NKorea's Kim Hails Russia Ties as Putin Reportedly Plans a Visit

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometres from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometres from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
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NKorea's Kim Hails Russia Ties as Putin Reportedly Plans a Visit

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometres from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometres from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed the country's expanding relationship with Russia on Wednesday, as reports suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon visit the country for his third meeting with Kim.
Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Kim visited Russia last September for a meeting with Putin. The US, South Korea and their partners believe North Korea has supplied artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia to support its war in Ukraine in return for advanced military technologies and economic aid.
Kim has been pushing to boost partnerships with Russia and China in a bid to strength his regional footing and launch a united front against the United States, The Associated Press reported.
During their September meeting at Russia’s main space launch site, Kim invited the Russian president to visit North Korea at “a convenient time,” and Putin accepted.
On Wednesday, Kim sent Putin a congratulatory message commemorating Russia's National Day, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency.
“Thanks to the significant meeting between us at the Vostochney Spaceport in September last year, (North Korea)-Russia friendly and cooperative relations developed into an unbreakable relationship of comrades-in-arms,” Kim said in the message.
Kim's comments came as media reports said Putin is expected to visit North Korea as early as next week. If realized, it would their third summit meeting. Their first summit happened in Vladivostok in April 2019.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing unidentified diplomatic sources including high-ranking Russian officials, reported Wednesday that Putin is preparing to visit North Korea and Vietnam next week.
NHK said Putin is expected to seek stronger military ties with North Korea as Russia faces a shortage of weapons in its war with Ukraine, while North Korea is believed to want help with space technology in the wake of its recent failure to put a second spy satellite in orbit in late May.
Earlier this week, Russia’s Vedomosti newspaper carried a similar report.
Neither Russia nor North Korea have confirmed reports of a planned trip. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing in late May that “the visit is in the pipeline, and we will make an announcement in due time,” according to Russian news agency Tass.



Trump Diagnosed with Vein Condition Causing Leg Swelling, White House Says

Makeup partially covers the back of the right hand of US President Donald Trump as he shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2025. (Reuters)
Makeup partially covers the back of the right hand of US President Donald Trump as he shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump Diagnosed with Vein Condition Causing Leg Swelling, White House Says

Makeup partially covers the back of the right hand of US President Donald Trump as he shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2025. (Reuters)
Makeup partially covers the back of the right hand of US President Donald Trump as he shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2025. (Reuters)

The White House said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump is experiencing swelling in his lower legs and bruising on his right hand, after photographs emerged of Trump with swollen ankles and makeup covering the afflicted part of his hand.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, reading a letter from Trump's doctor at a press briefing, said both ailments were benign. His leg swelling is from a "common" vein condition, and his hand is bruised from shaking so many hands, she told reporters.

The disclosure sought to put to rest a raft of internet rumors that the 79-year-old Trump might be suffering from a serious ailment based on the photographic evidence.

After Leavitt's briefing, the White House released the letter from a US Navy officer who is Trump's physician, Sean Barbabella. It said Trump underwent a suite of tests about the issues.

Barbabella said an ultrasound on the president's legs "revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70."

The letter said there was no evidence Trump had contracted deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.

Additional exams identified no signs of heart failure, kidney impairment, or a systemic illness, Barbabella said.

Leavitt told reporters Trump was not experiencing discomfort due to the condition.

Barbabella also said that Trump had bruising on the back of his right hand.

He described this as "consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen."

"President Trump remains in excellent health," he said.

Kwame Amankwah, a physician who is chief of vascular surgery at the University of Connecticut in Hartford, said chronic venous insufficiency is usually an issue with the lower legs in which the veins have problems sending blood from the legs back to the heart.

It is usually treated with compression stockings and leg elevation, he said.

"Even if he doesn’t have heart disease, the condition needs to be addressed. If it’s not managed with compression stockings and elevation, severe swelling and ulcers can develop, warranting more significant medical interventions," Amankwah said.

Todd Berland, a physician who is director of outpatient vascular interventions at NYU Langone Health, said chronic venous insufficiency “has no overall effect on life expectancy. It's a quality-of-life issue, not a quantity of life issue.”

Trump underwent an extensive physical examination on April 11 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington. It said Trump had a normal heart rhythm and no major health problems.