A World Reshaped by A.I. Needs Museums More Than Ever
There’s a bumper crop of museums opening from Taiwan to Paris to Harlem. Look for stand-alone buildings, extensions, remade landscapes — and two presidential libraries.
Month: September 2025
How to Secure Your Email Via Encryption and Password Management
From emailing vendors to communicating with team members, serious business happens in the inbox. That’s why it’s critical to secure it. These TechRepublic Premium resources can help.
News24 | ‘Children and women were screaming’: Race to find survivors after Afghanistan earthquake kills 900
Rescuers desperately searched on Tuesday for survivors in the rubble of homes flattened by an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 900 people.
How one Canadian’s misplaced signature caused a diplomatic incident at the end of WWII
On Sept. 2, 1945, the Japanese and the Allies gathered to mark the official end of WWII. The process went smoothly until Col. Lawrence Cosgrave signed his name on the wrong line.
Brazil’s ex-President Bolsonaro faces coup trial — here’s what to know
Brazil’s Supreme Court begins the verdict and sentencing phase of Jair Bolsonaro’s coup trial Tuesday, with the former president facing a possible 40-year sentence.
Armoured train, virgin harem and a personal portaloo…inside Kim Jong-un’s journey to Axis of Evil summit with Putin & Xi
KIM Jong-un has made the 20-hour trip to China on board his heavily armoured train as he prepares for the first ever “Axis of Evil” summit.
The North Korean dictator is making a rare trip outside of his hermit kingdom to meet up with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Beijing.
State media showed an image of Kim Jong-un moments before he departed for Beijing today[/caption]
A smiling Kim sat in a meeting room on board the slow-moving train[/caption]
The signature green train – nicknamed the ‘moving fortress’ – arrived in Beijing on Tuesday[/caption]
Kim arrived in style onboard his bulletproof “pleasure train” which is often packed with vintage booze and strippers.
The signature green train – nicknamed the “moving fortress” – crossed the border into China on Tuesday, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
All 21 carriages feature tinted windows to obscure the identities of those on board – including what the Supreme Leader gets up to on his travels.
Each carriage is completely bulletproof which protects the rarely travelled despot but also results in the train being thousands of pounds heavier than normal.
This means it goes a measly 37mph – leaving Kim and his team onboard for around 20 hours as they make the 807-mile trip.
Kim may chose to spend his time on board is any one of his dozens of private bedrooms.
Some of the rooms are reportedly said to be packed with beautiful “lady conductors” – taken from the ranks of Kim’s hand-picked “Pleasure Brigade”.
The woman are said to be examined by a doctor to check if they are still virgins before being allowed to join the the troupe known as “Gippeumjo”.
Conference rooms, an audience chamber and flat screen televisions are also on board.
A luxury restaurant fitted out with top national chefs reportedly serves fine French wines and dishes like fresh lobster.
In true tyrannical style, Kim is even expected to have bought his portable toilet with him for the trip.
He rarely leaves his grand palace without the portaloo out of fear of using public toilets due to what he may leave behind.
As part of a mammoth security operation, Kim’s team don’t allow him to use foreign bathrooms so his excretions can’t be obtained and studied by international officials.
Putin has a similar method to avoid any updates on his health leaking as he reportedly has a personal “toilet searcher” who is responsible for collecting his “bodily waste”.
State media photos showed Kim just before he departed for Beijing.
He was stood with senior officials taking a cigarette break next to the railway beast.
A second image saw Kim sat in a wood-panelled office in front of a large gold crest with the North Korean flag sat behind him.
On his desk sat a gold-embossed laptop, several telephones, a box of cigarettes and what appears to be hand sanitiser in bottles.
Kim travelled alongside senior party and government officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.
He has arrived ahead of a major military parade being put on by Xi to commemorate the end of World War Two.
The North Korean tyrant will be among 26 world leaders attending the event – including his Russian pal Putin.
It will mark the first time Vlad, Xi and Kim have all met together in person since all three rose to power in their respective nations.
Kim’s train is packed with ‘tall, beautiful virgins’ from his ‘Pleasure Brigade’[/caption]
The train has tinted windows so no one can see what is going on inside[/caption]
Kim’s ‘pleasure train’ moves through China during a 2010 visit[/caption]
Kim sat inside the train on one of his rare international trips[/caption]
It is still unclear if they will hold formal talks in Beijing but are expected to greet each other.
Putin has already been in China for a few days now as Xi’s special guest for the event with the pair holding several meetings.
Train travel has always been the prefered transport for North Korea’s dictators.
On Kim’s last trip to Beijing in 2019 he took the bulletproof train.
During both of his trips to meet Putin in Russia he boarded the same train as well.
The tradition was started by Kim’s grandfather Kim Il Sung – who took his own train trips to Vietnam and Eastern Europe.
Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, even had a public fear of flying so solely relied on rail travel.
Kim Jong-un’s armoured train and its capabilities
Here is a list of all the reported features of Kim Jong-un’s beloved train…
Name – Taeyangho (translates to moving fortress)
Top speed – 37mph
Carriages – 21
Crew – 100+
Passengers – 100+
First in service – 1950s
What rooms are on board?
- Luxury restaurant
- Conference rooms
- Audience chamber
- TV rooms
- Dozens of bedrooms
Special amenities:
- Bulletproof
- Tinted windows
- Room for portable toilet
- Explosive-proof flooring
Kim is due to meet Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping who are already in China after days of crunch talks[/caption]
Train travel has always been the prefered transport for North Korea’s dictators[/caption]
Kim will be flanked by a major security team in China for the duration of his trip[/caption]
Death toll rises in Afghanistan earthquake disaster
The death toll from an earthquake in Afghanistan has risen to more than 800, with the country’s Taliban government pleading for international help.
‘India Is Key Partner In The Indo-Pacific,’ Says German FM
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul commenced a two-day official visit to India from September 2 to September 3, 2025, underscoring India as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region and an essential global player.He emphasised that Germany and India share close political, economic, and cultural ties, and that the expansion of their strategic partnership holds immense potential. This
Gold price hits record high as investors seek safety
Experts say uncertainty resulting from US policy is making investors seek safer investments such as gold.
US block on Palestinian visas is a ‘violation’ of obligations, law professor says
As Europe urges Washington to honour its UN obligations over Palestinian visas, RFI spoke to international law professor François Dubuisson about the wider implications of the US administration’s move to block the entry of Palestinian delegates onto A…