Anna Sorokin swindled tens of thousands of dollars while documenting her lavish 'VIP' lifestyle on social media. AP
Anna Sorokin swindled tens of thousands of dollars while documenting her lavish 'VIP' lifestyle on social media. AP
Anna Sorokin swindled tens of thousands of dollars while documenting her lavish 'VIP' lifestyle on social media. AP
Anna Sorokin swindled tens of thousands of dollars while documenting her lavish 'VIP' lifestyle on social media. AP

Netflix's 'Inventing Anna' fake heiress released from jail


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The fake German heiress who talked her way into elite New York circles won her release from jail — but at the cost of a total ban from all social media.

Anna Sorokin, who pretended to be an heiress named Anna Delvey and was the subject of the Netflix series Inventing Anna, has been in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for 17 months for overstaying her visa. An immigration judge ruled on Wednesday that she could be released from an Orange County, New York, facility while she fights deportation.

But the order required her to post $10,000 bail and remain in 24-hour home confinement with electronic monitoring. She was also barred from accessing any social media platform, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

Sorokin posted frequently on Instagram about her glamorous “VIP” lifestyle while conning banks, hotels and friends out of tens of thousands of dollars. She also tried to convince investors, including Fortress Investment Group, to give her millions of dollars to launch the Anna Delvey Foundation, a Soho House-like social club.

Convicted of fraud in New York state court and sentenced to four to 12 years in prison in 2019, Sorokin was released early for good behaviour last year. But she was arrested six weeks later by the US' immigration and customs authority, commonly known as ICE.

The US government had argued Sorokin continued to pose a danger to the community. But her lawyer, John Sandweg, a former acting director for the immigration authority, said on Wednesday the judge made the right decision.

“She hasn’t been accused of committing a crime since 2017,” Sandweg said. “And the evidence clearly demonstrated that any risk she does pose can be adequately managed through supervision, electronic monitoring, parole and the supervision of ICE.”

The Russian-born Sorokin, who holds German citizenship, has been active on Instagram in recent weeks, posting on September 12 that she stood with Ukraine against the Russian invasion. The next day she celebrated her return to Twitter after a year-long absence while she was in custody.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

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Food of choice: Sushi  

Favourite colour: Orange

BIO

Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.

Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.

Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.

Favourite colour: Black.

Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.

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Name: Abeer Al Shahi

Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan

Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.

Favourite activities: Bungee jumping

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The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

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EA Sports FC 25
Abu Dhabi traffic facts

Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road

The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.

Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.

The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.

The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019

 

Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
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  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight

Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.

Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.

Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.

“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.

Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.

Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.

However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.

With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.

In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.

The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.  

The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

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Updated: October 06, 2022, 6:44 AM