Kim Jong-un appears to have chosen his favoured means of transportation for his first journey outside North Korea in nearly four years – a lavishly adorned, heavily fortified and slow-moving train. Mr Kim reached Russia on Tuesday after boarding the train on Sunday. He was accompanied by top arms industry and military officials besides North Korea’s foreign minister. The green-coloured and armoured train carrying Mr Kim reached Khasan station, the main rail gateway to Russia’s far east that is about 127km south of Vladivostok, on Monday, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported, citing an unnamed Russian official source. Vladimir Putin and Mr Kim are expected to discuss arms shipments that could aid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, in a regional summit taking place in Vladivostok. The trip has happened as Russia leans closer to the east Asian country even though Washington has warned against an arms deal. Few have travelled in the North Korean leader’s private train besides the isolated country’s political elite, but pictures posted in state media depict a train full of luxuries. The train cars are painted military green on the outside and have a yellow streak across the body. The interiors are glossy white, with long tables for meetings. Other pictures also show red leather armchairs. The train has conference rooms, audience chambers and bedrooms, with satellite phones and flat-screen televisions installed for briefings. “It was possible to order any dish of Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and French cuisine,” Russian official Konstantin Pulikovsky had recounted, while on a trip across Russia’s far east with Kim Jong Il in a book called Orient Express, the Washington Post had reported. The Russian official had said there were cases of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines and live lobsters. The travellers were reportedly entertained by live singers who were introduced as “lady conductors”. The train has a total of 90 rail cars, with some designed to carry vehicles as well. Reports say each carriage is bulletproof, making the train thousands of pounds heavier. The train is, hence, slow. The reduced speed of the train is frequently attributed to its substantial weight – a consequence of the additional armour incorporated into the train’s structure. Georgy Toloraya, another Russian diplomat who travelled with Kim Jong Il in 2001, said, during an examination of the train by Russian technicians, they discovered armoured sheets positioned beneath two primary railcars employed by the North Korean leader for both residential and official functions. The technicians reportedly also discovered that the railcars originated from the Soviet Union, but had undergone extensive modifications at some later date. According to a report by South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, approximately 100 security agents are dispatched in advance to railway stations to conduct security sweeps for potential threats. Power is deliberately shut off at these stations to prevent other trains from departing. The report from 2009 also noted the presence of a substantial logistical support contingent, which includes Soviet-made Il-76 air force transport planes and Mi-17 helicopters. Read More North Korea’s Kim Jong-un arrives in Russia ahead of meeting with Putin – report Ukraine-Russia war – live: Kim Jong-un arrives in Russia in ‘absolute secrecy’ ahead of weapons talk with Putin Kim Jong-un heading for Russia by train ahead of weapons talks with Putin The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

An armoured train carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia, the country’s state news agency reported today. The train crossed the Khasan station in “an atmosphere of absolute secrecy” this morning, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing footage from Rossiya-1 TV state channel. Khasan is a small settlement in Russia’s Far East and the tripoint where the borders for Russia, China and North Korea converge. Western intelligence agencies expect the two to discuss North Korea supplying weapons and ammunition to support Russia’s war machine in Ukraine. South Korean media, citing government sources, said that the train left the North Korean capital on Sunday evening and that the summit would likely be held today or tomorrow in Vladivostok – which is just 80 miles from the Russia-North Korea border. Meanwhile, Ukraine has made gains on the frontline in the east and south, Kyiv has claimed as it seeks to put Russia’s forces on the run. Ukrainian troops near the frontline town of Avdiivka took advantage of Russian forces focusing on to advance and capture part of the village of Opytne to the south, the head of the local military administration said. Read More Why Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are desperate for each other’s help North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia before an expected meeting with Putin Ukraine ‘many steps closer to regaining Crimea’ after Black Sea gains

An Indiana man was jailed for 110 years for gunning down his ex-girlfriend and her grandmother in front of each other in a parking lot. Gary Cecil Ferrell II, 28, will spend the rest of his life in a state correctional facility for the murders of 21-year-old Promise Mays and 62-year-old Pamela Sledd. Prosecutors say that the August 2021 killings were captured by security cameras at an automotive seating factory in Frankfort. Clinton Superior Court Judge Justin Hunter wrote in his sentencing order that the crime had been “brutal and heinous” and it was appalling that the victims had “watched the other being shot.” “With respect to the murder he inflicted upon Pamela Sledd, defendant shot Ms Sledd after she had turned her back and was retreating from the scene of the offense she had witnessed against her granddaughter,” he wrote in the document, reported WISH-TV. “[Ferrell] acted out an entitlement to control and possess Promise Mays, whether in life or in death, even though she had demonstrated only kindness for the many people whom she encountered in her short and precious life.” Both women were killed with a semiautomatic handgun as they had arrived for their work shift at the NHK factory. Police quickly identified Ferrell as the suspect and eventually caught him after he crashed his vehicle in a construction zone. Ferrell was sentenced to serve 45 to 65 years for each count of murder, running consecutively. He must serve at least 80 years before he is eligible for release. Read More Police officer jailed for one year for stomping on handcuffed man’s face during arrest Boy, 5, accidentally kills himself after caretaker with gun falls asleep Prosecutor asks Indiana State Police to investigate dog deaths in uncooled rear of truck

