Nigel Farage’s party is trying to institute its flag policy in Warwickshire.

Big smiles, hearty laughs, warm hugs…

The atmosphere at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China feels more like a school reunion, where old classmates compare how much weight they have put on.

Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi – who represent the top three largest powers not aligned with the West – are shown joking like friends as they greet each other at the event earlier today.

It starts with Russia’s president and India’s prime minister holding hands and walking into a meeting hall filled with other world leaders. 

They head straight for China’s president Xi Jinping, enthusiastically shake hands and form a close circle.

In his remarks to open the talks, Modi then describes the partnership with Russia as ‘special and privileged.’ 

And Putin them addresses Modi as a ‘dear friend’ and hails Russia’s ties with India as special, friendly and trusting.

As intended, this anti-Western coalition – dubbed the ‘axis of upheaval’ – appears united to offer an alternative world order, challenging the US.

Keir Giles, a leading analyst on European defence and Russia at Chatham House in London, told Metro that the relationships on display are ‘a visual reminder of the way alliances have formed in the global confrontation.’

He added: ‘The coalition that stands against the liberal democracies has a mutual understanding, which is far more developed and purposeful than that of the group of Western democracies, which are still floundering on how to defend themselves.

‘To some extent, it does represent a broad consensus about how the world should be run – and it is a very different consensus to the one that prevails in Europe and in other Western democracies.’

What Giles thought was ‘most disturbing’ is the way this close relationship on display between Russia and China was ‘mimicked’ by Donald Trump during the summit in Alaska earlier in August.

He explained: ‘Trump also welcomed Putin as though he was greeting an overlord rather than dealing with a pariah state that is vastly weaker that his own.

‘The Alaska Summit is a confirmation that the US’ place in the coalition of democracies is no longer assured.

‘The way in which the US has been so eager to pursue Russia’s desired policies with regards to Ukraine and elsewhere is not a surprise, but still seems to shock to Europe and other democracies around the world.’

The SCO, set up in 2001, is the successor to the Shanghai Five, a grouping of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, set up in 1996.

It now also includes India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus and Uzbekistan. It is aimed at strengthening relations among member states and promoting cooperation in political affairs, economics, and trade.

Xi told the SCO leaders that the global international situation is becoming more ‘chaotic and intertwined’.

The Chinese leader also slammed the ‘bullying behaviour’ from certain countries – a veiled reference to the US.

He added: ‘The security and development tasks facing member states have become even more challenging.

‘With the world undergoing turbulence and transformation, we must continue to follow the Shanghai spirit…and better perform the functions of the organisation.’

Putin used his speech to defend his invasion of Ukraine, blaming the West for triggering the three-and-a-half year war.

He warned: ‘This crisis was not triggered by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but was a result of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West.

‘The second reason for the crisis is the West’s constant attempts to drag Ukraine into Nato.’

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At least one person was killed and dozens were injured, including children.

Vladimir Putin unleashed one of his most brutal bombardments on Kyiv – all while stonewalling Donald Trump’s proposal for talks to put an end to the war.

Explosions rocked Ukraine’s capital in the early hours of this morning as a barrage of Russian drones and missiles struck multiple districts, including a rare attack on the centre.

At least 10 people have been killed – including two children – and another 48 injured, but the death toll is likely to rise in the coming hours.

Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on X: ‘People may still be trapped under the rubble. Dozens are wounded.’

‘These Russian missiles and attack drones today are a clear response to everyone in the world who, for weeks and months, has been calling for a ceasefire and for real diplomacy.’

Air raid sirens wailed, sending residents to metro stations, basements and bomb shelters.

Moments later, a five-story block of flats in the Darnytskyi district suffered a direct strike and was turned into rubble.

CCTV footage circulating on Telegram shows the moment the missile hit the building, resulting in a massive explosion and a fireball.

Smoke is still billowing from the crumbled column of the block – which has been split in half by the missile – this morning.

An acrid stench of burning material wafts in the air as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

The head of Kyiv’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko said: ‘All is destroyed. Tonight, Kyiv is under massive attack by the Russian terrorist state.’

