World
Putin’s hope of returning Russia to empire glory now in hands of ‘pariah’ North Korea | World | News

Vladimir Putin has seen his master plan to bring Russia back to its empire’s glory days crash and burn in front of his very own eyes.
What he hoped would be a swift victory in Ukraine has turned into an 18-month war of attrition, with Kyiv’s forces finally gaining ground three months into their counteroffensive and reports of fed-up military personnel.
His arsenal is depleted and speculation is rife about an upcoming visit from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Vladivostok to thrash out a new weapons deal.
The dire state of affairs in Putin’s Russia has led US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emmanuel to question the Russian’s leader state of mind, noting the pivot towards North Korea can only be seen as an “embarrassment” for the Kremlin.
Emmanuel said: “Put aside the fact this war is an illegal, illegitimate war…the whole endeavour was for Russia to re-establish its empire.
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“And the empire now is depending on North Korea, it’s depending on Iran. Two isolated countries, two countries that are seen as pariahs – that tells you how much of a failure this war is.
“Both for North Korea, for Russia, also for China and Iran, they have a genuine characteristic they share.
“One of economic coercion, one of aggression and one of repression at home, and all four countries also share a characteristic: people are trying to flee them, their own people are trying to flee them.”
While he argued the rapprochement of Russia and North Korea is a blow to attempts to isolate Moscow, the US Ambassador reiterated that Putin turning to Kim for support is a significant PR – and military – blow for Russia.
He told CNN: “I think at a fundamental level, while not helpful, not good for the embargo and the isolation we want of Russia, Russia‘s attempt at building an empire has become dependent on North Korea.
“I think that says it all, there’s not much to add to that.”
US officials also said that Russia is seeking to buy ammunition from North Korea to refill reserves drained by its war in Ukraine.
In return, experts said, North Korea will likely want food and energy shipments and transfers of sophisticated weapons technologies.
“Russia is in urgent need of (war supplies). If not, how could the defence minister of a powerful country at war come to a small country like North Korea?” said Kim Taewoo, former head of Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification.
Buying munitions from North Korea would violate UN resolutions, supported by Russia, that ban all arms trade with the isolated country.
But now that it faces international sanctions and export controls over its war in Ukraine, Russia has been seeking weapons from other sanctioned countries like North Korea and Iran.
Pandemic-era border closures have left Pyongyang with severe economic difficulties, and Kim is likely to seek supplies of food and energy to address shortfalls.
Kim will likely also trumpet expanding relations with Moscow as a sign that the country is overcoming its years of isolation.
North Korean leaders have long valued face-to-face meetings with world leaders as signs of international importance and for domestic propaganda purposes.
World
Ukraine LIVE: Putin to defy Macron, Starmer and Trump as US issues red alert for attack | World | News

Vladimir Putin has suffered another dramatic blow after a drilling rig collapsed and burst into flames in Siberia, leaving three workers in critical condition and raising fresh questions over the stability of the Kremlin’s oil infrastructure.
Footage shared by Ukrainian blogger WarTranslated on social media platform X shows the moment the towering structure gives way, consumed by fire. In the clip, flames shoot out from the base of the rig as the upper deck begins to buckle. Moments later, the entire structure slants and crashes to the ground, while black smoke billows into the sky.
WarTranslated posted: “In Russia’s Siberia, a drilling rig collapsed. Russian media report that wells caught fire last night at the site, and the blaze continues, with two 25-metre flames still burning.
Three people were injured and are now in intensive care in critical condition.” The exact location has not been officially confirmed, and there has so far been no public comment from Russian authorities or state-run energy companies.
World
Expats who moved thousands of miles away reveal why they won’t make UK return | World | News

As more Brits consider a life abroad, one young family has gone viral for boldly declaring they’re done with the UK.
The couple, known as @theunconventionalfam on TikTok, have swapped grey skies and crumbling systems for sunshine and security in Australia, but have since become digital nomads and are currently residing in Malaysia. And they say they have no regrets about leaving. In a candid video that’s struck a chord with thousands of viewers, they laid out five damning reasons why they believe Britain is no longer a suitable place to raise a family, and why they’ll never bring their children back.
From knife crime and overwhelmed hospitals to a collapsing cost of living and joyless weather, their message is clear: the UK simply isn’t working for families anymore.
“Start with the crime,” the couple said. “We were seeing kids, 11 to 12 years old, getting hold of drugs. Knife crime is on the rise, and it genuinely scares us, especially for our kids.”
The couple, who have moved to Malaysia with their young children, say they were also horrified by the lack of respect from British youngsters toward authority.
“You don’t see respect for teachers, police, or even adults in general,” they said. “It’s a different culture now, one we didn’t want to raise our kids in.”
Next, they pointed at the struggling NHS, which has been under “incredible stress”.
They said: “If you want a doctor’s appointment, you have to call up at 8am on the day you may get an appointment, you may not. If it’s important. Otherwise it’s a phone call with a nurse a lot of the time.”
Then came a brutal takedown of the British weather. “Seven or eight months of the year, it’s just cold, grey and wet,” they said. “It’s miserable.
“It’s wet you get back from work and you just have to stay inside. It’s quite depressing, it’s difficult to live that healthier lifestyle.”
The couple’s fourth reason was the soaring cost of living. “A house in the UK is £356,000, rent is £1,200 a month.
“Petrol is £1.48 a litre. Eating out? Easily £100 for a family of four, and that’s for bland, mass-produced food.”
The final reason for the couple is the culture, especially when raising young girls, the filler and botox culture has become rampant in recent years, according to them. “16 to 20 year olds going on a night out and they’re basically wearing underwear.
“These tops that are just a bra.”
World
Light spotted in hunt for British tourist missing for a week on remote mountain | World | News

A light has been spotted as emergency workers search for a British hiker who has been missing in New Zealand for a week.
A party looking for Eli Sweeting, 25, from Bristol has been focusing on a route heading down Mitre Peak, a steep mountain in Milford Sound area of Fiordland National Park on the South Island, after seeing a light there. However, the area is dense, meaning it is hard for infrared cameras to penetrate and detect signs of movement.
In a statement, his sister Serena Sweeting said earlier this week: “Eli Sweeting has been missing since Sunday, May 4, after failing to return home from a hike up Mitre Peak in New Zealand. There has currently been an incredible effort made by the New Zealand Police, Search and rescue, alpine search and rescue, the real New Zealand and from Milford Sound locals.”
In a fundraising post, she added that Eli is one of the “kindest, most compassionate people”.
“We just want him home safe,” Serena said.
Police said this weekend that there was “large-scale air and ground search effort planned for the coming days”.
“While the tramper has not yet been located, police remain positive as the search remains ongoing.
“A Land Search and Rescue team stayed near Mitre Peak overnight to continue the search early this morning.”
Local police say they “remain positive” notwithstanding tricky terrain, which has meant they can only progress 250 metres per hour.
Family members have flown out to help, and helicopters, dogs and locals have been deployed to assist.
The search was stopped on Wednesday and Thursday because of warnings of incliment weather, but the operation started again on Friday and Saturday.
Police add that they are hopeful as they know Mr Sweeting is an “experienced hiker”.
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