newsinsightplus.com
- 1944AttributionSoundsMost
- 79AD
- March 22, 2024
- 0 Comments
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaRussia Ukraine war: Fleeing embattled border villagesPublished14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage caption, Nina Skorkina has now left her village near the border with RussiaBy Sarah RainsfordEastern Europe correspondent, Sumy regionWhen Russian planes began bombing her border village in northern Ukraine, Nina Skorkina refused to leave. Then a police team arrived and evacuated the 87-year-old anyway, with explosions all around. In recent days, other elderly and frail residents have been carried out on blankets across a bridge already damaged by air strikes. As Vladimir Putin celebrates securing another six years in the Kremlin, and vows to continue his full-scale war on Ukraine, attacks across the border have sharply escalated.Volodymyr Zelensky says nearly 200 bombs have been dropped on the Sumy region in north-eastern Ukraine this month alone. He accuses Russia of trying to “burn our border villages to the ground”.Image caption, Nina Makarenko was evacuated to a safer town, with just a few clothes and her own jamPolice and emergency workers have now rescued hundreds of people from the Sumy border area, moving them deeper into Ukraine and to safety. Many are from a cluster of villages around Velyka Pysarivka. Helped off a bright yellow school bus this week, Nina Makarenko told me the home she’d had to leave was in ruins.”They smashed up our houses. There’s nothing left,” she said.Her cheeks were bright with blusher and her lips painted, but all Nina had brought with her was a few clothes and some homemade jam. Before the war, she used to cross into Russia regularly to go shopping. Now Russian forces are attacking her home. “It’s scary. They’re shelling day and night.”The bus delivers the evacuees to the small town of Okhtyrka, where the local authorities have turned a kindergarten and a school into a temporary shelter. It’s cosy and there are psychologists working with children, with plenty of smiles and laughter. But on camp beds laid out inside a classroom, older women sit still, looking bewildered. They’ve lost everything they know and own.The first thing I hear as I enter the room is a plea for more help for Ukraine’s soldiers. ‘You can rebuild Mariupol – you can’t bring back the dead’Has Russia carried out war crimes in Ukraine?No choice for Ukrainians: More Putin means more war”Give them weapons to push the Russians back, that’s all we ask!” Valentyna says as she leaps up to greet me. “Their planes are dropping bombs on us, and we have nothing to knock them out of the sky!”The next outburst is one of anger at Vladimir Putin – who launched this war and who was just officially declared Russia’s president for a fifth term. “Putin is our enemy! He says he will destroy Ukraine!” Tetiana tells me passionately and mocks the Russian leader’s triumphant re-election. “He appointed himself!””What did we ever do to him? But look at how many people have been killed here, how many tortured. How many people have lost their arms and legs. And what for?”As Tetiana speaks, her elderly mother sobs uncontrollably beside her. Looking round, I realise almost everyone in the room is crying. Many villagers have abandoned the Sumy border area since last summer as it became more dangerous. Now, it’s almost impossible to stay. Images filmed by police rescue teams show streets of detached houses in utter ruin.Image source, Ukrainian National PoliceImage caption, Ukrainians say entire streets in border villages have been destroyed by Russian bombardmentOne possible reason for the upsurge in attacks is increased Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, the biggest Russian city across the border. Vladimir Putin has vowed to respond, ignoring the fact that Russian missiles have been hitting homes and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine relentlessly for two years. The mayor of Okhtyrka has another theory for the escalation.”I understand that the enemy wants to create some kind of grey zone where military equipment can’t enter and where people can’t move in large groups,” Pavlo Kuzmenko suggests. We met in the town library because his own offices had been destroyed by a Russian missile strike. “Along the whole of our border, the enemy is gradually creating an area where Ukrainians will not be able to tread,” the mayor believes. There is another reason for the increased bombardment. Just ahead of Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin, a group of Russian fighters announced an armed incursion from Ukraine – into their own country. The self-styled “liberation forces” wanted to show that Mr Putin had lost control of his border. That’s when villagers say the military air strikes on Velyka Pysarivka began.”The explosions didn’t stop for a moment.”Tetiana described life in the village then as “hell”. Image caption, Anti-Putin Russian fighters hold a press conferenceThe Russian forces are made up of men ranging from openly far-right nationalists to Siberian separatists. They’re linked by a belief that only armed resistance can change Russia now and remove Vladimir Putin. The size and military effectiveness of the forces, based in Ukraine and backed by Ukrainian military intelligence, is unclear.In Kyiv on Thursday, a spokesman for