Dozens of other houses across Kyiv were also damaged as search and rescue teams scrambled to search for survivors.

A missile strike on a shopping mall in the centre left a major road strewn with shattered glass.

Fires have been reported in several parts of the capital, and missiles and drones are still be heard flying overhead at dawn.

Ukrainian authorities said some 500 rescuers and 1,000 police officers were responding to multiple locations.

Zelensky called for a tough response from Ukraine’s allies, including fresh sanctions on Russia.

He also called on Russia’s ally China and EU member Hungary to take a much tougher stance against the Kremlin.

‘All deadlines have been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined,’ he said.

‘Russia must feel accountable for every strike, for every day of this war.’

Kyiv had at the start of the war been relatively well protected from Russian aerial attacks.

In recent months however, it has been hit with multiple deadly attacks as Russia fired record drone and missiles at the country.

Last month the capital suffered one of its worst ever attacks when strikes killed more than 30 people, including five children.

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‘A new start… Guaranteed housing and Russian language lessons… Every six months brings a promotion and a salary increase.’

This is how South African influencers – with millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram – promoted a recruitment drive for the Russian republic of Tatarstan, that has now been linked to human trafficking.

DJ and social media influencer Cyan Boujee – who has since apologised – is among those who gushed about the ‘opportunity’ after being flown to Eastern Europe.

Standing in front of a block of flats build for recruits from Africa, she told her followers about how the programme is a ‘fresh new start,’ adding that ‘apparently girls are treated fairly here – Africans, Asians, Latin Americans’.

It is unclear what work new hires will do, but the programme targets young women aged 18 to 22.

Behind the sleek PR campaign, plugged by influencers, lie claims of human trafficking, coercion and African women being funnelled into ‘death’ factories to build drones for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

One of the main recruiters is Alabuga Start, which is linked to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ) – a major player in Russia’s war economy.

Foreign women funnelled into drone factories

Last month, Metro reported on a factory – described by its director as the world’s biggest maker of strike drones – in Alabuga.

Footage shared by the Russian Zvezda news channel showed hundreds of assembled Geran-2 suicide drones, made using modified Iranian Shahed 136 technology.

Russia has been actively recruiting hundreds of foreign women through the ‘international vocational training programmes’.

They are promised professional training and decent pay, only to be forced into drone assembly, a report by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime found.

After initially targeting African countries, Alabuga Start expanded to recruit women from Latin America, South Asia, and former Soviet countries.

Reports found that they were not informed that they would be working in weapons production before arriving at the site.

Some believed they were joining a work-study programme. 

The economics of it make sense. Russia is facing a major gap in the labor market caused by its aging population and the loss of rumoured 1 million men on the Ukrainian frontline.

At the same time, a third of the workforce in South Africa is unemployed.

In fact, its official unemployment rate is one of the highest in the world, so an increasing number are seeking opportunities abroad.

Influencers issue apology after major backlash

After facing backlash online, a number of South African influencers are now deleting videos en mass.

Boujee issued an apology on Tuesday, saying that she knows ‘how serious the situation is, and the team is in communication with the programme.’

Peachy Sprinkles (real name Siyamthanda Anita), who also endorsed the recruitment drive to her almost 800,000 followers, has also released a statement.

She said: ‘A few months ago, the marketing team from the Start programme in Russia reached out to me with intentions of a potential collaboration, saying that they are offering job opportunities to young South African individuals, and they would like us creators to put it out there.

‘Naturally, obviously, you do your research. I didn’t do extensive research, which might reflect as negligence on my end. I deeply apologise for that.’

Russia responds to ‘human traficking’ claims

The South African government said it is investigating the claims about the Alabuga Start programme.

DClayson Monyela, the deputy director-general (DDG), warned: ‘Do not rely solely on social media promotions.

‘Always cross-check and get a second opinion from a trusted source. Verify jobs through official channels.’

The Russian Embassy in South Africa also released a statement, saying that it has ‘taken note’ of the concerns.

