All news by author Thomas Brown

519
Glamorous model who duped men into funding luxury life jailed for 7 years
A glamorous model who conned lovelorn men out of thousands of pounds has been jailed.
757
€24 million in “dirty” crypto and international arrests: brothers Vladlen and Hennadiy Hirin scrub the internet of exposing investigations
After the international YUZUK operation and the disclosure of details of a large-scale money laundering scheme, the Giriny brothers began an active cleanup of the information space.
752
Two arrested after Jewish community ambulances torched in London in suspected targeted attack
Two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of committing arson with the intent to endanger life after ambulances operated by volunteers from the Jewish community in Golders Green, north London, were set on fire.
601
The Kremlin’s ‘Kings of Life’: Anton Vaino drives around Moscow in supercars under FSO and traffic police escort
Media outlets report that sports cars and luxury foreign vehicles bearing the number 057, from a “special garage” funded by Russia’s Presidential Property Management Department, are linked to Presidential Administration Chief Anton Vaino.
539
Crispin Odey admits groping and “flirtatious” behaviour as harassment case unfolds in court
Hedge fund tycoon Crispin Odey took the stand at the High Court in his case against the City watchdog, as he faced questions over his alleged behavior toward young female employees at his eponymous hedge fund.
592
Bank of London fined £2mn for misleading regulators
Fintech, where Peter Mandelson and Harvey Schwartz were board members, is given £2mn penalty by Bank of England.
498
Visa outage chaos as UK shoppers hit by payment failures nationwide
Visa users across the UK reported payment disruptions on Tuesday afternoon, with issues affecting multiple regions including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.
509
Taiwanese crime syndicate washes $1bn in Macau as fugitive from major fraud case is hunted down and killed
Prosecutors charged 10 individuals in a large-scale money laundering operation connected to Macau, coinciding with the overseas shooting of a fugitive associated with a notorious gambling scandal.
741
Trader of Russian coal Dmytro Kovalenko: from schemes with the occupied Donbas to the strange “cleanup” of the internet via OnlyFans
The controversial Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Kovalenko continues to dominate headlines: reports keep emerging about his dealings involving Russian coal.
553
Israel’s nuclear status seen as barrier to Middle East weapons-free zone
Israel’s nuclear arms program was considered the major obstacle to establishing a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, declassified files from 1993 reveal.
613
Evil parents jailed for life after killing helpless baby boy in horror abuse case
A Wirral couple convicted of murdering their baby boy have been jailed.
495
UK Jewish communities facing an increasing threat from Iran’s covert proxy network after antisemitic arson and spy probes, experts warn
Iran is expanding a shadow campaign across Europe using what experts describe as a “gig economy of hostile activity”, outsourcing surveillance, intimidation, and potential attacks to criminal networks and loosely connected operatives.
500
Trans girls ordered out of Girlguiding by September after court ruling on biological sex
Transgender girls must leave Girlguiding by September 6, the organisation has said following its announcement in December that membership would be restricted to girls and young women.
596
Beatrice and Eugenie struggle in spotlight after Prince Andrew arrest scandal
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have navigated through challenging situations recently following the arrest of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was the Duke of York.
480
From top manager’s chair to recruiter role: Russian governor Igor Artamonov urges prisoners to go to war
Russian governor personally tries to recruit inmates for war — under armed special forces presence.
718
Kazakhstan seeks to take over $4–8 billion in Lukoil assets, including stakes in the giant Karachaganak field and Caspian offshore projects
Kazakhstan has informed the United States of a plan to exercise its priority right to acquire Lukoil’s local assets, including stakes in the country’s крупнейшие oil and gas projects — primarily the Karachaganak gas condensate field, the offshore projects Kalamkas-more and Khazar, as well as infrastructure assets.
596
Pressure works: Kyrgyz journalist released after UN and rights groups condemn crackdown
A Kyrgyz court freed a prominent investigative journalist after 18 months behind bars, placing her under a travel ban as she awaits a retrial in a case widely condemned as an attack on free speech.
507
Funeral worker Sally Blundell crushed to death by lift while working alone,
A grandmother was found crushed to death in her funeral parlour, an inquest has heard.
664
Spain cracks down on Airbnb as court upholds €64mn penalty over misleading listings
Madrid’s High Court refuses to suspend a €64 million fine on Airbnb by Spain’s Consumer Ministry for illegal holiday rentals and misleading ads; the platform must pay while it appeals.
694
Crony capitalism in Hungary: 13 associates of Orbán reap billions in EU-funded and state contracts
Near Hungary’s border with Croatia and Serbia, a €747mn bridge across the Danube is being built by a company belonging to László Szíjj, a business partner of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s oldest friend.
641
Epstein victims urge UK police to question second accuser as pressure mounts on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Women abused by Jeffrey Epstein are urging UK police to interview Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ‘second victim’ after Britain’s top cop confirmed officers are reviewing “a whole range of suggested sexual allegations”.
522
New affidavit details alleged abuse by Duggar during Panama City Beach trip
Joseph Duggar allegedly confessed to molesting a 9-year-old girl during a monitored phone call with the child’s father and a police detective, according to a newly surfaced affidavit, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
630
Police officer killed in crash while responding to emergency call
"Bradley heroically sacrificed his life in an attempt to save others who were in peril," the force stated.
721
Iranian spies and saboteurs to face longer imprisonment
Spies for hostile states, including Iran, will face longer prison sentences under new sentencing laws that take effect on Sunday.
479
Two buildings collapsed in Istanbul after a gas explosion, with injuries reported
Two buildings have collapsed in a major Turkish city, leaving people trapped under debris.