Day: May 23, 2023

Fighters described by the Kremlin as "saboteurs" have crossed the border from Ukraine into the Belgorod region prompting a Russian "counter-terrorism" operation.

After two days of fighting, Russia says it surrounded the insurgents and killed more than 70 of them, pushing the rest back into Ukraine. It has dismissed them as Ukrainian militants but Kyiv says they come from two anti-Kremlin paramilitaries.

Ukrainian officials say they are Russian citizens from the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) seeking to create a "security zone" for Ukrainians.

Both groups have in the past been described as part of an international legion involved in Ukraine's territorial defence.

Andriy Yusov from Kyiv's intelligence directorate said both groups were working "autonomously on the territory of Russia" and Ukrainians were not involved, while Ukrainian TV said they were militiamen and "Russian volunteers".

The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) came to prominence in March 2023, taking part in a cross-border raid in Russia's Bryansk region which it said involved 45 people.

Unconfirmed Russian reports spoke of shooting, casualties and hostages while the RDK said it had crossed the border to call on Russians to rebel against their government. The group said it had taken no hostages and retreated safely on to Ukrainian territory.

Its leader is known as Denis Kapustin or Denis Nikitin, a Russian nationalist, and the group openly espouses a mono-ethnic Russian state.

In 2020, a Ukrainian investigative website alleged he had links to neo-Nazi groups and Nikitin has spoken in the past of belonging to a movement of football hooligans.

His RDK group accuses Russia's mainstream opposition of sitting on the fence in the Ukraine war.

Another corps member, named Fortuna, told Ukrainian media last November that they numbered 120 people: "We are a voluntary unit, we are not conscripts or contract servicemen like Ukrainian citizens."

The Liberty of Russia Legion (FRL) is a very different organisation that fights alongside Ukrainian troops against Russian forces. It uses a white-blue-white flag, seen by part of the Russian opposition as the flag of "free Russia".

Volunteer corps leader Denis Nikitin said that while they both sought the "toppling of the Putin regime", the legion's fighters were more inclined to call themselves centrists.

However, on 22 May the legion announced it had "liberated" the Russian village of Kozinka, just across the Ukrainian border and to the south-west of Belgorod. "The Legion and the RDK continue to liberate the Belgorod region," it claimed.

"Once again, the myth that Russian citizens are safe and the Russian Federation is strong has been destroyed," it added.

It then posted videos of balloons carrying its flag over Moscow.

The size of the legion is unclear but according to its website, it claims to be "fighting in full co-operation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and under the leadership of the Ukrainian command".

A member known as Caesar, who is arguably its best-known soldier, has insisted "there are no people in the legion who were forced to join it" and all members were contract soldiers with Ukraine's international legion.

Although he said a small number were Russian soldiers who had surrendered to Ukrainian forces, they had done so precisely to switch sides.

Reacting to Moscow's decision to label it a "terrorist organisation", it pointed out that it had earlier been denounced as non-existent.

There is some doubt over the military significance of the two groups. Ukrainian pundit Volodymyr Fesenko said there several different units and they appeared more about public relations than real action.

Former Russian MP Ilya Ponamarev, who is now a Ukrainian citizen, said on Facebook in August 2022 that the legion, the volunteer corps and another group called the National Republican Army had signed a declaration agreeing the common goal of liberating Russia from the rule of Vladimir Putin.

Source: BBC

The family of a woman on life support in Turkey said they were overwhelmed almost £50,000 has been raised to pay for an air ambulance to get her home.

Melissa Kinsella, 30, of Wirral, collapsed on 15 May and is currently on life-support, her partner's sister in-law Stacy Shaw said.

The mother-of three had not renewed her travel insurance, Ms Shaw said.

Ms Shaw said the family were preparing to fly her home on Wednesday thanks to "everyone's help from far and wide".

Ms Kinsella collapsed at Antalya airport as the family were about to board the flight home, Ms Shaw said.

