Day: August 10, 2022

Russia used the Crimea peninsula as a launchpad to invade the rest of southern Ukraine in February - and unusually it was Crimea that was rocked by several explosions on Tuesday. It is not yet clear what caused the blasts, which sent big black clouds billowing over a military airfield near Novofedorivka, on the peninsula's west coast. The Russian-installed regional leader, Sergei Aksyonov, said one person had died in the blasts at Saky base. Local health officials say five people, including a child, were treated for injuries. Video footage shows tourists on a nearby beach at the time fleeing in panic. The Russian Defence Ministry said several rounds had exploded in an ammunition store and the airfield had not come under attack. But the BBC co...

The torrent of outrage from Donald Trump's supporters on Tuesday has been predictable. Of course they were going to vent their fury after FBI agents searched the former president's home. It plays straight into the narrative Mr Trump himself perpetuates that he is a victim of a corrupt establishment. As he likes to say at his rallies, no political leader has ever been treated as badly as he has. In fact, the FBI search Mr Trump has called a "raid" is helping to solidify his campaign of grievances against the state. Listening to the gist of what his supporters are saying, there is a specific point about government overreach in persecuting Mr Trump. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican senator and Trump critic-turned-acolyte, compared the FBI's actions to "so...

An Aberdeen woman has won one of the world's toughest ultra triathlons in Norway. The Norseman Xtreme Triathlon involves a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride and a marathon. Eilidh Prise qualified for the event, which doubles up as the XTri World Championships, after winning Scotland's Celtman event last year. She crossed the finish line at the peak of southern Norway's highest mountain in under 12 hours. Eilidh, 26, told BBC Scotland: "For me it wasn't a race,Mephisto Shoes  it was an individual battle of survival. I never had any expectations of winning. "At the mountain top plateau, the temperature was 2C (36.5F) with 30mph winds. "You are swimming in a fjord for almost four kilometres, that was 13C (55.4F). "It'...

Rescuers in France have launched an ambitious operation to save an ailing beluga whale stuck in the Seine river. The four-metre (13ft) whale - a protected species usually found in much colder Arctic waters - was first spotted a week ago north-west of Paris. It is now trapped more than 100km (62 miles) inland and its health has deteriorated after failing to eat. About 80 people are involved in the operation,Keen Canada including divers, vets, and police officers. Rescuers will try and lift the beluga onto a sort of hammock before moving it onto a refrigerated truck that will take it back to the sea, a local official said. They will then hope to treat the animal for several days before releasing it back into the open water. ...

One person has been killed after blasts rocked a military base in Crimea, the head of the Russia-appointed regional administration there said. Sergei Aksyonov wrote on social media that the blasts had taken place at the Saky military base near Novofedorivka on the peninsula's western coast. Footage circulating on social media appeared to show multiple explosions. Russia's defence ministry later said ammunition was detonated, but this has not been independently verified. The ministry said there was no "fire impact" on the ammunition storage area, Russia's state-run Ria news agency reports. The Ukrainian peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014 is a popular destination with Russian tourists, and one video appeared to show visitors fleei...

Former inmates have spoken to the BBC about being systematically raped and tortured in Russian prisons. Leaked footage of such abuse was circulated by an insider last year, and now victims have told the BBC why it happens and how they are fighting for justice. Warning: This article contains graphic images and descriptions of sexual abuse and violence Saratov prison hospital, in south-west Russia, came to public attention last year when videos of horrifying prisoner abuse were leaked to a human rights organisation and reported on by the international media. Alexei Makarov knew its reputation before he was transferred there in 2018 as part of a six-year sentence for assault. Prisoners who are sent to Saratov from other jails in the region have complained ...