one of the groups said their ongoing raids had tied up the “Kremlin military machine”, scuppering plans for a new push into Ukraine.My own sources suggest there could be as much hype as actual fighting.When I questioned whether their self-vaunted achievements merited the destruction of Ukrainian villages, another spokesman said that civilians suffering was “sad”.But he said fighting an enemy like Russia “without victims and ruin” was impossible.It’s not only the fighting that families are fleeing in Sumy.The northern region has the only working border crossing in the country from Russia, making it the main route for Ukrainians escaping occupation.Every day, dozens of people from areas Russia has illegally claimed as its own endure a draining journey to reach territory controlled by Kyiv. The Kremlin says the occupied regions turned out to vote for Putin this month in large, enthusiastic crowds.Image caption, Children in a Ukrainian welcome centre for displaced peopleBut that’s not the picture painted by those who reach Sumy.This week, Zoya Vypyraylo and her husband Mykhailo travelled three days from a village in the southern Kherson region that’s now full of Russian soldiers. “There are so many of them. They set up in the houses. They’re in the fields. Their vehicles are moving all over. It was really scary,” Zoya confided, when she finally reached a reception centre. She says life under occupation changed her, radically: “I had no will. No energy. My spirit was crushed.”So she and Mykhailo gave up everything. They handed their home of 53 years to a neighbour and left their ducks, chickens and dogs. Image caption, Zoya and her husband Mykhailo (centre) have left everything behind in Russian-occupied territory”We want Kherson to be Ukraine. We really do. But we don’t believe it, anymore,” Zoya told me quietly, her whole body sagging from all kinds of exhaustion. To reach Ukraine, the pensioners had to drag their bags across a two-kilometre stretch of no-man’s-land.Pluriton, an aid group, then shuttles people from the border to a facility where it offers phone calls home, train tickets onwards, tea and hot food. All arrivals from occupied territory face a security screening by their own country. “When I look at these people, I remember myself,” Pluriton boss Kateryna Arisoy says. It’s not so long since she left her own home in Bakhmut, a city since razed to the ground.Image caption, After three days travelling from occupied areas, Zoya is finally able to call her son to say she is safe”I can’t find the words to explain that their former life, unfortunately, will never continue.”Zoya Vypyraylo knows that.”When we were driving here I started to cry. I breathed the fresh air, our Ukrainian air,” the pensioner tells me, her voice low but intense.For two years in Kherson she’s been pressured to deny her identity. Take a Russian passport. Even vote for Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of her country. “We are Ukrainians. We want our country to flourish. For our children and grandchildren to live in peace,” Zoya tells me, then starts to cry. “I’m sorry. It’s really hard.”It’s slowly sinking in that she is free. But Ukraine is no closer to peace. Additional reporting by Hanna Chornous. Photos by Joyce LiuRelated TopicsWar in UkraineVladimir PutinUkraineUkrainian refugeesMore on this storyInside Ukraine’s struggle to find new men to fightPublished12 FebruaryPutin takes charge as Carlson gives free rein to KremlinPublished9 FebruaryTop StoriesPrincess of Wales undergoing cancer treatmentPublished38 minutes agoLive. At least 40 dead in Moscow concert hall attack, Russian intelligence service saysPeople take cover as gunmen enter Moscow concert hall. VideoPeople take cover as gunmen enter Moscow concert hallPublished2 hours agoFeaturesGrumpy gran aged 75 is global Fortnite sensationTrump poised for billions as stock market deal passesInside the ice cream van feeding familiesFleeing Ukraine’s embattled border villagesSolar eclipse spectacle set to grip North America againUFC star squares his Muslim faith with a career in the octagonWeekly quiz: How long did this woman take to climb nearly 300 mountains?Apple becomes the latest tech giant under siege’Help my brother first’: Gazan girl’s plea as entire family killedElsewhere on the BBCThe ultimate bromanceWatch the masters of satire Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a look back through the archivesAttributioniPlayerHow did Emma of Normandy shape early medieval England?Greg Jenner and his guests step back in time to find out…AttributionSoundsAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerThe last eruptionMount Vesuvius is famous for destroying Pompeii in 79AD but it last erupted in 1944AttributionSoundsMost Read1Princess of Wales undergoing cancer treatment2What we know about Kate’s cancer diagnosis3Chancellor says £100,000 not a huge salary in Surrey4FA defends new England kit over flag design5Lost elderly couple drive around city for 10 hours6Trump poised for billions as stock market deal passes7Stranger Things actor to officiate co-star’s wedding8Eyewitnesses tell of panic as gunmen open fire in Moscow hall9Legal warning over Barclay waste project decision10Life sentence for man who murdered couple with fentanyl