She told BBC Radio Merseyside her relative was in a "critical condition" and it was a risk flying her home "because she has got swelling on the brain".

"We are taking a risk flying her home but it is a risk we have got to take… as they have told us Melissa has got to be in the UK for the best care," she said.

Ms Shaw added she moved her leg on Sunday and then her arm on Monday and "that is hope and some positive news we are all holding on to".

She said the family were "so overwhelmed and grateful" a crowdfunding page had raised enough to cover the cost of transporting her home which is about £46,000.

"The community has been absolutely outstanding," she said.

Melissa's younger sister, Zoe, said she had took strength from the "overwhelming" support from the community.

"Everyone has just done amazing for Melissa.

"We can't thank everyone enough because without it we wouldn't be able to get her home."

MP Angela Eagle who raised Ms Kinsella's "incredibly distressing" plight with ministers last week said: "I'm very pleased to hear Melissa will be flying home tomorrow, and wish her a safe journey.

"My thoughts continue to be with her and her family at this difficult time as she continues her recovery back in the UK."

A spokeswoman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman hospitalised in Turkey."

Source: BBC

Singapore's annual inflation was at 5.7% in April, the Monetary Authority of Singapore said on Tuesday.

The annual inflation rate was 5.4% in April 2022, according to official data.?

The authority said the annual rate of 5.7% "reflected higher inflation for services and private transport."

On a monthly basis, prices rose by 0.1%, stemming from the higher cost of holiday expenses, airfares and private transport costs.

The authority said that the annual inflation rates are projected to average 5.5-6.5% during 2023, but there are upside and downside risks related to global developments.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Intense rainfall caused flash floods Tuesday in several areas in southeastern Spain.

The much-needed rain came faster than many parts of Murica, Almeria and Alicante could handle. Rivers blew their banks, while flash floods cut off roads, entered homes and seriously damaged crops.

Education in Alicante and Murcia was disrupted as more than 40 municipalities cancelled classes.

Tuesday's deluge is compounded by heavy rains Monday in the area.

Almeria saw its single rainiest day on record Monday, according to Spain's meteorological agency, Aemet, on Tuesday. In the entire month of May, Almeria usually sees just 12 liters (3 gallons) of rain, but Monday alone, the airport station detected 56 liters.

Amid the storm Tuesday, two spectacular waterspouts -- a type of tornado -- were detected off the coast of Malaga.

Despite relief that the rain brings to the drought-ridden area, Aemet cautioned that it is short of alleviating drought conditions. "We are still far from calling an end to the drought," it tweeted.

Up until May 21, this spring had been Spain's driest on record. April was also the driest and hottest since record-keeping began.

Spain's Environment Ministry said Tuesday that reservoir levels had even decreased nationally in the last week to 47.7% of capacity -- 21 percentage points below the 10-year average for this time of year.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been referred to the police by the Cabinet Office for new claims he broke coronavirus lockdown rules, known as 'partygate,' according to media reports Tuesday.

The Cabinet Office gave concerns to Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley police about new claims that Johnson broke the rules after his ministerial diary revealed visits by friends to Chequers - the prime minister's country house -- while the rest of the country was under strict pandemic rules.

"Some abbreviated entries in Mr Johnson's official diary were queried by the Cabinet Office during preparation for the Covid inquiry. Following an examination of the entries, Mr Johnson's lawyers wrote to the Cabinet Office and privileges committee explaining that the events were lawful and were not breaches of any Covid regulations," The Times reported, citing a spokesman for Johnson.

The report said the alleged breaches involved Johnson's family and friends, however, a source close to Johnson denied the allegations.

speaking before a committee in March that is investigating his social distancing breaches during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Johnson said "hand on heart, I did not lie to the House.'

Partygate was the name given to the scandal that saw dozens of parties held during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Prime Minister's Office and government departments that were exposed in the media.

Johnson was ousted by his own party MPs in July 2022 following a series of allegations.

Source: Anadolu Agency