Ukrainian special forces regained control of a number of oil and gas drilling platforms that Russia has used to help control the Black Sea in a "unique operation," the country's military intelligence (GUR) has said. During the operation, the GUR said, there was a clash between Ukrainian special forces on boats and a Russian fighter jet, which was damaged and forced to retreat. It said the platforms, close to Crimea and known as the Boika Towers, had been occupied since 2015 by Moscow, which seized and annexed the peninsula in 2014. The UK's Ministry of Defence has previously said the platforms could be used to launch helicopters, position long-range missile systems and as a base for forward deployment. "For Ukraine, regaining control of the Boiko Towers was of strategic importance and, as a result, Russia lost the ability to use them for military purposes," GUR said on Telegram. "Russia has been deprived of the ability to fully control the waters of the Black Sea, and this makes Ukraine many steps closer to regaining Crimea," it said. The GUR said troops also captured other "valuable trophies" such as helicopter munitions and a radar system that can track the movement of ships in the Black Sea, it said. It comes as Kyiv said that its troops had also regained more territory on the southern and eastern frontlines as it pushes on with its counteroffensive to reclaim land occupied by Russian forces. The deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said in televised comments that Ukraine had retaken nearly two square kilometres of land around the devastated – and Moscow-occupied – eastern city of Bakhmut, the scene for some of the fiercest fighting of the war. Ukrainian troops have regained control of about 49 square km near Bakhmut since the start of the counteroffensive in early June, Ms Maliar said. Ukrainian troops near the eastern frontline town of Avdiivka took advantage of Russian forces focusing on one part of the battlefield to advance and capture part of the village of Opytne south of the city, the head of the local military administration said. “In my opinion, this is very significant,” Vitaliy Barabash told national television. “To be frank, the enemy overlooked this southern direction a bit.” He called the advance a “thunderous assault operation”. Ukraine's military also said that Russia could launch a big mobilisation campaign soon to try to recruit hundreds of thousands of soldiers from inside Russia and occupied Ukraine. The Ukrainian General Staff provided no evidence in a statement to support its assertion. Russian officials have said there are no current plans for a new wave of mobilisation and that Moscow is focused on recruiting professional soldiers. "A mass forced mobilisation of the population is expected soon in the Russian Federation and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine due to the occupiers' catastrophic losses," the General Staff said in a battlefield roundup. The mobilisation campaign could target between 400,000 and 700,000 recruits, it said, citing different estimates. In Kyiv, the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said during that Ukraine's place was in the European Union, but urged it do more to fight corruption. At meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials, she also heard calls for Western partners to provide Kyiv with more weapons including long-range missiles to fight Russian forces. Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said he had called for Taurus cruise missiles to be delivered to Ukraine as soon as possible. "You will do it anyway, its just a matter of time, and I don't understand why we are wasting time," Mr Kuleba said. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More World War I memorials in France and Belgium are vying again to become UNESCO World Heritage sites Kim Jong-un leaves for Russia by train ahead of weapons talks with Putin Court convicts Portuguese hacker in Football Leaks trial and gives him a 4-year suspended sentence

Steve Sleight, a mountain guide living in Morocco, is helping those caught up in the disaster.

