⏳ Wednesday Fix: When Life Imitates Art
Morning all,
An extraordinary video went viral yesterday. On the same day President Zelensky got a standing ovation in the European Parliament, an old clip of him as an actor playing the role of president resurfaced.
In it, he gets a call from Angela Merkel - with EU membership being what he wants most.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
GOOD LISTENER?
Click the screenshot below to access the podcast version of today's NewsFix.
UKRAINE - WHAT'S THE LATEST?
The Russian government has now said they have captured the Ukrainian city of Kherson.
In terms of context on this, BBC News noted "if the city has fallen, it would make it the largest in Ukraine to be captured by Russian forces so far".
Another city, Kharkiv, has reportedly had Russian paratroopers land.
There have been at least 21 deaths and 112 injuries in the city. A rocket attack has hit both a regional police department, and parts of a university.
Remember: Kharkiv is the second-largest city in Ukraine, and as you can see below it is located approximately 20km from the border with Russia. As one Ukrainian journalist pointed out, the population there is "predominantly Russian-speaking".
In Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, a TV tower was hit on Tuesday. Multiple media reports say the strike led to the deaths of at least five people, with five others injured.
The strike also led to the disruption of "television broadcasts and access to news".
In terms of civilian casualties in Ukraine, the UN now say at least 36 people have been killed - including 13 children.
Okay, so what is the bigger picture? CNN published the map below within their incredibly helpful live blog.
INTERNATIONAL ANGLES
President Biden - in his first State of the Union address in Washington - said "the Russian economy is reeling, and Putin alone is the one to blame".
Biden also announced Russian planes would be cut off from US airspace.
Conservative media outlets were also quick to point out Biden at one point saying "Iranian" instead of "Ukrainian". Vice President Harris is seen mouthing the word "Ukrainian" behind him.
Meanwhile, China has "signalled its willingness" to mediate between China and Ukraine.
According to a report in The Guardian, Ukraine's foreign minister reached out to his Chinese counterpart about it.
RUSSIAN FALLOUT
- Apple announced it would be halting sales in Russia. Sky News reported RT and Sputnik - two state-affiliated Russian media outlets - were also removed from Apple's App store.
- Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is said to be "hastily selling UK properties", according to a report in The Guardian.
- The BBC has stopped "all content licensing" in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to The Mail Online, it means they have told Russian state broadcasters not to air their versions of Strictly Come Dancing etc.
HATS OFF TO...
All of the journalists - both Ukrainian, Russian and international - who are on the ground both in Ukraine and Russia, and keeping us all so well informed.
Clive Myrie was brutally honest during BBC coverage about the risks involved;
"We all talk about how much further we can go, covering this story. When, perhaps, should we pull out. And if we did stay, what would be the attitude of the Russian troops, and they're going to win this. They've got the force of power, so let's not pretend that the Ukrainian army is actually potentially going to win this struggle, because there are simply too many Russian troops - what is there attitude going to be towards Western journalists? That is something you've got to weigh up." - Clive Myrie
LIFE IMITATING ART?
On Tuesday, Ukraine's President Zelensky received a standing ovation when he spoke virtually to the European Parliament. Even the translator got choked up while reading his speech in English.
Following this, an extraordinary clip has gone viral. Remember we told you Zelensky used to be an actor, playing the role of a teacher who became president after a clip of him speaking out against corruption went viral?
Well, another clip from that show is now going viral. Below shows Zelensky in character a few years ago, getting a call from Angela Merkel about EU membership for Ukraine.
WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN GOING ON?
From a stark climate report, to what Biden described as a "hateful" bill, there has been some other important news in recent days. Click 👇🏽 to see more.
PIN DROP - WHAT'S GOING ON IN CANADA?
There has potentially been another 169 unmarked graves found on the grounds of a former residential school in Alberta.
What's a residential school? Between 1831 and 1996, residential schools in Canada were attended - often forcibly - by indigenous children, with an aim of assimilating them. The goal was once described as to "extinguish the Indian in the child". Most of these schools were run by religious orders, primarily the Catholic Church.
Last year, more than a thousand unmarked graves were found, and for Canada it has sparked a real reckoning with its painful past.
Want to know more? We published our piece on this in late December, Residential Schools: Canada's Cultural Genocide.
MOST READ
- BBC News: Man died after 200-coffee caffeine overdose *a tragic story but an important read
- The Guardian: Live/Russia-Ukraine war latest news: Biden condemns Putin 'tyranny'; Russian troops land in Kharkiv - live
- The Financial Times: Russia launches fierce rocket attack on Ukrainian city of Kharkiv
- Al Jazeera: Russia bombards Ukraine cities; Biden says Putin 'will pay'
- The Irish Times: Kathy Sheridan: Cometh the hour, cometh Zelensky
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TODAY MARKS...
Ash Wednesday, a Christian holiday marking the beginning of Lent.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
Stop. cutting. onions.