[ad_1] Ukrainians are fleeing villages close to Russia amid a rise in cross-border attacks.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaBad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidiesPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAImage caption, The Singapore leg of the Eras tour has Swifties flying in from around the regionBy Frances Maoin SingaporeIn the glitzy Asian city-state of Singapore, the sequins are out, limousines polished and hotel pillows plumped.The city’s hosting Taylor Swift’s Eras tour this week – an honour, but one that has come at a cost.That cost was initially reported to be as high as S$24 million (£14m; $18m) for the six shows to be exclusive to South East Asia.Culture minister Edwin Tong has since told Singapore’s CNA the figure was “nowhere as high” – although he still refused to be drawn on the exact figure. The broadcaster, however, suggested it may have been just $2m for all six.But the fact any money had been spent only came to light after an outburst from the prime minister of Thailand, who accused Singapore of paying concert organisers US$2-3m per night.That triggered criticism across the region. In the Philippines, a lawmaker criticised the move, saying “this isn’t what good neighbours do” – and called for a formal protest against the grant.But while governments are seeing red – it’s the fans who are paying the price, literally.Swift is heard everywhere across South East Asia, home to roughly 700 million people – from alleyways in Ho Chi Minh to taxi cabs in Bangkok. So for many it was a punch in the guts to learn all six shows would be held in the region’s most expensive city.Singapore’s currency – one of the strongest in Asia – has long been a deterrent for visitors. But for a chance to see their idol, many of her fans are willing to grin and bear it.Look what you made me doFlight-loads of fans have been touching down at Singapore’s Changi Airport all week, many coming from China and its territories.Swift isn’t playing in China so Singapore is the next best thing for many.One woman flying in from Shenzhen told the BBC she and her friend had spent S$1,200 each on tickets alone. They’ve resorted to camping at a friend’s house after hotel rates across the city surged.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Taylor Swift in Sao PauloOn the luxe end of things, the city’s landmark hotel Marina Bay Sands has sold out of its S$50,000 Swift packages which included four VIP tickets and a three-night stay in a suite.Then there’s 22-year-old Allen Dungca in the Philippines, who scraped together his wages to take him and his mother to Singapore.This Thursday, they’ll take a four-hour bus ride to Manila, stay at an airport motel for the night, then grab their dawn flight the next day.The enterprising student snapped up the travel package back in July. He eventually tracked down the tickets on a resale night, after weeks of desperate hunting.”I am very lucky,” he says of the S$400 outlay for seats in the nosebleed section. “The seller was kind and not a scalper.” Resales now are going for thousands. And he had almost fallen for a scam, a shady character named Pat Steve, later exposed online. He estimates the whole endeavour is costing him S$2,000 – the monthly income of an upper-middle class family in the Philippines, a country where a fifth of the population lives under the poverty line.”Right now, I’m a student with a part-time job and I can afford my wants and needs. But it’s sad, other Swifties don’t have any means or budget to watch her overseas and I know most Filipino Swifties love her so much.”The Philippines arguably has the most ardent Swift fan base – Spotify data showed Quezon City in Manila had played the most streams of the singer last year.The Filipino Swiftie drag queen dazzling AsiaThe pop star has toured in the Philippines before – but the bag of money from Singapore undoubtedly sweetened the deal, say analysts.Clean, modern Singapore has long been seen as a base in the region for big events. It has the infrastructure, the transport links and a high-earning, expat-heavy population. Image source, EPAImage caption, Swift-themed water and light shows on the bay are among the city’s Swiftie attractions this weekIt’s also seen as reliably stable in a region which has experienced political chaos. A decade ago Swift cancelled her shows in Thailand because of the military coup and resulting protests.Still, while it’s common for governments around the world to give out subsidies and tax breaks to bring in events, the reported spend goes beyond anything else publicly known in Singapore.Samer Hajjar, a marketing lecturer at the National University of Singapore, says it’s “above average” even for the city-state.And fans are quite blunt. “It’s kinda greedy,” says Mr Dunga. “But it’s wise… because their economic response will be way more than that.”But will it be though?Show me the moneyIn Australia, the leg of the tour preceding Singapore, officials suggested the tour had provided a A$145m “uplift” in consumer spending. More than 570,000 tickets were sold across seven nights in Sydney and Melbourne, nearly double the number sold for Singapore’s six shows.But not all of that money counts, says economists.More than 90% of show-goers were probably local, estimates KPMG’s chief economist Dr Brendan Rynne, so their dollars would be “just a transfer from one category of spending (or saving) to another”.Only foreign visitors would have been adding to the