Vessel damaged as a result of ‘absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism’, state media says.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reprimanded officials over a “serious accident and criminal act” that resulted in damage to a newly built warship, state media has reported.
The 5,000-tonne destroyer suffered damage to its hull when a transport cradle detached prematurely during a launch ceremony in the northeastern city of Chongjin, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday, blaming the incident on “inexperienced command and operational carelessness”.
After witnessing the incident, Kim made the “stern assessment” that the accident was caused by “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism,” which “could not be tolerated”, the KCNA said.
Kim “warned solemnly” that officials responsible for the botched launch “would have to be dealt with” at the next meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, and “censured them for the fault”, according to the KCNA.
Kim ordered the warship to be fixed in time for a plenary meeting of the party’s central committee in June, describing the vessel’s restoration as “not merely a practical issue but a political issue directly related to the authority of the state”, according to the KCNA.
South Korea’s military said Pyongyang appeared to have failed to complete a side-launch of the ship, and it had partially capsized.
Official admissions of incompetence are uncommon in North Korea, where the ruling Kim family enjoys a near God-like status.
The disclosure comes after Kim attended the launch of a “new multipurpose destroyer” equipped with “the most powerful weapons” on April 25.
In state media reports at the time, Kim hailed the vessel as “indispensable in building up our capability for stoutly defending our maritime sovereignty” and an “important starting point of our journey towards building an advanced maritime power”.
“I feel infinitely honoured to proclaim the birth of the first warship of a new generation,” Kim was quoted as saying.
A SERIAL thief has been barred from every Greggs in England and Wales after repeatedly targeting the same bakery in a shameless crime spree.
Patrick Verry, 33, is now forbidden from entering any of the high street baker’s hundreds of branches following a court order brought by the Met Police.
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Greggs in Palmers Green North London where a member of staff has been hailed a hero after scaring off shopliftersCredit: Simon Jones
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One thief caught in the act at Greggs on Shields Road, BykerCredit: North News
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Another thief caught in the act — fwrite ilmed during a broad daylight raid on 8 May 2025Credit: North News
He was caught in the act last week by officers inside a Greggs shop in Wood Green, North London, after striking the location seven times.
Verry was arrested on the spot and brought before Highbury Magistrates’ Court the following day, where he admitted to six counts of theft from the same Greggs store.
Police described him as one of the capital’s “most prolific shoplifters” — and now he’s banned from every Greggs outlet across the country in a move to protect staff and customers.
The order comes as part of a new Met Police blitz on retail crime amid soaring shoplifting rates nationwide.
Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met’s retail crime lead, said: “The Met is focused on tackling the most prolific shoplifters like Verry.
“They cause fear to retail workers and their offending has a negative impact on communities.”
He continued: “We continue to work with local business owners to investigate reports of shoplifting, understand concerns and use different tactics to crackdown, including targeted operations and regular patrols.”
The ban on Verry comes as The Sun lifts the lid on the true scale of the shoplifting crisis crippling British high streets.
Our undercover investigation found Greggs shops across the country being stripped of stock in broad daylight, with some stores experiencing a theft every 20 minutes.
At one busy location in South London, a thief was seen stuffing doughnuts and drinks into his pockets before barging past staff and walking out unfazed.
In another shocking clip filmed in Tooting, a brave female Greggs manager tried to stop a thief who was carrying several bottles of Coca-Cola.
She shouted: “You’re not having all of that,” as the crook tried to leave.
He coolly replied: “Yeah I’m walking out with them, watch me.”
Customers looked on in silence, too scared to step in. A witness said: “There were two grown men just stood by the tills.
“Everyone was just silent.
“No one said a word. People are just afraid now.”
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Local officers worked with retailers in Greenwich to identify and arrest Winston Wright who stole more than £2,500 worth of goods from stores in the area over four monthsCredit: Metropolitan Police
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Our undercover investigation found Greggs shops across the country being stripped of stock in broad daylightCredit: Metropolitan Police
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The ban on Verry comes as The Sun lifts the lid on the true scale of the shoplifting crisis crippling British high streetsCredit: Metropolitan Police
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In many cases, Greggs staff are told not to intervene directly with thieves for safety reasonsCredit: Metropolitan Police
The Met later confirmed it was not alerted to the Tooting incident, which happened in August, highlighting just how many shoplifting cases go unreported.
Our reporters saw similar scenes play out in branches from Newcastle to Brighton, with thieves helping themselves to hot food, drinks and sandwiches without even trying to hide it.
In Stockwell, South London, one man was caught on camera filling his coat with products before grabbing two boxes of jam doughnuts worth £3 each and fleeing during the lunchtime rush.
A cookie grab, then fist bump
THEFTS we saw in just two days at Greggs bakery in Stockwell South London.
Wednesday, 11.45am: Man strolls in, picks up a box of doughnuts and walks out.
1.30pm: A man lines his pockets with doughnuts and products from the fridge.
