⏳ Tuesday Fix: 'Survived Hitler, Murdered by Putin'
Morning all,
Ukraine's Foreign Minister doesn't hold back, nor does Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Who is taking a step back? Well, I guess you could say Prince William and Kylie Jenner.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
GOOD LISTENER?
Click the screenshot below to access the podcast version of today's NewsFix.
UKRAINE - WHAT'S THE LATEST?
A 96-year-old Holocaust survivor was killed in his apartment in the city of Kharkiv by Russian shelling. As CNN noted, Borys Romanchenko had survived four concentration camps.
According to BBC News, he is one of roughly 500 civilians who have been killed in the city, which lies just 30 miles from the border with Russia.
COVERING THE COVERAGE
Remember last week when a Russian journalist protested against the war live on tv?
Well, the channel - Channel One - has finally addressed the incident. According to journalist Max Seddon, Marina Ovsyannikova has been accused of being a British spy. The head of news at the channel said she "betrayed [her] country and all of us … coldly, duplicitously, for a bonus".
Also, there has been a lot of talk online about a report from a "pro-Kremlin Russian tabloid" reporting there has been nearly 10,000 Russian deaths and more than 16,000 injuries in Ukraine . The article cited the country's Ministry of Defence.
Curiously, the reporting was later deleted, with the publication saying they were hacked. Mark Austin from Sky News noted that if true those numbers are "higher than the US intelligence estimates" of roughly 7,000 losses.
"The Pentagon’s figure was said to be a conservative estimate but was still greater than the number of American troops killed over 20 years in Afghanistan and Iraq combined." - context from The Times
As Yaroslav Trofimov from The Wall Street Journal noted, the last update from Russian officials was on March 2, stating 498 had died.
ON TODAY'S AGENDA...
Ireland's Cabinet will meet today to discuss a plan for the number of Ukrainian refugees it expects will arrive to the country in the coming weeks.
An RTÉ News report noted the government are modelling a plan "on the basis that 2% of the 10 million people expected to flee Ukraine" could come to Ireland. This would be up to 200,000 people.
MONDAY'S OTHER MAIN LINES
In a press conference on Monday, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe expressed criticism of the government for taking six years to secure her release, saying she was assured "many times" she would be brought home.
"How many foreign secretaries does it take to get someone home? What happened now should have happened six years ago." - Nazanin
Who served as foreign secretary during Nazanin's detention in Iran? Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt, Dominic Raab and Liz Truss.
Click 👇🏽 to watch the clip.
VERDICT PENDING...
We're on standby today and waiting for a verdict in Alexey Navalny's case.
Prosecutors have sought a thirteen-year sentence for Navalny for fraud and contempt of court, something many supporters of Navalny say are trumped up charges.
Remember: Navalny is President Putin's most prominent opposition figure. In August 2020, he was poisoned by a nerve agent, with many pointing the finger at Putin. He was flown to Berlin for medical treatment in a medically induced coma. Upon his return to Moscow in early 2021, he was arrested and has since been in jail for violating bail conditions - conditions he couldn't meet while recovering.
Months after the poisoning, CNN aired an explosive piece showing an FSB agent duped by Navalny himself into providing details of the poisoning. You can watch it here, or by clicking 👇🏽.
KEEPING AN EYE 👀
For the last few weeks, singer Ed Sheeran has had a case in court, where he stands accused of copying another artist's music in his famous song 'Shape of You' - a claim Sheeran strenuously denies.
The closing arguments in the trial are expected today, with a judgement expected to come at a later date.
SCOTUS HEARINGS
In the US, Senate confirmation hearings have begun for President Biden's nomination to replace Justice Breyer on the Supreme Court.
Ketanji Brown Jackson, if confirmed by a simple majority, would be the first Black woman to serve on the court.
Worth noting: The US Senate is currently made up of 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. In the event of a tie, vice president Kamala Harris would cast the deciding vote. Basically, unless Jackson receives no Republican support and at least one Democrat voting against her, she will be confirmed as the next justice.
Following the beginning of the hearings, Hillary Clinton tweeted a fascinating look 👇🏽 at Jackson's qualifications in comparison to the nine justices currently serving on the Supreme Court.
MOST READ
- BBC News: Dog bought a week ago kills girl in St Helens home
- The Guardian: Russia-Ukraine war: Zelensky urges talks with Putin; Biden flags 'clear sign' Russia considering chemical weapons - live
- The Financial Times: Ukraine rejects Russian demand to surrender Mariupol as fierce fighting engulfs city
- Al Jazeera: Hypersonic missiles: what are they and why is Russia using them? *this actually an incredibly informative piece to read!
- The Irish Times: Gerry Thornley's Six Nations Team of the Tournament (and more)
#NOWYOUKNOW
As expected, the Biden administration announced Myanmar's military's treatment of the Rohingya people amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity.
Ever wondered where the term 'genocide' came from? It has quite a powerful story actually, see 👇🏽.
#HAVEYOURSAY
In Monday's NewsFix, we mentioned a new law in Wales banning the physical punishment of children. We asked you guys on our Instagram account what you thought;
- 71% of you support the law
- Nearly three quarters (74%) were smacked by a parent as a child
- A minority (45%), believe physical punishment can sometimes be acceptable
- When asked if there should be different laws when it comes to parents and other carers, it was split completely down the middle - 50/50
Your opinions;
#1 "I received plenty of smacks from my parents and I'm glad they did to whip me into line and teach me manners."
#2 "It wouldn't be acceptable to hit an adult & should be the same for parents."
TODAY MARKS...
Five years since a terror attack on London's Westminster Bridge and parliament. The attack led to the deaths of four people, including police officer Keith Palmer.
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TWITTER TRENDS
#KylieJenner
Why? Because nearly seven weeks after the birth of her son, Jenner announced on Instagram the baby's name is no longer 'Wolf'. In an Instagram story she said "we just didn't really feel like it was him". No new name was revealed.
#PrinceWilliam
Why? Because of a sweet video showing him dancing - and then quickly getting embarrassed - while on tour in Belize.
FROZEN, BUT HEARTWARMING
A couple of weeks ago we ended our newsletter with a special video of a young Ukrainian girl singing Frozen while in a bomb shelter.
Well, she just sang Ukraine's national anthem on stage in front of a huge audience at a charity concert in Poland. According to ITV News, seven-year-old Amelia Anisovych fled to the neighbouring country "with her siblings and grandmother".
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
Paw Patrol.