It said: ‘Many of the commentators were quick to accuse Russia of “human trafficking” and “exploitation” based on unfounded allegations.

‘It needs to be stressed that the Embassy has no information, apart from that spread through some biased outlets, of foreign nationals being subjected to forced labour, tricked into some actions, or otherwise experiencing violation of their rights in the course of the programme.’

Metro has contacted TikTok and Instagram for a comment.

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Vladyslav is already considering going back to war, his brother said: ‘He said those bastards should feel what he and seven of his fellow soldiers felt.’

The Air China plane was bound for Beijing.

Ukraine sparingly uses Western-made missiles, including UK Storm Shadow missiles, to strike inside Russia, but the weapons are vital in their defence as they continue to face Russian strikes.

The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) has been on the line of fire since the start of the full-scale invasion (Picture: REUTERS)

Fears are rising about the safety of a nuclear power plant in Russia after an alleged Ukrainian attack overnigh…

‘In a kill zone, where her remains are, it is impossible to recover them because whoever you send will also die.’

Vladimir Putin has made the startling claim that the West is responsible for the conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian dictator said he was doing all he could to stop the war despite continuing to launch missile and drone strikes on civilians.

He also claimed Western people were friendly to him and Russia.

His comments came during a visit to secret closed nuclear city Sarov – the birthplace of the Soviet atomic bomb – on Friday.

Putin said: ‘Of course, there is propaganda working there [in the West], brainwashing people and claiming that we started the war.

The West and Kyiv were ‘forgetting that it was they [Ukraine] who started it in 2014 when they used tanks and aviation against the peaceful population of Donbas.

‘That is when the war began, and we are doing everything to stop it.’

It comes a week after Putin met with US president Donald Trump to trash out peace talks in Alaska.

Peace talks have stalled but it raised the hopes of Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky meeting face-to-face for the first time since 2019.

In another incredible claim, Putin himself stopped military commanders from taking out Zelensky last year, according to one of his closest allies.

Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko, who once described the Russian leader as his ‘elder brother’, says Putin forbade plans to strike the headquarters of the Ukrainian presidency in Bankova area of Kyiv.

It came after the Russian doomsday missile system Oreshnik was tested without live warheads in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024.

It sparked the plot to target Zelensky’s bunker and the heart of the government, according to Lukashenko, but Putin had other ideas.

He said: ‘After they struck with the Oreshnik, the Ukrainians realised: trouble’.

‘They can also hit Bankova. Insider information for you. Somone in Russia had such plans – (I will not name them).

‘Putin said: “Under no circumstances”.

‘They were ready to strike.

‘If they had fired the Oreshnik at the centres of decision-making, there would have been nothing left there’.

‘There are two choices: war or peace, and if there is no peace, then there is more war’

Alexander Frolov protesting outside the Russian Embassy in London, March 2024 (Picture: Perkin Amalaraj/Daily Mail)

A 26-year-old Russian who protested against Putin’s regime has been found dead in London after his asylum bid was rej…

Alexander Frolov protesting outside the Russian Embassy in London, March 2024 (Picture: Perkin Amalaraj/Daily Mail)

A 26-year-old Russian who protested against Putin’s regime has been found dead in London after his asylum bid was rej…

Switzerland has emerged as the likely contender to host the meeting between Zelensky and Putin (Picture: Getty)

Talks of a breakthrough in Russia’s war in Ukraine have rumbled before – but now the prospect of Vladimir Putin and…

There is only one way wars like this ever end.

The elephant in the room is a potential meeting between Vladimir Putin and Zelensky – is it even feasible?

‘Everyone is happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine’.

‘Of course, as soon as I walk out the door, there’ll probably be a new war starting, and I’ll get that stopped too’

‘Look, I like it!’

‘There are no words.’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders rushed to the White House three days after the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

It comes after the Alaska summit on Friday in which Putin and Trump failed to make a deal.

Donald Trump passed the Russian leader a letter from his wife at Friday’s summit.

Vladimir Putin’s twitching legs as he bade farewell to Donald Trump after their Alaska summit have reignited rumours over his health.