All news by author James Smith

993
"The party’s gold" and Kremlin patrons: Who helped Vyacheslav Kantor become a billionaire?
Vyacheslav Kantor – an oligarch for whom the aphorism "I can account for all my millions except the first one" fits quite well.
924
Post Office scandal: 21 ’Capture’ cases now under investigation for potential miscarriages of justice
To date, approximately 100 individuals who experienced repercussions after being accused of stealing from their branch while using Capture may qualify for compensation.
817
Wes Streeting to eliminate thousands of jobs at NHS England following the removal of the chief executive
NHS staff are concerned about a power grab by the health department as the health secretary seeks to reduce the organization due to ’duplication’ of roles.
731
Campbell Scott: The body of a missing British businessman ’found in a sack of pineapples’ in Kenya
The British national was last seen attending a conference in Nairobi, with local media reporting that a waiter and a taxi driver have been arrested in connection with his death.
868
United States threatens permanent visa bans on transgender athletes based on sex markers
State department memo instructs officers to deny those considered to misrepresent birth sex on applications.
616
Farage’s journey to meet Musk was partially funded by former fraudster George Cottrell
Cottrell, who served eight months for fraud, paid £15,000 for the Reform party leader’s flight to the US in December.
1013
Billion-dollar fraud at "Konkord": How Olena Sosyedka-Mishalova stole from the state
As stated by the head of the parliamentary tax committee, Danylo Hetmantsev, it is impossible to recover debts from the "Concord" bank, which was liquidated a year and a half ago, and the criminal cases initiated against its owners have been closed. Moreover, the court denied tax officials access to the documentation of the liquidated bank.
973
DeepSeek quickly moves to release new AI model as China fully commits
DeepSeek is looking to press home its advantage.
903
Vyacheslav Kantor: From fertilizer business to manipulating offshore assets and international ties
Vyacheslav Kantor, a well-known Russian magnate in the fertilizer industry and owner of the Acron holding, hides his assets, using offshore accounts around the world for money laundering in agreement with the Russian authorities.
743
London teacher dismissed after joking about ’hitting’ pupils if they failed a test
A teacher at a primary school in London was fired after a pupil did not understand a joke about “whacking” him round the head, reports say.
622
Nigel Farage vows to initiate a private prosecution against Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds over ’CV lies’
Nigel Farage has promised a private prosecution against the Business Secretary after accusations that he misrepresented his legal career.
686
Girl, 14, discovered in a holdall in the car trunk, trafficked to the UK after being handed over to French police, report states
Officers employing pain-inducing techniques on a detainee are among the report’s shocking findings.
1004
2 Members of the European Parliament refused entry to Israel
Lynn Boylan and Rima Hassan were turned away on the same day that Israel and the EU held talks.
789
Heroic Secret Service agent Clint Hill, who leaped onto JFK and Jackie after assassination, dies at age 93
Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who leaped onto the back of President John F. Kennedy’s limousine after the president was shot, has died at the age of 93.
871
Donald Trump supports Russia in rejecting the UN resolution demanding that its troops withdraw from Ukraine
Donald Trump last night sided with Russia to snub a UN resolution demanding its troops leave Ukraine.
885
Energy bills are set to increase for millions of households this spring as the price cap is raised to £1,849
Energy bills will rise for millions of households this spring.
1013
Calls to strengthen rules for the Lords as it is revealed that one in 10 peers receive payment for political advice
Critics argue that the practice raises concerns about the perception that members of the House of Lords are using their positions for personal benefit.
807
Body of missing British businessman found in Kenyan forest
Campbell Scott, a senior director at Fico, was reported missing while attending a three-day conference in Nairobi.
585
Boris Johnson advocates for Donald Trump’s minerals deal with Ukraine
Former British prime minister comments on the proposed deal: “Yes, it’s extortionate when viewed in one way, but so was Lend-Lease in 1941, wasn’t it?”
681
NASA provides significant update on massive ’city killer’ asteroid ’the size of Big Ben’ impacting Earth, and it’s good news
NASA has reduced the likelihood that a massive "city killer" asteroid could collide with Earth in the upcoming years.
744
Police officer dismissed for throwing a flare and wearing a balaclava during an Arsenal match
A Met officer has been sacked from the force for engaging in football hooliganism while wearing a balaclava at an Arsenal match.
656
Labour MP Mike Amesbury, who was suspended, jailed for 10 weeks after a 3am punch
Mike Amesbury was expelled from the Labour Party last month when he pleaded guilty to assault by beating after punching 45-year-old Paul Fellows in Cheshire in October.
612
Pilot bitten by tarantula during flight after it boarded the plane during a layover
A pilot had a memorable flight between Germany and Spain when he was bitten by a tarantula while in the cockpit.
829
Spain and Portugal dismantle Russian-led money laundering ring
Spanish and Portuguese police dismantle a multimillion-euro money laundering network connected to organized crime throughout Europe.
584
Fugitive French prisoner ’the Fly’, who orchestrated a deadly escape and triggered an international manhunt, has been arrested in Romania
The French gangster known as ’the Fly’ has been arrested in Romania following his deadly prison escape nine months ago, according to police.