Pennsylvania authorities have been forced to expand the search perimeter in their manhunt for escaped convict Danelo Cavalcante after he stole a transit van and drove to the homes of former associates. Cavalcante, 34, remains on the run more than 10 days after he escaped from Chester County Prison on 31 August. Pennsylvania State Police are facing growing scrutiny after it was confirmed on Sunday that Cavalcante had managed, yet again, to sneak past the search perimeter. Lt Col George Bivens said that the fugitive stole a van from a dairy farm near Longwood Gardens botanical park, where the search was initially focused and a 10-mile perimeter had been established. Cavalcante used the van to travel to Phoenixville, a town roughly 20 miles away from Chester County Prison and 25 miles away from the botanical garden. In Phoenixville, Cavalcante visited the home of two former associates. Around 9.50pm on Saturday, he knocked on the door of a former coworker who was not home and later alerted authorities when he reviewed his doorbell camera footage. Fifteen minutes later, Cavalcante showed up at the home of another individual and law enforcement was eventually notified of the incident. The stolen van was then discovered by law enforcement in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township on Sunday morning. Lt Col Bivens said he believed Cavalcante abandoned the vehicle at least in part because it was low on fuel. Authorities are concerned that he would attempt to obtain another vehicle or has already done so. Doorbell video images showed Cavalcante to be now clean-shaven and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt, black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes. The manhunt has been repeatedly expanded as Cavalcante has managed to elude hundreds of law enforcement officers for more than a week. Mr Bivens said that some underground tunnels and “very large drainage ditches” made it very difficult to completely secure the search area. “No perimeter is 100 per cent secure. We do the best we can. Most times we’re able to secure it adequately,” Mr Bivens said on Sunday. “You couple that with weather, aviation being down during the night ... No excuses, we took over the responsibility and we [are giving it] an exceptionally good effort.” Mr Bivens asked Chester County residents to be vigilant and make sure they do not leave their keys inside their vehicles as Cavalcante will “undoubtedly take any opportunity to aid himself”. State police also confirmed on Sunday that Cavalcante’s sister Eleni Cavalcante was arrested by ICE over “some immigration issues”. Mr Bivens refused to comment on whether she is believed to have aided Cavalcante. Police had been planning to use close to 600 personnel Monday for “one massive sweep” of the search area, Mr Bivens said. “He’s very determined, we are even more determined. He will be held to justice and we are going to bring him back into custody,” Mr Bivens added. Cavalcante escaped while awaiting transfer to state prison. Last month, he was convicted for the April 2021 murder of his former girlfriend Deborah Brandao and sentenced to life in prison. US Marshalls, the FBI, and SWAT teams have joined the full-scale search for Cavalcante. Police had been planning to use close to 600 personnel Monday for “one massive sweep” of the search area, Mr Bivens said. Local and federal police and the state’s Crime Stoppers have offered a combined $20,000 reward for information that leads to Cavalcante’s capture. Authorities have warned the public that Cavalcante is believed to be “extremely dangerous” and have asked anyone who comes in contact with him to immediately call 911. Cavalcante climbed up a wall by crab-walking up from the recreation yard, climbing over razor wire and then running across a roof before jumping to the ground — the same method an inmate used in May before he was captured within minutes. Cavalcante’s escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a headcount. The jailbreak is being investigated by the state’s attorney’s office and a prison tower guard who failed to report it has already been fired. Anyone with information about Cavalcante’s current whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the US Marshals’ Tipline at 877-WANTED-2. Read More Danelo Cavalcante - live updates: New sightings in prison escape search as stolen van found and sister arrest Danelo Cavalcante’s sister arrested by ICE as police reveal his attempts to contact coworkers Police say Danelo Cavalcante has changed his appearance as escaped killer is spotted again

President Joe Biden will mark the 22nd anniversary in Alaska on his way back from Vietnam.

French prosecutors have opened an investigation following the incident in Bordeaux at the weekend.

A security guard is in a critical condition after being shot in the back of the head while attempting to break up a fight at a high school football game. Gunfire erupted just after 4pm on Saturday in a parking lot outside Thomas R. Proctor High School in Utica, the city’s police department said. Police said the game between Proctor High School and Binghamton High School was in its final moments when a fight broke out in the parking lot outside the stadium. Two security guards attempted to break up the fight, police said, before one was struck by a flying bullet. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition. A 16-year-old boy was arrested following the shooting and charged with attempted murder. Police said the suspect is not a current student at Proctor High School, but is enrolled in an alternative educational program. The fight broke out after a security guard turned a group away from the varsity game just moments before the shooting, Utica police chief Mark Williams said. “He suspected that something wasn’t right with this group and he refused to lead into the stadium,” Mr Williams said. The stadium was fitted with metal detectors but the security guard turned the group away before he could be alerted to the firearm. Police believe a lone gunman was responsible for the shooting and have not established a motive, but said it may possibly be gang-related. An investigation is ongoing. School officials cancelled on-campus activities for Sunday and after-school activities on Monday, and said counselling would be available. It comes after 16-year-old was shot dead at an Oklahoma high school football game in August. A 15-year-old boy was arrested, who was not named because he is a juvenile. Choctaw police chief Kelly Marshall said the shooting followed an argument between two males at the game, but she didn’t know what the argument was about. A 15-year-old girl was wounded in the leg during the shooting, while a 42-year-old man was hospitalized in intensive care with a gunshot wound to the chest. Read More Teen arrested in fatal shooting of 16-year-old during Oklahoma high school football game Ten children wounded after shooting at high school football match An off-duty Oklahoma officer fired a shot that wounded a man at a high school football game

