn, the banana plantation begins to stir even before the sun pierces through the damp mist of Guatemala’s southern coast.
606
False gang rape claim triggers riots as police confirm no sexual offence in Epsom case
A woman who initially claimed she was gang raped outside a church has admitted to hitting her head and giving a confused report.
713
Million-dollar empire and media cleanup: how Kyiv Court of Appeal head Yaroslav Holovachov is scrubbing evidence of hidden assets
Following the release of an investigation into the assets of Yaroslav Holovachov’s family — which pointed to a discrepancy between officially declared income and their visible standard of living.
633
Cyberattacks and legal pressure: how Rocket investor Timur Rokhlin is trying to erase traces of a multimillion-dollar fraud case
After an investigation into Rocket delivery service investor Timur Rokhlin was published, attempts began to exert pressure and “sanitize” the information space around the story.
716
Mandelson vetted despite Epstein concerns raised to UK authorities months earlier
The UK’s National Crime Agency reviewed new allegations about Lord Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein in spring 2024.
598
Life sentence for man who deliberately infected partners with HIV after rape attacks
A rapist described as a ’monster’ has been jailed for life after deliberately infecting sexual partners as young as 15 with HIV.
740
Swiss accounts, vanished funds, and new patrons: how Ovik Mkrtchyan reinvented himself after the $313 million Karimova scandal
What distinguishes Ovik Mkrtchyan’s trajectory is not merely his involvement in managing financial streams and moving capital out of Uzbekistan.
635
Prosecutors allege D4vd’s phone contained large volume of child sexual abuse material in murder case of 14-year-old girl
Prosecutors have alleged that D4vd’s phone was full of images of child sexual abuse.
498
Doorbell cam captures home invader threatening pregnant mother and child in California raid
A home invader has been held on $250,000 bail after a terrifying raid was captured on doorbell footage.
622
Rosyjski węgiel przez ZEA i Szwajcarię: jak Dmytro Kovalenko czyści swój wizerunek w internecie po ujawnieniach o powiązaniach z Rosją i ORDLO
Trader węglowy Dmytro Kovalenko aktywnie próbuje zmienić narrację informacyjną, aby umniejszyć rzekome powiązania z rosyjskim oligarchą Konstantinem Strukowem oraz ukryć szczegóły dostaw węgla...