⏳ Thursday Fix: Two Weeks In
Morning all,
Two weeks on from the beginning of the invasion, Ukraine and Russia's Foreign Ministers will meet in Turkey for talks.
Meanwhile, Guatemala is set to introduce the "harshest" of punishments for abortion, and a ban on same-sex marriage.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
GOOD LISTENER?
Click the screenshot below to access the podcast version of today's NewsFix.
UKRAINE - WHAT'S THE LATEST?
In Wednesday's NewsFix, we noted Ukrainian skepticism over an alleged Russian commitment to allow for a ceasefire from 10am local time so that civilians could safely flee a number of cities.
What happened? Russian officials are now being accused of bombing a children's hospital in the city of Mariupol. Sky News reported 17 people "including women in labour" were injured in the strike. President Zelensky called upon Western leaders to do more to help Ukraine, describing the attack as "an atrocity".
António Guterres, the Secretary General of the UN, described the attack as "horrific", adding "civilians are paying the highest price for a war that has nothing to do with them".
In terms of headlines that are US-related, the House has approved $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, and the Biden administration has also warned of a possible chemical attack in Ukraine.
ON TODAY'S AGENDA...
- Russia and Ukraine's Foreign Ministers have landed in Turkey for talks today, according to BBC News. The Guardian described it as "the highest level meeting between the two sides since the beginning of the war".
- The heads of each member state in the European Union will meet in Versailles today for a two-day summit to discuss the Ukraine crisis. What's expected to be discussed? Ukraine's desire to become a member of the EU, and the rise in energy prices are almost certain to be on the list.
- US Vice President Kamala Harris will arrive in Poland this evening, and will later travel to Romania in her second trip to Europe in a month.
WHAT'S IN A NAME, UKRAINE?
In Ireland, there appears to be a significant chance the road where the Russian Embassy is located could be renamed 'Independent Ukraine Road'.
As The Irish Times noted, this would be following similar moves already made by Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Albania.
Latvia changed the street of the Russian embassy to the same name being proposed in Ireland - 'Independent Ukraine Street'. Lithuania changed its street to 'Ukrainian Heroes' Street'.
IF YOU READ ONE THING TODAY...
CNN published an incredibly insightful analysis piece this morning - two weeks of war have revealed cracks in Putin's master plan for Ukraine.
"On the eve of the offensive, some US officials predicted Kyiv would fall within 48 to 72 hours of hostilities beginning. Yet the blue-and-yellow flag of Ukraine still hangs from its buildings... if, as Putin asserted, Ukraine was not a real country, it would surely have collapsed by now. But even with 150,000 Russian troops inside its borders, according to US assessments, they control at most about 10% of Ukraine." - Analysis by CNN's Tim Lister
It really is an incredibly informative overview.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
An American man called David Bennett - who was the first to receive a pig heart transplant - has died two months after the operation.
An exact cause of death was not given, with doctors just saying his condition had deteriorated in recent days.
SOCIETAL SHIFTS
Guatemala's congress voted for two significant changes yesterday. Firstly, women could now face up to ten years in prison for terminating a pregnancy when the life of the mother is not at risk.
The New York Times said it would be "the harshest punishments for abortion of almost any country in Latin America". It is expected to be signed into law next week.
According to The Guardian, a ban on same-sex marriage was also introduced.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Want to build core strength and stability but short on time? Start with a 10 lesson pilates course, progressing lesson by lesson. You can stream the lessons anytime, anywhere. Each lesson is 30-35 minutes to fit into your schedule.
If you enjoy it you can upgrade to the subscription service which will be released soon. Book here with 10% off when you use the code: NEW2022
MOST READ
- BBC News: Oil prices plunge as UAE supports supply boost
- The Guardian: Russia-Ukraine war latest news: US House passes $13bn Ukrainian aid bill; outrage at bombing of Mariupol hospital
- The Financial Times: US and UK ban Russian oil and gas imports in drive to punish Putin
- Al Jazeera: UN chief denounces 'horrific' bombing of Ukraine hospital
- The Irish Times: Russia blamed for bomb strike that gutted a maternity hospital in Ukrainian port
WATCHING OUT FOR
Netflix has just released the trailer for a new documentary - Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King. It looks to be absolutely fascinating, Tinder Swindler meets crypto.
Netflix said it will be released on March 30 - we'll remind you ✌🏽
BRIDGERTON IS (NEARLY) BACK
An official trailer for season 2 of the wildly popular series, Bridgerton, has been released overnight. In just 17 hours, it already has more than 1.2 million views.
The season will be available on Netflix from March 25.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
They really fell for each other.