Ukrainian and Russian forces have continued fighting for control of Snake Island in the Black Sea as the Kremlin attempts to send reinforcements there.

Snake Island, or Zmiinyi Island, is only about a square kilometre in size, but holds great strategic value.

The heroics of outgunned Ukrainian defenders on the island at the start of the war grabbed world headlines when they defied a Russian warship's demand to surrender.

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The past few days have seen fighting intensify for control of the island, western experts said.

"If Russia consolidates its position on Zmiinyi Island with strategic air defence and coastal defence cruise missiles, they could dominate the north-western Black Sea," the UK Ministry of Defence tweeted on Wednesday.

Following the loss of the Russian warship Moskva last month and the Russian Navy pulling back to Crimea, its resupply vessels have minimum protection from Ukrainian attacks, the ministry said.

It also said Ukrainian troops had "successfully struck Russian air defences and resupply vessels with Bayraktar drones", produced by Turkey.

The incident was supported by a satellite image taken over Snake Island by Planet Labs PBC, showing thick black smoke rising from it last Friday.

If Russian troops on Snake Island install long-range air-defence systems, they will control the sea, land and air in the north-west part of the Black Sea and in the south of Ukraine.

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Island a symbol of resistance

When the war started on February 24, the Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island were urged to surrender by the Russian missile cruiser Moskva or face bombardment.

According to a purported audio exchange, one of the Ukrainian troops responded with: "Russian warship, go f— yourself".

After reports all the soldiers had been killed by the Russians, the Ukrainian military said they had survived and only surrendered after running out of ammunition.

In April, the Moskva – the Russian Navy's Black Sea flagship – was sunk by a Ukrainian missile.

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Neighbours worried by Black Sea conflict

The fighting on Snake Island has neighbouring countries worried, notably NATO member Romania which is only about 60km away.

This week, US special forces and other NATO troops have been holding military drills in the Black Sea amid concern of the Ukraine conflict widening.

They are part of the Trojan Footprint exercise, which involves 30 nations and more than 3300 special and conventional forces.

– Reported with CNN

A Queensland superyacht tour operator has been arrested as he allegedly attempted to flee Australia just days after a scuba diver was found dead and $20 million worth of cocaine was discovered in Newcastle.

James "Jimmy" Blee, 62, was arrested as he attempted to board a flight to Singapore at Cairns Airport yesterday afternoon.

The arrest was made by Queensland Police and AFP officers.

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Blee was taken to the Cairns Watch House and charged with the federal crime of importing a large commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and the NSW crime of large commercial drug supply.

NSW detectives are on their way to Cairns to seek Blee's extradition.

He appeared at Cairns Magistrates Court today but the case was adjourned until tomorrow.

Blee is the co-founder of a company that operates tours and cruising plans for superyachts in North Queensland.

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The arrest comes three days after the body of a scuba diver was found in the port of Newcastle next to a South American container ship.

Soon after the diver's body was recovered, 54 kilograms of cocaine was discovered nearby.

The ship, which had travelled from Argentina, arrived in Newcastle on Sunday evening and later that night a rubber ducky and a tinny were seen travelling to it.

The vessel was carrying soybean powder and police are looking at whether the drugs were attached to the outside of its hull.

"There's evidently more people involved than the dead man," Superintendent Rob Critchlow claimed yesterday.

"As most people would realise, people don't scuba dive alone.

"There's obviously safety protocols even with people involved in offending.

"It was quite complicated, some of the devices they used and the presence of two boats indicate at least two other people.

"This man's been left for dead basically, either to die or when he did die, these people fled.

"So it's quite disgusting … regardless of what he was involved in."

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Blee has not been charged in relation to the diver's death.

Police have made no suggestions that Blee was involved in the scuba dive.

The dead man was wearing highly technical diving gear including breathing equipment that doesn't emit any bubbles.

Critchlow asked anyone who had sold dive gear in the area to contact police.

Inquiries into the death and the cocaine discovery are continuing.

The AFP is also conducting inquiries offshore.

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The Liberal MP who appeared to mistake her Labor opponent for a completely different Asian-Australian woman has refused to apologise.

Yesterday Fiona Martin accused her opponent Sally Sitou of running in the seat of Reid because she hadn't been pre-selected in Fowler.

"You found an opportunity and you couldn't run in Fowler. Kristina Keneally kicked you out of Fowler too," Martin said.

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Sitou never sought pre-selection in Fowler, but another high-profile Asian-Australian woman, Tu Le, did.

Reid is one of the Liberal Party's most marginal seats and is one of the most Asian in the country.

"I have never sought to run for Fowler. I live in Reid, my son goes to school in Reid, and I am excited by the opportunity to represent my community," Sitou tweeted yesterday.

https://twitter.com/SallySitou/status/1524261049981042688

"My opponent either has me confused for a different Asian-Australian, or she is deliberately misleading people.

 "Either way, she should apologise."

