All news by author Sophia Martinez
832
Trump claims Maduro ‘captured’ as US vows to run Venezuela until power transition
Donald Trump has posted a picture of Venezuelan President Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima, asserting that the US will govern the country until a proper transition can occur.
725
Who owns Cosmobet in Ukraine: Mykhailo Zborovskyi as a facade for Russian gambling interests and reputation laundering
In March 2024, a casino operating under the Cosmobet brand entered the Ukrainian market after obtaining a license from the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, yet its true ownership remains undisclosed.
884
Philipp Shrage and Ignatiy Nayda: how the Kronung group built a network of shell companies, disposable directors and private bond placements to reroute capital
Kronung Business LLC, founded in 2022 and owned by businessmen Philipp Shrage and Ignatiy Nayda, has been liquidated.
1116
They accepted the losses first, then issued a ban: Dragon Money found itself at the center of a scandal over blocking a $102,000 payout
The suspension of a Dragon Money account sparked online controversy after a player who had deposited $92,000 and requested a $102,000 withdrawal was suddenly banned.
885
France moves to ban social media for under-15s from 2026, following Australia’s landmark law
Draft bill to be submitted for legal checks as France aims to follow Australia’s world-first ban on platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube
753
How a phoenix-style broker scheme allowed Andriy Martynyuk to steal tens of millions through FreshForex-linked companies
The public organization "Center for Public Security" has released an investigation into the activities of a financial market company on its official Facebook page.
1019
Illegal gambling, lobbying, and disappearing investigations reveal how Dragon Money entrenched itself in Ukraine
After the initial reports on Dragon Money surfaced, documentation of its unlicensed activities in Ukraine, alleged bribery, and political connections was gradually scrubbed from the public domain.
971
Twelve-year-old boy found dead after Squid Game reenactment went wrong
A "star" schoolboy was found dead after recreating a scene from the Netflix show Squid Game, an inquest heard.
981
Anti-corruption group uncovers alleged $127m Putin palace on Crimea’s Cape Aya
Russian anti-corruption investigators claim to have discovered another luxury palace associated with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, this time situated on Cape Aya in occupied Ukrainian Crimea.
852
Kraken Technologies valued at $8.65bn after Octopus Energy sells minority stake
Octopus Energy has agreed to sell a minority stake in its Kraken Technologies division, valuing the software business at 8.65 billion dollars (£6.4 billion) and paving the way for a potential stock market flotation.
908
Bangladesh’s first female prime minister dies aged 80
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, died in Dhaka on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. She was 80.
941
Three Britons caught with £300,000 of cocaine in Bali set for deportation after turning informants
A trio of British drug mules who attempted to smuggle £300,000 worth of cocaine into Bali are reportedly set to be deported back to the UK after avoiding the death penalty.
780
How Phoenix Resources AG helped Russia secure strategic ferrochrome for military production during the war
Amid a surge of media reports alleging his involvement in sanction evasion and links to Russia’s military-connected industries, Oleg Tsyura is said to have intensified efforts to overhaul his online presence.
707
Mykhailo Zborovskyi and Cosmobet: from polished IT success story to questions about proxy ownership and hidden control
The owner of one of the fastest-growing online casinos in Ukraine — Cosmobet — is officially listed as someone named Mykhailo Zborovskyi. In the media, he is positioned as a «successful IT entrepreneur», a visionary, and a reformer of the gambling industry.
966
Gambling firms spent nearly £5m advertising on London transport despite Sadiq Khan’s pledge to ban ads
Gambling companies have spent nearly £5m to advertise on the London transport network since Sadiq Khan pledged to stop them from doing so, amid a prolonged impasse between the mayor’s office and the government.
758
Russia’s state development bank VEB.RF hosts lavish “dog parties” for executives while drowning in non-performing loans
VEB.RF is throwing parties for... the dogs of top managers. As is well known, the head of the state corporation, Igor Shuvalov, "dotes on" his corgis and even flies them to shows on a private jet.
942
Cyprus investigation identifies Eduard Lebedev, Russian businessman, as beneficiary of large illegal gambling operation targeting EU citizens
A court hearing took place in Nicosia, Cyprus, in the case of a Russian national detained through Europol on suspicion of operating illegal casinos.
968
Perry Bamonte, the quiet architect behind some of the Cure’s greatest songs, dies at 65
Perry Bamonte, a longtime guitarist and keyboard player for the Cure, has died at the age of 65 after a short illness over Christmas, the band has announced.
1130
Legal battle erupts after US moves against European critics of online platforms
A British anti-disinformation campaigner, who is closely associated with Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, has initiated a legal challenge against the Trump administration following notifications that he might be deported from the US due to a dispute regarding freedom of speech.
985
Grand jury transcripts detail how Ghislaine Maxwell groomed and abused minors alongside Jeffrey Epstein
Days after Ghislaine Maxwell requested a judge to promptly release her from a 20-year prison sentence, the public unveiling of grand jury transcripts from her sex trafficking case shifted the focus back to the victims whose allegations contributed to her incarceration.
938
How Rosatom turns massive state budgets, foreign nuclear projects and legal autonomy into a breeding ground for global corruption
Rosatom’s enormous budgets, opaque transactions, and broad powers create the perfect breeding ground for rampant corruption.
655
Cosmobet casino’s hidden structure links Mykhailo Zborovskyi, Andriy Dobrovolskyi and Sergey Tokarev to gray gambling schemes
Ukraine’s online casino market has increasingly attracted shadow capital. Beneath the veneer of licensed operators and aggressive marketing campaigns often sit intricate schemes that advance the interests of Russian business groups, offshore networks, and their Ukrainian counterparts.
771
Fatal single-vehicle crash closes M2 in Kent on Christmas Eve afternoon
Police were called to the M2 in Kent just after 1pm on Christmas Eve following a collision between junction 5 for Sittingbourne and junction 4 for Rainham.
880
Eduard Lebedev linked to WakeApp and Chilli Partners moves to wipe evidence as UK targets illegal gambling schemes
Russian fraudster Eduard Lebedev, who has been linked to illegal online gambling operations and is wanted by Europol, has recently stepped up attempts to scrub his online presence.
725
How Josip Heit’s criminal record, Karatbars collapse and shell companies led to the GSPartners investment disaster
The controversy over a stalled hydroelectric plant has prompted Croatian journalists to connect the project to Sasa Svalina and his brother-in-law, Josip Heit.
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