North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has left Pyongyang on a special train most likely bound for talks with Vladimir Putin in Russia, according to South Korean media. The North Korean leader appears to be headed to his country’s northeastern border with Russia, a government source told South Korean broadcaster YTN, amid speculation that the summit will be held as early as Tuesday Russian news agency Interfax reported Mr Kim was likely to visit Russia’s Far East “in the coming days” but did not specify when he will meet Mr Putin. Officials in Moscow and Pyongyang have not confirmed the North Korean leader’s meeting in Russia. But Western intelligence agencies expect the two to hold weapon talks at a time when Moscow is looking to expand its acquisitions of military equipment to use in its war against Ukraine. This would be the first foreign visit by Mr Kim in more than four years since before the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the borders of the hermit kingdom sealed. Earlier reports had suggested Mr Kim would leave Pyongyang in the armoured train he has previously used to attend talks with other world leaders, and that he would meet Mr Putin in Vladivostok – which is just 80 miles from the Russia-North Korea border. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

The Defense Department said 10 al-Shabaab members were killed by airstrikes conducted by US Africa Command in Somalia in the overnight hours of Saturday.

A former WWE wrestler who had a fling with Lauren Boebert’s mother in the 1980s has taken a second DNA test to conclusively prove he is not the congresswoman’s biological father. Stan Lane, 69, was accused by the Colorado Republican’s mother Shawn Roberts Bentz decades ago of fathering the child while he was working for Championship Wrestling in Florida. He submitted to a court-ordered DNA paternity test in the 1980s to settle a child support dispute, which found that he and the 36-year-old lawmaker were not related. However, doubts persisted after a lab technician who took Mr Lane’s DNA was later convicted of taking a bribe to switch samples in a separate case. In May, Mr Lane and Ms Boebert agreed to submit their DNA for testing which proved they were not father and daughter, she told the Daily Beast. “I can confirm that Stan Lane is not my biological father. I personally have never publicly claimed he was my father—but certainly, that allegation is out there,” she told the news site. Mr Lane said in a statement to wrestling site PWInsider.com he had complied with the court order in the 1980s after having a “brief affair” with Ms Bentz. “We went through the legal system and completed a court-ordered paternity test,” he added. “I was declared not to be the father and the case was dismissed.” After Ms Bentz learned of the fraud charges against the lab worker, he agreed to a second DNA test which concluded that he had a “0.0% chance of being the biological father,” he said. Mr Lane said the false claims had been “stressful” for him and his family. “I feel my otherwise good reputation has been tarnished considerably. I and other close members of my inner circle have been dragged into this as well,” he told PWInsider.com. “I have also been followed by the news media so that they could get the scoop on this topic.” He said he had accepted Ms Boebert’s apology on behalf of herself and her family, and that his interactions with the Maga Republican had been “pleasant and enjoyable”. “I wish Lauren all the best in her future endeavours. If she continues the search for her biological father I hope she finds the answers she has been looking for.” In a statement to the Daily Beast, Ms Boebert agreed the matter was closed, joking: “The Toby Keith song ‘Who’s Your Daddy’ hits a bit differently now.” Read More Lauren Boebert claims she missed vote on debt ceiling deal because it was a ‘c**p sandwich’ Lauren Boebert’s hypocrisy over children isn’t just absurd. It’s cruel Lauren Boebert denies rumours of romance with MAGA country star after shock divorce Boebert claims she didn’t vote on debt ceiling deal because it was a ‘c**p sandwich’ Boebert didn’t turn up to vote on debt ceiling deal she furiously campaigned against Lauren Boebert claims Biden plan to combat antisemitism will target ‘conservatives’

The CEO of one of the biggest banks in the United Kingdom has resigned after admitting she leaked details about the closure of Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage's accounts to a BBC journalist.

Attorney Jenna Ellis has pleaded guilty to reduced charges over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia

After Russia attacked Ukraine with its latest barrage of cruise missiles, Vladimir Putin made an angry speech to mark Victory Day in Moscow, hitting out at Western countries for starting what he claims is a “real war” against Russia. However, in a sign of the toll his invasion of Ukraine has taken on Russia’s forces, the annual military parade across Red Square was pared back, as Moscow throws manpower and weaponry at the frontlines following an underwhelming winter campaign and an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. “Today, civilisation is once again at a decisive turning point,” Mr Putin said as he again sought to defend his invasion of Ukraine by painting Russia as having been cornered by “Western global elites”. “A real war has been unleashed against our motherland,” he said. The most abiding image of the parade, which took place as part of the annual commemorations of the Soviet victory over the Nazis in the Second World War, was of a single T-34 Soviet-era tank rolling down the road, near the start of what is usually a show of Russian military might in an annual event that has become a centrepiece of Putin’s time in office. The T-34 has traditionally opened the display, but it is usually accompanied by more modern battle tanks, such as the T-14 Armata and the T-74, both of which have been used in Ukraine. The parade included some 8,000 troops – the lowest number since 2008. Even in 2020, the year of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the procession featured some 13,000 soldiers, and in 2022, 11,000 troops took part. The overall number of vehicles could be measured in dozens, while 2021’s event is believed to have featured close to 200. Western nations have said that Russia has had to raid its stockpiles of tanks for the frontline, but the lack of modern hardware on display was stark. There was also no flypast of military jets, and the event lasted less than the usual hour. “This is weak. There are no tanks,” said Yelena Orlova, watching the vehicles rumble down Moscow’s Novy Arbat Avenue after leaving Red Square. “We’re upset, but that’s all right; it will be better in the future.” Moscow has said that the events were scaled back as a result of security concerns over what it has claimed was a attempted Ukrainian strike on the Kremlin last week. The accusation was met with scepticism by Ukraine’s Western allies, and a flat denial from Kyiv. Analysts have suggested that the reduction in pomp has more to do with an attempt to avoid drawing attention to the scale of Russian losses in Ukraine. As for Mr Putin’s fiery 10-minute address, it went over much of the same ground as all of the president’s speeches in recent months – painting his invasion of Ukraine as necessary to defend Russia against a Western threat. “Our heroic ancestors proved that there is nothing stronger, more powerful and more reliable than our unity. There is nothing in the world stronger than our love for the motherland,” Mr Putin said. The Russian president has often used patriotic rhetoric that harks back to the Second World War in an effort to rally his citizens and forces, with 9 May being one of the most important dates in the Russian political calendar. Mr Putin tried to strike a rousing note in his latest address, saying that all of Russia was praying for its heroes at the front. He concluded it with a cheer for “Russia, for our valiant armed forces, for victory!” As for the airstrikes, Ukraine said its air defences had shot down 23 of 25 Russian cruise missiles fired chiefly at the capital Kyiv overnight, and that there were no reported casualties. Moscow has stepped up such attacks in the run-up to Victory Day, and ahead of the anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, which Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said will be launched “soon”. It was the second night in a row of major Russian airstrikes, and the fifth so far this month. “As at the front, the plans of the aggressor failed,” said Sergei Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration. The Kremlin clearly feels a need to keep morale high, with the Ukraine invasion having become a war of attrition, particularly in the bloody fighting around the eastern city of Bakhmut. But Mr Putin’s message was undermined by a new profanity-laced tirade from the boss of Russia’s Wagner mercenaries – the group that has been at the forefront of the battle for Bakhmut. Yevgeny Prigozhin had threatened in recent days to withdraw his forces over a lack of ammunition and support, and on Tuesday he appeared to do so again. “A combat order came yesterday which clearly stated that if we leave our positions [in Bakhmut], it will be regarded as treason against the motherland,” Mr Prigozhin said in an audio message. “[But] if there is no ammunition, then we will leave our positions and be the ones asking who is really betraying the motherland.” Mr Zelensky said Moscow had failed to capture Bakhmut despite a self-imposed deadline to give Mr Putin a battlefield trophy in time for Victory Day. The Ukrainian leader hosted the EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, in Kyiv on Tuesday, in a meeting that served as an opportunity to play up Kyiv’s close ties to its Western allies. “Our efforts for a united Europe, for security and peace, need to be as strong as Russia’s desire to destroy our security, our freedom, our Europe,” Mr Zelensky said at their joint news conference. What is known in Russia as Victory Day is traditionally marked as Europe Day by the EU, commemorating the post-war integration movement that led to the founding of the European Union. Mr Zelensky signed a decree to establish the day as a celebration of peace and unity in Europe. He also submitted a bill to the Ukrainian parliament to make the previous day, 8 May, a “Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism” in Ukraine. “Kyiv, as the capital of Ukraine, is the beating heart of today’s European values,” Ms Von der Leyen said at the news conference. “Courageously, Ukraine is fighting for the ideals of Europe that we celebrate today.” The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, speaking to the European parliament in Strasbourg, said: “Putin is parading his soldiers, tanks and missiles today. We must not be intimidated by such power plays! Let’s remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine – for as long as it takes!” Meanwhile, a UK-led group of European countries has asked for expressions of interest to supply Ukraine with missiles with a range of up to 190 miles (300 km). The call for responses from manufacturers who could provide such missiles was included in a notice posted by the International Fund for Ukraine – a funding mechanism set up by Britain, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden to expedite the provision of weapons to Kyiv. The notice was posted last week, but was reported on Tuesday. Asked at a think tank event in Washington about Britain’s policy on supplying fighter jets and long-range missiles to Ukraine, British foreign secretary James Cleverly declined to elaborate on specific plans. But he said it was important to keep looking at ways to “enhance and speed up the support we give to Ukraine”. “If we’re saving stuff up for a rainy day, this is the rainy day,” he said. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Vladimir Putin gives angry speech at stripped-back Victory Day parade Ukraine mocks Putin’s ‘loneliest little tank in world’ seen at Victory Day parade UK set to make Wagner mercenary group proscribed terrorist organisation

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is at a sprawling summit of some 50 European leaders in Moldova, becoming the focal point of an event that seeks to quell regional conflicts and shore up unity in the face of Russia’s war

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Busy Philipps has shared that her daughter Birdie no longer uses they/them pronouns. The Mean Girls actor, 44, recently revealed that her 15-year-old daughter is once again using she/her pronouns. Speaking to Page Six at the 2023 American Museum of Natural History Gala on 30 November, Philipps said: “The truth is Birdie has decided that her pronouns are she/her.” Back in 2021, the Freaks and Geeks alum shared that her then 12-year-old child is gay and uses they/them pronouns. In an episode of her podcast, Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best, the actor explained that Birdie first spoke about her sexuality when she was 10 years old. “For those of you who are my friends listening at home, this is the first you’re hearing that Birdie is gay and out,” Philipps said at the time. “Birdie told us at 10 years old and we immediately... I mean obviously, I knew that Birdie knew.” During the podcast, the White Chicks star admitted she had avoided publicly discussing the topic to protect Birdie’s privacy. While Birdie gave her mother permission to speak openly about her identity, Philipps acknowledged that she still struggles when it comes to using her daughter’s correct pronouns. “I said: ‘You know, Bird, I’ve been doing a bad job with the pronouns,’” Philipps recalled. “Because Birdie said that they would like their pronouns to be they/them, and I haven’t been doing it, and I said because I have this public persona and I want Birdie to be in control of their own narrative and not have to answer to anybody outside of our friends and family if they don’t want to. “Bird was like: ‘I don’t give a f***. You can talk about how I’m gay and out, you can talk about my pronouns. That would be cool with me,’” she recalled her daughter saying, before admitting about herself: “I f*** up sometimes, but I’m trying my best at that, too.” In addition to daughter Birdie Leigh, Philipps shares 10-year-old daughter Cricket Pearl with ex-husband Marc Silverstein. In May 2022, the Cougar Town star revealed that she and Silverstein have been separated since February 2021 but contemplated how they’d publicly share their decision to divorce with the rest of the world. “It’s been a really long time that Marc and I have been separated,” she explained on her podcast. “Our kids know, our families know, our friends know, and we really discussed how we handle it publicly.” She continued: “The truth is there’s a conventional idea of what a person in the public eye is supposed to do when their relationship ends. It’s been very well established, right? You make a statement, you’re committed to remaining friends, ‘please respect our privacy and our family’s privacy in this time.’ But the truth is, who made that rule up?” Philipps said the thought of releasing a statement about their separation made both her and Silverstein feel “truly ill”. She added that “you can only do what’s right for you and your family, whether or not you have a public-facing life” and “you don’t have to follow a conventional idea just because it’s been done before”. The former couple ultimately decided the best way to “ensure the privacy” of their children was by not involving the public when they first separated. “We’re not fully processed, Marc and I. But we are in a place where we’ve had many conversations, and therapy talks and all of these things where we decided that it felt like it’s an okay time for me to at least say it on this podcast,” Philipps added. “We love each other very much. We have these beautiful kids together and there are a lot of things that really work about our relationship.” Philipps and Silverstein were married in 2007. She previously revealed in her memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little, that she had asked her husband for a divorce in 2016. In an interview with Parents, Philipps cited Silverstein’s lack of involvement in parenting their two children as the reason why they almost split. Read More Rita Moreno says she combats loneliness by making friends at grocery store Strictly’s Amy Dowden shares health update after being rushed to hospital Sam Thompson admits fears about ADHD and parenthood on I’m a Celeb Rita Moreno says she combats loneliness by making friends at grocery store Strictly’s Amy Dowden shares health update after being rushed to hospital Sam Thompson admits fears about ADHD and parenthood on I’m a Celeb

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Attorneys for California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein say in a court filing that she is being stiffed on payments for “significant” medical bills by a trust created for her benefit by her late husband