books – and they accounted for just 2% of visitors, he estimated. After doing the maths he projected Swift had added only A$10m (£5.1m; $6.5m) to GDP.Still, Australia didn’t use public funds to have Swift play in the country, state government officials confirmed to the BBC. Neither did Japan, the only other Asian stop on the tour.What does Taylor mania mean for the globe? Singapore has said Swift’s tour will bring certain economic benefits to the country.But just how much net gain will be generated is unclear. The BBC has reached out to Singapore’s tourism board but they have refused to reveal foreign visitor estimates or other modelling. A local bank, Maybank, has suggested that consumer spending may top S$350m – but that’s based on the very optimistic prediction of 70% of attendees being from out of town.Even Singapore’s Formula One Grand Prix only saw 49% of spectators from overseas in 2022, with a record 300,000 crowd.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Singapore’s F1 Grand Prix brings thousands of overseas visitors each yearWhen pressed on the numbers, Maybank’s economist Erica Tay could not provide specifics, saying the 70% rate was based on Singapore’s “potential catchment” and the bank was not interested in estimating net profit.”Six concerts may not move a nation’s economic growth materially, but the strategic value of Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Singapore as a tourism destination outweighs that one-off boost,” she said.But business professor Julien Cayla from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University points out that public spend should be scrutinised – especially when it’s only revealed to citizens by another country’s government.And in a country where welfare benefits are relatively limited – it could be seen as a fraught spend.”To justify spending [reportedly] S$24 million on something that on the surface might not seem that critical to the economic health of the country over spending on people and public services… there’s a tension there,” Prof Cayla said.Nonetheless he and others say that when it comes to planning tourism, governments have mandate to throw around money and Singapore isn’t an exception. “They don’t necessarily like to advertise it. But the minute the government sees something that fits into a long-term strategy, it will sink government money in to support that,” he says.In a way, Singapore has just brought in Swift the same way it currently attracts huge multinational corporations.”What’s different here is that Taylor Swift as a business, is a very emotional business,” he said.”It’s dealing with the emotions of 10-18 year olds, who are very sad to not see the concert happening in Bangkok or Jakarta.”And in the words of the songstress herself, that’s caused a lot of bad blood.Related TopicsSingaporeTaylor SwiftAsiaPop musicUnited StatesMore on this storyWhat does Taylor mania mean for the globe?Published12 FebruaryThe Taylor Swift drag tribute dazzling AsiaPublished22 FebruaryWhat’s next for Taylor Swift in 2024?Published27 December 2023Super Bowl most watched US show since Moon landingPublished13 FebruaryDisney boss bets on Taylor Swift and FortnitePublished8 FebruaryTop StoriesHow more than 100 Gazans were killed at a food aid dropPublished5 hours agoSeven hostages killed in Gaza, Hamas saysPublished3 hours agoHow worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?Published8 hours agoFeaturesHow worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?Listen: Sunak’s Surprise Downing Street Speech. AudioListen: Sunak’s Surprise Downing Street SpeechAttributionSoundsHow big banks are becoming ‘Bitcoin whales’Weekly quiz: What word had Mary Poppins reaching for a spoonful of sugar?BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg marks St David’s Day on piano. VideoBBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg marks St David’s Day on pianoAnti-war hero or dangerous egoist? George Galloway makes his comebackWhere and when is Eurovision 2024 taking place?Analysis: A royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate growsWhy some singles are cutting things off after bad datesElsewhere on the BBCExperience Apollo 11’s adventure first-hand!Discover the awe-inspiring journey of Apollo 11 and its crew with newly released cockpit audioAttributioniPlayerHow did a booming computer manufacturer go bust?Commodore computers were huge in the 1980s, so why couldn’t the business adapt and survive?AttributionSoundsInseparable from birthMeet the remarkable conjoined twins defying medical expectations with the support of their fatherAttributioniPlayerSixth time lucky!The journey to hosting the Winter Olympics for Canadian ski resort Whistler BlackcombAttributionSoundsMost Read1Jools ‘can’t believe’ he’s finally hit number one2Rents soar in towns as tenants priced out of cities3What video and eyewitness accounts tell us about Gazans killed at aid drop4Three people injured in police pursuit shooting5Faroe Islands jumper uncovered 200 years later6Seven hostages killed in Gaza, Hamas says7How worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?8Driver rescued from truck dangling off US bridge9We must face down extremists, says Rishi Sunak10Crowds chant anti-Putin slogans at Navalny funeral](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/19C5/production/_132779560_gettyimages-1801114674.jpg)
