More results...
SHE was the stunning Brazilian model who inspired more than a million people on Instagram with her rags-to-riches story – while mixing with Hollywood’s elite, partying with Leonardo DiCaprio and living a life of luxury. Wellness influe…
UKRAINE’S chilling “death calculus” has revealed the staggering cost of each square kilometre seized by Vladimir Putin in his bloody war.
A shocking set of statistics has uncovered just how many men the despot has lost as well as the tanks he has let be destroyed in order to make his territorial gains.
Ukrainian soldiers load and fire an artillery weapon towards Russian positions[/caption]
Russia launched another deadly attack on Russia on Sunday[/caption]
A Russian tank up in flames after being struck by Ukraine[/caption]
The numbers have been worked out by Ukraine’s Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group.
They took into account how many tanks, weapons and human lives have been lost over the war per the amount of land the tyrant has grabbed.
The group revealed that in the first three months of 2025, Russia spent an average of 146 soldiers, one tank, two armoured combat vehicles and four and a half artillery pieces per square kilometre of Ukrainian territory.
Despite the huge toll the war is taking on Russia, Putin has continued to throw his men into his meatgrinder war effort.
Last month, the Kremlin announced they are looking to call-up another 160,000 troops in the biggest mobilisation in the last 14 years.
Despite the huge drive in numbers the country’s defence ministry claimed the campaign “is in no way connected” to the war in Ukraine.
It comes as the Russian tyrant has once again ramped up attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks.
Putin launched devastating missile assaults on Ukraine over the weekend in some of the most intensive and sustained attacks of the whole conflict.
Vlad’s forces unleashed deadly Kh101 missiles from over the Caspian Sea – in breach of the naval ceasefire announced in March.
Nato was forced to raise its war planes in response – both Polish and from other Allied members – to patrol air space bordering Ukraine.
Poland’s command headquarters said: “Attention – due to the intensive activity of the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, performing strikes on objects located, among others, in the west of Ukraine, the operation of Polish and allied aviation in our airspace has begun.
“The RSZ [armed forces] Operational Commander activated all available forces and resources at his disposal.
“On-call fighter pairs have been [scrambled], and ground-based air defence and radio-location reconnaissance systems have reached a state of highest readiness.
“The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the areas bordering the threatened areas.
“The RSZ Operational Command is monitoring the current situation and subordinate forces and resources remain in full readiness for immediate response.”
This blast came just one day after a Russian missile strike on Zelensky’s hometown Kryvyi Rih, killing at least 19 people, including at least nine children.
A further 61 civilians were wounded.
Bloodied survivors were seen staggering into the open or being pulled from the rubble on stretchers as flames roared from shattered buildings.
RUSSIA and Ukraine agreed to a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, brokered by the US.
The deal, announced by Washington at the end of March, aimed to reopen a key trade route and includes a commitment to “develop measures” to uphold a ban on attacking each other’s energy infrastructure.
But Russia said the ceasefire wouldn’t kick in until sanctions on its food and fertiliser trade are lifted.
That also included reconnecting key banks to SwiftPay, easing restrictions on Russian-flagged vessels, and lifting curbs on agricultural machinery imports.
The White House said it would “help restore Russia‘s access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports,” though it’s unclear when the agreement comes into force.
President Zelensky welcomed the deal as “the right meetings, the right decisions, the right steps” — but called the US concession a “weakening of positions.”
He later accused Moscow of lying, saying the ceasefire shouldn’t depend on lifting sanctions.
Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said third countries could monitor parts of the agreement and warned that Russian warships straying outside the eastern Black Sea would be seen as “a threat to the national security of Ukraine.”
“In this case Ukraine will have full right to exercise right to self-defence,” he added.
The agreement also revives hopes for safe commercial shipping in the Black Sea — crucial for global grain exports — but with both sides trading accusations of fresh attacks, doubts remain over how long the fragile truce will hold.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of targeting residential areas and civilians throughout the three-year-long war.
But Russia denies deliberately firing on non-military targets, despite thousands of civilians having been killed in Russian air strikes, including on schools, hospitals and apartment blocks.
Ukraine and its Western allies in Europe believe these horror strikes show the dictator has no interest in brokering lasting peace in the region.
Washington has been trying to hash out the terms of a deal between Ukraine and Russia in a bid to end Putin‘s three-year invasion.
But the Kremlin has been insisting on a list of conditions and demands – delaying the process.
Kyiv agreed on an initial proposal for a full 30-ceasefire earlier this month – but this was quickly rejected by Putin.
Trump has previously said he was “p***ed off” with Putin for his lack of willingness to agree to a ceasefire.
The US President took a rare aim at Putin last weekend after the Russian tyrant called for president Zelensky’s removal in an effort to stall peace talks.
He said: “I was very angry, p***ed off, when Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility.”
He also threatened to impose a 50 per cent tariff on countries buying Russian oil.
Trump’s allies have urged the US President not to directly speak to the Russian tyrant until he fully commits to a ceasefire.
by Martina Bet and Jerome Starkey
VLADIMIR Putin must be slapped with a strict peace deadline to end his deadly games in Ukraine, Keir Starmer said.
The PM issued his warning as European allies met in Paris to step up deployment plans to enforce any peace deal.
Britain, France, and Germany will send military chiefs to Kyiv for talks on creating a multinational force to ensure Russia sticks to any ceasefire.
Sir Keir accused Putin of stalling negotiations to buy time.
He declared: “They are playing games and they’re playing for time. It’s classic from the Putin playbook.”
While he stopped short of setting a precise deadline, he made clear he wants progress “in days and weeks, not months and months”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Putin is not ready for direct talks.