A shop worker pleads with him to pay. The thug threatens him and barges out.
3.45pm: Two men raid the fridges, with one pinching Lucozade bottles, while the other scoffs chicken bites.
4pm: A pair of teenage schoolchildren take a Lucozade drink and hot food.
Thursday, 11.10am: Two men walk in and start grabbing hot food and drinks. They appear to queue before also taking doughnut and walking out without paying.
11.30am: An OAP pretends to be on the phone before snatching hot food.
1.30pm: A man grabs three bottles of Lucozade, hot food and cookies. Challenged, he gives back the food and drink, gives the worker a fist bump and strolls out eating a cookie
2pm: A man steals two baguettes and a bottle of Coca-Cola. As he leaves, a public address states: “Shoplifting will not be tolerated.”
In Worthing, West Sussex, two men repeatedly walked in and out of Greggs helping themselves to hot food from the display cabinets.
On Brighton’s Queen’s Road, one crook walked off with two trays of wedges in front of a stunned staff member. “Average day,” the employee said when asked about it.
Minutes later, another thief ran out with two trays of wedges and a sandwich, while yet another masked man sprinted off carrying food as helpless staff shouted after him.
In Southampton, a man entered just after midday, grabbed four hot food items and said: “Sorry guys, I’m homeless, I need to eat,” before walking straight out the door.
In many cases, Greggs staff are told not to intervene directly with thieves for safety reasons.
One insider told us: “They’ve been told not to chase anyone, not to engage. It’s heartbreaking for the team.”
Astonishingly, just 350 people have been prosecuted for stealing from Greggs in the last six months.
Of those, only 111 received immediate or suspended jail time — and most had long criminal records.
Greggs has started introducing extra security measures in stores hit hardest by crime.
That includes removing self-serve fridges, placing chilled food behind the till, and trialling bouncers in some branches.
55k thefts every day across UK
By Julia Atherley
BRITAIN is facing a shop- lifting epidemic with a record 55,000 incidents a day.
In 2024, it cost retailers £2.2billion, up from £1.8billion in 2023, figures show.
Offences reported by police in England and Wales have jumped 23 per cent to more than 492,000 in the past 12 months, says the Office for National Statistics.
The scourge is being driven by the perception that offenders are rarely caught or punished.
Graham Wynn, of the British Retail Consortium, described shoplifting as a “major trigger for violence and abuse against staff”.
Mr Wynn said: “The rise in organised crime is a significant concern, with gangs hitting stores one after another.
“Sadly, such theft is not a victimless crime; it pushes up the cost for honest shoppers and damages the customer experience.”
Labour has promised to make assaulting a retail worker an offence and treat more seriously thefts of goods worth less than £200.
One staff member said: “It’s like we’re on the front line. You’re trying to sell sausage rolls but you’re looking over your shoulder constantly.”
Greggs boss Roisin Currie confirmed the company is now using facial recognition technology to catch thieves and pass images to police.
“We’ve now got a system where we can take photos of people committing theft on the shop floor and that then instantly goes to the police,” she told The Sun.
The bakery chain is also investing in body cameras for workers and running trials with a 24-hour shoplifting helpline.
A Greggs spokeswoman said: “Shoplifting is an industry-wide issue and we take it extremely seriously.
The safety of our colleagues and customers remains our absolute priority.”
Politicians have backed The Sun’s investigation.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This is an important and timely investigation from The Sun, exposing just how bad the shoplifting epidemic has become.
“There has to be consequences for this appalling criminality.”
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson added: “Retail workers should never feel unsafe at work. That is why we’re taking robust action to tackle shop theft and protect workers.”
She confirmed new laws are coming under the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which will create a specific offence for assaulting shop staff and scrap the £200 threshold that previously gave low-level shoplifters “effective immunity.”
Meanwhile, the Met has released dramatic new footage showing suspects sprinting from stores clutching bottles, sandwiches and snacks as part of a wider crackdown on repeat retail offenders.
And police chiefs say they’re not stopping with Verry, more bans could be coming for other prolific shoplifters as efforts ramp up to restore order on Britain’s battered high streets.
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Astonishingly, just 350 people have been prosecuted for stealing from Greggs in the last six monthsCredit: PA
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Greggs boss Roisin Currie confirmed the company is now using facial recognition technology to catch thieves and pass images to policeCredit: Solent
Attempt to place surveillance satellite into orbit fails after launch vehicle PSLV-C61 encountered a technical issue, ISRO chief says.
India’s space agency says it has failed to place the EOS-9 surveillance satellite into the intended orbit after its launch vehicle PSLV-C61 encountered a technical issue in a rare setback for the agency, known for its low-cost projects.
The EOS-09 Earth observation satellite took off on board the PSLV-C61 launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, located in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday morning.
“During the third stage … there was a fall in the chamber pressure of the motor case, and the mission could not be accomplished,” said V Narayanan, chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
“We are studying the entire performance, we shall come back at the earliest,” he said in a statement to local media.
#WATCH | Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh | ISRO Chief V Narayanan says, “Today we attempted a launch of PSLV-C61 vehicle. The vehicle is a 4-stage vehicle. The first two stages performed as expected. During the 3rd stage, we are seeing observation…The mission could not be… pic.twitter.com/By7LZ8g0IZ
The world’s most populous nation has a comparatively low-budget aerospace programme that is rapidly closing in on the milestones set by global space powers.
Active in space research since the 1960s, India has launched satellites for itself and other countries, and successfully put one in orbit around Mars in 2014.
In August 2023, India became just the fourth nation to land an unmanned craft on the moon after Russia, the United States and China. Since then, ISRO’s ambitions have continued to grow. Its first attempt to land on the moon failed in 2019.
So far, ISRO has recorded three setbacks in PSLV missions, including Sunday’s. The first failure was in 1993.
On Sunday, Narayanan said ISRO would study the performance and provide details on what went wrong at a later stage.
According to local media reports, a Failure Analysis Committee will also be set up to investigate the space agency’s latest setback.
Whoopi Goldberg attends the “Night with Whoopi” event in Venice Beach, Calif., on July 20. She will promote her Whoop-Tea cannabis drink at the Cannabis Means Business event in New York City on June 4. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
May 14 (UPI) — Award-winning actress, comedian, television host and entrepreneur Whoopi Goldberg will headline the Cannabis Means Business event next month in New York City.
The Cannabis Means Business trade event is scheduled June 4-5 at the Javits Center, where Goldberg plans to launch her “Whoop-Tea” hemp-derived beverage.
Goldberg will join CNBC’s Tim Seymour at the CMB event’s opening day to hold an “exclusive conversation” in the special events area at the cannabis trade show.
The pair will discuss the rapidly growing cannabis beverage market and her Whoop-Tea product, which is being produced with the help of the Pure Genesis cannabis beverage brand.
“I wanted to create something that’s fun, relaxing and brings people together without the hangover,” Goldberg said in a news release.
“Whoop-Tea is exactly that,” she said. “It’s tea. It’s lemonade. It’s THC, and it’s all about unwinding and enjoying the moment.”
Goldberg said she is “excited” to “be a part of this incredible shift in wellness culture” and unveil her beverage during the cannabis industry event.
CMB organizers said the global cannabis beverage market was valued at $1.16 billion and is projected to top $3 billion in 2025.
Pure Genesis and Goldberg have partnered to produce Whoop-Tea, which is a non-alcoholic beverage that has THC and blends lemonade and iced tea.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Whoopi, a cultural icon who shares our passion for quality, community and breaking stigma,” Pure Genesis co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Faye Coleman said.
Pure Genesis co-founder Priscilla Wynn called the beverage a “testament to what’s possible when visionary women lead.”
Event attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy free samples.
WHETHER you want to get your body summer ready or just want to incorporate some more exercise to your routine, pilates makes for a great workout.
And reformer pilates has become a viral hit online in recent years with over 2.8 million posts being made about it on TikTok.
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Aldi is selling a reformer pilates machine and it’s much cheaper than other brandsCredit: Supplied
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There are plenty of accessories up for grabs to for just £5.99Credit: Supplied
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The budget retailer is also selling a step deck for cardio loversCredit: Supplied
While it is proven to be an effective workout, it can be costly.
Prices for just one class start at £37 – not something we can afford to do multiple times a week.
Fortunately, Aldi has come to the rescue by selling a reformer pilates machine you can use at home.
And the best part is that it’s a fraction of the price of other brands selling one.
The easy-to-assemble machine costs just £149.99 while the Original Fold Reformer costs £1,899.99.
That’s a huge saving of £1,750 if you buy it from the German retailer.
The machine featuring adaptable resistance levels with five resistance bands and adjustable height settings.
It has a smooth gliding functionality, and has transport wheels for easy movement, and foldable storage capabilities.
Aldi bosses say: “Whether looking to strengthen cores, improve flexibility, or tone muscles, the machine is designed to help anyone achieve their fitness goals.
“Complete with an introductory exercise chart, it’s a must-have addition to any home gym.”
The 9 best exercises to get a reformer Pilates body without the expense
If that wasn’t enough for your fitness journey, Aldi is also selling lots of gym accessories to go with it.
Also up for grabs is a pilates pad, a three piece pilates ball set, a pilates ring, and rotation ring,
Each of the products are just £5.99 each, and will help with strength, balance, conditioning and coordination.
For additional strength training, Aldi’s adjustable step deck (£12.99) allows fitness gurus to add in cardio with ease, and even includes resistance handles and a balance board for a full-body workout.
The 5 best exercises to lose weight
By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist
EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right workout for you?
As a PT and fitness journalist, I’ve tried everything.
I’ve taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates.
Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas!
The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit.