In a Facebook post made today, Martin invoked her heritage as the granddaughter of Greek migrants.

"My record makes clear I would never direct a racial slur at anyone. There is no place for racism in Australia and it should be called out.

"I won't be distracted by desperate political games played by the Labor Party and its seat-shopping candidates."

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After the gaffe, Martin said she was referring to Sitou being considered a candidate for the state seat of Cabramatta in 2018.

While Sitou did not run for Cabramatta, her name was mentioned as a possibility by Labor insiders.

Kristina Keneally, who Martin referenced, was never in consideration for the state seat of Cabramatta.

Questioned earlier today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison came to Martin's defence.

"Dr Martin has already made statements on that issue today, and no, that wasn't the case," he told reporters.

"She made that statement clear."

Reid is one of the Liberal Party's most marginal seats and has one of the highest number of Asian-Australian voters in the country.

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"I have never sought to run for Fowler. I live in Reid, my son goes to school in Reid, and I am excited by the opportunity to represent my community," Sitou tweeted yesterday.

"My opponent either has me confused for a different Asian-Australian, or she is deliberately misleading people.

 "Either way, she should apologise."

Reid is located in Sydney's inner-west, taking in suburbs like Ashfield, Auburn, Five Dock, Homebush and North Strathfield.

The division of Fowler, located further west in Sydney, takes in suburbs like Cabramatta, Fairfield, Guildford and Liverpool.

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North Korea has identified its first ever case of COVID-19, according to state media, which called the situation a "major national emergency".

It's unclear how many infections have been detected but state-run news agency KCNA reported today that cases of the Omicron variant had been found in the capital Pyongyang.

Samples collected from a group of people experiencing fevers on May 8 tested positive for the highly contagious Omicron variant, KCNA reported.

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An outbreak of COVID-19 could prove dire for North Korea.

The country's dilapidated health care infrastructure is unlikely to be up to the task of treating a large number of patients with a highly infectious disease.

North Korea had not previously acknowledged any coronavirus cases, though few believe that a country of around 25 million people has been spared by a virus that has infected millions worldwide.

Today, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered lockdown measures in all cities and directed the distribution of medical supplies the party had reportedly stocked in case of a COVID emergency, according to KCNA.

Kim also chaired a meeting of the country's powerful politburo, which agreed to implement "maximum" emergency anti-epidemic measures, though it is unclear what they involve.

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According to KCNA, the politburo criticised the country's anti-epidemic sector for "carelessness, laxity, irresponsibility and incompetence," saying it "failed to respond sensitively" to increasing COVID-19 cases across the world, including in neighbouring regions.

Kim said the country would overcome the "unexpected COVID-19 outbreak," KCNA reported.

To date, North Korea has been able to prevent a major outbreak of COVID-19 cases thanks to a series of draconian public health measures.

North Korea's borders have been sealed since January 2020 to keep the virus at bay, despite the knock-on effects on trade with Beijing, an economic lifeline the impoverished country needs to keep its people from going hungry.

Isolated and impoverished North Korea is not known to have imported any coronavirus vaccines, though it is eligible for the global COVID-19 vaccine sharing program, Covax.

In February, Covax reportedly scaled back the number of doses allocated to North Korea because the country failed to arrange for any shipments, according to Reuters.

Also in February, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea Tomás Ojea Quintana called on the international community to provide North Korea "with 60 million doses of vaccinations to cover at least two shots of the entire population."

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Horse-drawn carriages will be prohibited from operating in Melbourne's CBD from next month.

Operators will however be permitted to work on the outskirts of the city, including the Royal Botanic Gardens and other park precincts.

Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the decision was driven by safety.

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The new changes will mean that carriages will be prohibited from all roads and paths within the area bound by Flinders Street, Spring Street, La Trobe Street and Spencer Street.

"We know that the city is getting busier and busier and there are more trams than ever. We made the difficult the decision but right decision to ban horse-drawn carriages in the CBD," Caroll said.

"We're taking action to increase safety and traffic flow on Melbourne's busiest streets as people increasingly return to our city's roads and footpaths.

"The planned changes will make moving through the busy Hoddle Grid safer and easier for everyone – pedestrians, drivers, cyclists, delivery vans and trams."

In 2017, the City of Melbourne stopped providing permits for horse-drawn vehicles in some parts of the CBD.

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In March 2021, a horse pulling a carriage in North Melbourne collapsed and died in front of witnesses.

Melbourne Against Horse-Drawn Carriages shared the image, showing the horse lying on the wet road under two blankets.

Campaign director Kristin Leigh said she was "absolutely thrilled" with the news that carriages will been banned.

"This is something we have been calling for for almost a decade," she said.

Animal Justice MP Andy Meddick has been a long-time advocate for the ban.

Taking to social media today, Meddick said it was a "huge win".

"This is a huge win for horses who don't belong on city streets," he said.

"It is a great honour to be able to take these issues to parliament on behalf of the people who campaigned so hard for change."

The ban will come into effect from June.

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