“He wants war, and what can a man who wants war say at peace talks? I’m not going to swallow his narrative. I’m not interested.”
Asked about US envoy Steve Witkoff’s comments that sending troops to Ukraine would be absurd, Mr Zelensky said: “For us, these people are from another planet.”
And when asked what he thought of any progress, he said: “The world moves slower than the country at war. It is going slowly — but I can’t push anyone.”
In a rare criticism of Moscow, Donald Trump said Russia might be “dragging their heels” at talks.
But Mr Zelensky demanded the US needed to get stronger against Vladimir Putin.
A residential building following a devastating air strike in Kupiansk, Kharkiv region[/caption]
Flames engulf buildings in Kyiv following a Russian missile attack in the capital[/caption]
Sunday’s attack was a breach of the naval ceasefire[/caption]
The damage caused by a rocket in Kyiv[/caption]
A TEENAGER swapped his flat for a life on the tracks – and now calls a train carriage his home.
While most 18-year-olds are still figuring things out, Lasse Stolley ditched rent and set up shop on the rails, working and living among commuters every …
BRITS have been urged to chillingly prepare a three-day “survival kit” as spies warn mad Vladimir Putin is plotting to sabotage gas pipelines and cause devastating blackouts.
While the UK continues to pursue Net Zero environmental target…
A BRIT mum who fled to Thailand has been locked up in a hellhole prison claims she has been “left to rot” after overstaying her visa.
Ellis Matthews, 32, has spoken out on the horrors of being imprisoned in a “rat infeste…
AMID the fetid gloom of a derelict Calais wine warehouse, Ahmed Adam insists he’ll risk everything to reach Britain’s shores.
And with prices for an illegal lift across the Channe…
MCDONALD’S has lost its title as the world’s biggest fast food chain after a little known company soared to the top as shoppers feel the pinch.
In just three years, China‘s Mixue Ice Cream and Tea more than doubled its locations, now having more than Starbucks and McDonald’s.
Mixue Ice Cream & Tea has become the world’s biggest fast-food chain[/caption]
The chain has over 45,000 locations, mainly in China, but also in Australia and other parts of Asia[/caption]
Products are on sale at Mixue for an average of 65p[/caption]
Mixue ended 2024 with 45,000 outlets across Asia and Australia compared to McDonald’s with over 43,000 and Starbucks’ 40,576.
With bubble tea and ice cream products on sale for an average of just 65p, Mixue’s popularity has soared as shoppers suffer during China’s economic slump and housing crisis.
On the menu is a selection of bubble teas, a signature ice-cream cone, and a lemonade making the company the biggest buyer of lemons in China.
Customers who visit any of the locations are greeted with the company’s mascot Snow King – a lovable snowman – and the constant ringing of Mixue’s jingle.
Its simplicity is one of the major factors of its success with basic bright-red stores selling a limited number of products.
Meanwhile, the Snow King mascot has helped boost popularity among young consumers.
With outlets across China, and 11 other countries including Thailand and Singapore, Mixue has no plans to slow down its expansion, the company said in its IPO filing.
The Zhengzhou-based company has hopes of becoming more global, the filing stated, with 90 per cent of stores in China.
China’s largest bubble tea, iced drinks, and ice cream chain operates through franchisees rather than directly having a hand in the running of its thousands of stores.
Most of its income is made by selling supplies like milk, coffee and syrups to its franchisees, charging them below average costs.
Mixue also supplies franchisees with equipment.
These efforts mean that the company has a reduced cost of procurement at around 20 per cent less than industry standards meaning it can offer its products to customers for less money.
On Monday, the company’s shares jumped by more than 40 per cent in its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
It sold 17 million shares in the deal at a fixed price of HK$202.5 each (£20.59).
Mixue – 45,282 locations
McDonald’s – 43,477 locations
Starbucks – 40,199 locations
Subway – 36,225 locations
Investors were quick to snap up shares of the company as they are “warming up to the bubble tea market again,” according to Longdley Zephirin, principal and analyst at The Zephirin Group.
In its first public offering of shares, Mixue raised $444 million (£352 million) which was the largest sum of the year for the exchange.
It’s shares rose by almost 30 per cent in early trading giving the company a valuation of over $10 billion (£7.9 billion).
Ernan Cui, a Beijing-based analyst for research firm Gavekal Dragonomics has explained why the company is soaring in popularity.
“People are chasing more cost-efficient products,” she told the Wall Street Journal.
Cui highlighted Mixue’s expansion strategy that saw it focus on increasing its operational footprint in smaller cities where it is hugely popular rather than in major hubs.
The drink and ice cream company began in 1997 when Zhang Hongchao opened his first store selling shaved ice in Henan, a province in Central China’s Yellow River Valley.
The Snow King mascot has helped boost popularity among young consumers[/caption]
The chain began in 1997 and has grown into a behemoth[/caption]
The desire for ‘cost efficient products’ is fuelling the company’s popularity, making it a larger chain than McDonald’s[/caption]
SHE’S a 10-year-old internet sensation with more than a million fans on Instagram.
From chocolate cake to lentil soup and homemade bread, Renad Attallah creates recipes with the m…
A WOMAN bought a fancy property on an idyllic island for £48,000 after quitting a corporate job in America – and has made it her second home.
Stephanie Synclair, 41, quit her big-time marketing stint to start her own consulting business so sh…
AN ENGINEER has decided to quit his job and drop everything to go live on a boat for less than £2,000 a month.
Currently docked in the French Polynesia, Brian Trautman said that life out at sea is uncomfortable and more work than a house, but h…