Judge Frank Caprio has gone viral after sparing a 96-year-old man from jail after learning the reason for his crime. The man, named only as Mr Coella, appeared in court after he was hit with a school zone violation for speeding while driving with his 63-year-old son in the car. In the clip, Mr Coella explains: “I don’t drive that fast, Judge. I’m 96 years old and I drive slowly. I only drive when I have to.” He then explained he was taking his son to have blood work done at the hospital. “I take him for blood work every two weeks because he’s got cancer,” Mr Coella said. The 96-year-old can then be seen becoming emotional, while Judge Caprio also tears up and dismisses the case. The judge said: “You are a good man. You really are what America is all about. Here you are in your nineties and you’re still taking care of your family. It’s just a wonderful thing for you. “I wish the best for your son and I wish you good health and your case is dismissed. Good luck to you and God bless you.” The clip was shared on TikTok where users were also left in tears by the judge’s kind words. One person commented: “Seeing this old man’s face breaks my heart. Proud dad.” Another person said: “I’m not crying, you are.” Judge Caprio went viral earlier this year after paying off a man’s fine who had walked five miles to court with less than a dollar to his name. Daniel Murray was given five parking tickets and a $250 dollar fine. After hearing about his journey, Judge Caprio told Mr Murray that he would use his fund, the Philomena Fund, named after his mother to pay off the fines. He also handed him $25 so he could get an Uber home. Judge Caprio stars in the TV show Caught in Providence. Read More Police officer killed, another injured in Hartford after their cruiser is struck by a speeding car Man arrested driving to court to be sentenced for the same crime Noel Gallagher handed six-month ban for going 41mph in 30 zone despite not having driving licence

The sister of a dangerous fugitive whose prison escape more than a week ago triggered a full-scale manhunt in Pennsylvania has been arrested by US immigration authorities. Pennsylvania state police provided an update on Sunday afternoon on the ongoing search for 34-year-old Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped from Chester County Prison on 31 August. Cavalcante was last spotted near Phoenixville in northern Chester County overnight on Saturday. A white 2020 Ford Transit van that he stole was recovered by authorities after it was left abandoned in East Nantmeal Township later that day. Lt Col George Biven also revealed that Cavalcante’s sister Eleni Cavalcante was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement over “some immigration issues. Ms Cavalcante reportedly faces deportation. Mr Bivens didn’t say whether she was suspected to have been contacted by Cavalcante, but confirmed during the press conference that Cavalcante had reached out to former coworkers following his escape. The manhunt has been repeatedly expanded as Cavalcante has managed to sneak past the search perimeter several times. “No perimeter is 100% secure. We do the best we can. Most times we’re able to secure it adequately,” Mr Bivens said on Sunday. Read More Danelo Cavalcante update: Prison officer fired over killer’s escape as manhunt drags on after eight sightings Police say Danelo Cavalcante has changed his appearance as escaped killer is spotted again

Greece’s shipping minister resigned Monday over the death of a man who was pushed off a ferry ramp by a crew member after arriving late. A Greek prosecutor brought criminal charges against the captain of the island ferry and three crew members over the encounter in the port of Piraeus, near Athens, that resulted in the Sept. 5 drowning of Andonis Kargiotis, 36. One crew member faces a charge of homicide with possible intent. Amateur video posted online showed the passenger running onto the Blue Horizon ferry’s loading ramp as the ship had cast off its moorings and was about to leave for the island of Crete. He tried to push past two crew members and then was pushed off the ramp when he tried again. The footage showed the man disappearing in water churned up by the ferry leaving the dock as crew members stepped away. The ship was eventually ordered to return but the man was found unresponsive. He was later determined to have drowned by a medical examiner. “No one can imagine that Greek sailors, violating the age-old rules for the protection of human life at sea, pushed and abandoned an unfortunate young man,” Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Miltiadis Varvitsiotis wrote in an online post after submitting his resignation. Political opponents had accused Varvitsiotis, 54, of initially downplaying the ferry incident. He became maritime minister after Greece’s conservative government won a landslide reelection victory in June. Varvitsiotis apologized last week over remarks made in a private television interview in which he expressed sympathy for the indicted crew members. “There are those who grieve for the man so unfairly lost and also those who grieve for the people who went to earn their wage, a day’s pay, who now find themselves accused of murder,” he said in the interview. Christos Stylianides, a former Greek Cabinet member in charge of disaster response, was named as his replacement Monday. Despite its convincing election victory three months ago, the Greek government has found itself on the defensive over its handling of major wildfires and ongoing massive floods this summer. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide