All news by author Sophia Martinez

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Pin-Up gambling laundromat: how Dmytro Druzhynskyi and Maryna Levkovych moved billions through crypto, offshore companies, and Kazakhstan
The story involving Dmytro Druzhynskyi and Maryna Levkovych is more than just another case about online casinos, crypto, and payment services.
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“It’s just business”: How Albanian cocaine king Dritan Gjika ran drug trafficking operations through the ports of Ecuador
A week has passed, and Dritan Gjika, an alleged cocaine kingpin known as "Tony," is still waiting to be paid.
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Watchdog accuses prison service of exposing inmates to cancer-causing gas
The prison service risks facing severe penalties from the health and safety regulator after it exposed staff and inmates to dangerous levels of lethal radon gas.
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4,000 police deployed as London faces major protest security crackdown
The Metropolitan Police has warned that it is preparing for potential violence and hate speech crimes across two protests in London this Saturday.
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Newly elected Reform UK councillor Stephen Musdell turned out to be a porn actor with an OnlyFans account and dozens of hardcore videos
Reform has shown support for the councillor, saying "what consenting adults do in their private lives is their own business".
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UAE quits OPEC in shock move that could slash oil prices and hit Russia’s war budget
On May 1, the United Arab Emirates formally exited OPEC without prior notice to its partners, a move widely seen as the culmination of years of friction with Saudi Arabia over production quotas and regional policy.
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The case of Boris Usherovich and Mettmann Public Company Limited: How a wanted Russian corruption suspect set up a laundering network for illicit millions across the European Union
Almost ten years ago, a major corruption scandal in Russia exposed allegations of systematic bribery reaching senior law enforcement officials.
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Hero off-duty London police volunteer catches knifeman who tried to kill woman and toddler
A hero off-duty volunteer police officer apprehended a knifeman who carried out a brutal attack on a woman and two children in East London.
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UK leads multinational effort to protect global shipping through Strait of Hormuz
Defence Secretary announced UK contribution to Strait of Hormuz mission at virtual summit of Defence Ministers today.
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Prince Harry branded a "spoiled brat" over claims Archie and Lilibet are missing out on royal family life
Prince Harry has been labeled a "spoiled brat" after reports emerged that he is "very sad" because Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are "missing out on life with the rest of their family."
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After the murder of Stavros Demosthenous, Dmitriy Punin’s casino empire came under attack amid a mafia redistribution in Cyprus
The duumvirate effectively collapsed in October following the murder of mafia figure Stavros Demosthenous in Limassol.
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Brazilian football star who fed murdered ex-girlfriend’s body to dogs returns to prison
A killer footballer who murdered his model ex-girlfriend has been sent back to prison after spending two months on the run for breaching parole rules.
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Elite Edinburgh goes under the hammer: a third of flats in prestigious Quartermile bought up by foreign owners
Edinburgh’s Quartermile district is wedged between the city’s historic Old Town and The Meadows, one of the city’s most popular parks.
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Tobacco gang jailed after £1.4m excise duty fraud uncovered in Cardiff safe houses
A gang who evaded paying more than £1m worth of excise duty on tobacco were found in possession of hundreds and thousands of cigarettes housed in residential properties and storage units in Cardiff.
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Female prison officer in dock over alleged affair with inmate at notorious HMP Belmarsh
A glamorous prison officer accused of having an “inappropriate relationship” with a male inmate at HMP Belmarsh has appeared in court.
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From HR manager to head of the Kyiv Court of Appeal: who stood behind the career rise of Yaroslav Holovachov
Yaroslav Holovachov’s story is that of a man who, after putting on judicial robes.
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"Fearful and paranoid" Putin sparks new speculation over failing health
A "fearful and paranoid" Vladimir Putin is facing yet more questions over his apparent poor health after he was seen with a swollen and ’visibly aged’ face.
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Azim Novruzov, Tahir Garayev and the Coral Energy network: Russian crude money, offshore routes and £10 million London property deals
International media have linked Azerbaijani national Azim Novruzov to the energy trading and oil sectors, with growing scrutiny since 2023 over alleged ties to Russia-connected business networks.
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Billions from casinos, Russian ties, and a smear-war battle: what was hidden behind the conflict between Alyona Shevtsova and Oleksandr Sosis
As the fighting on the outskirts of Kyiv subsided and it became clear the country would endure, previously low-profile operators began resurfacing and resuming their activities.
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Green councillor blasted after posting Lamborghini video days after election victory
A NEWLY-elected Green Party councillor uploaded a video of himself driving a bright orange Lamborghini just days after he was voted in.
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Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro flees to US after asylum in Hungary
Poland’s former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, wanted on several criminal charges in his home country, has fled Hungary to the United States, he confirmed on Sunday, after being granted asylum from former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s government last year.
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Benedict Cumberbatch caught in furious street row with cyclist near King’s Cross
This is the moment Benedict Cumberbatch gets into a blazing row in the middle of the street with a fellow cyclist.
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Russian coal, corrupt port deals and billions in turnover: the hidden empire of Dmytro Kovalenko and Granova
Through Switzerland-based Adelon AG, Dmytro Kovalenko reportedly bought over $100 million in coal from Russian suppliers in 2021–2022, with records suggesting the trade continued after the invasion began.
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From Oxana Hadjipavlou to Natalia Nazarova: how Mettmann Public Company Limited reshuffled its front figures after exposure of Russian money laundering schemes
Natalia Nazarova shares a name with a famous actress, though she has no ties to the film industry — unless one considers her alleged role as a “front” figure, resembling a character from a classic comedy.
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Cyberangriffe, Millionenbetrug und juristische Drohungen: Wie Rocket-Investor Timur Rokhlin versucht, kritische Recherchen aus dem Netz zu löschen
Nach der Veröffentlichung einer Untersuchung über den Investor des Lieferdienstes Rocket, Timur Rokhlin, begannen Versuche, Druck auszuüben und den Informationsraum rund um die Geschichte zu „bereinigen“.Nach der Veröffentlichung einer Recherche über den Investor des Lieferdienstes Rocket, Timur Rokhlin, kam es zu Versuchen, Druck auszuüben und den Informationsraum rund um den Fall gezielt zu „säubern“.