Stratford children’s author Jon-Erik Lappano is getting ready to release his fourth picture book, Martin and the River, on March 1.
Stratford children’s author Jon-Erik Lappano will release his latest picture book, Martin and the River, on March 1. Front cover illustration by Josée Bisaillon
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Just in time for spring, award-winning Stratford children’s author Jon-Erik Lappano is set to release his fourth picture book, which draws on his experiences growing up alongside the Upper Thames River and its wildlife in Mitchell.
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In Martin and the River, Martin loves his river. He watches the great blue herons, he looks for crayfish and otters, and he builds forts and lies in the tall grass near the water. But one day, Martin’s parents tell him they have to move from the country to city.
While exploring his new home, Martin finds the that none of the city’s charms, from the museum to the subway, can compare to his river. However, when his parents bring him to a little stream running through a nearby park, Martin discovers much of that same magic can indeed be found in the city.
“It’s inspired by my childhood growing up in Mitchell, just close to Stratford here, and spending countless hours biking down to the Upper Thames River where I used to look for minnows and spot great blue herons and that sort of stuff,” Lappano said.
“That time in nature was really pivotal for me in my childhood, and I think it really shaped who I am as an adult. I also spent a lot of my time in urban centres and living in the City of Toronto, so the book really explores the notion that we can find connection to nature in any place that we live.”
Through his first three children’s books – the first of which, Tokyo Digs a Garden, won the Governor General’s Literary Award – Lappano’s stories have largely been centred around the natural environment and seeing the natural world through a child’s eyes.
“All of my books taken together certainly have an environmental theme to them, and I don’t know that it’s a conscious thing, but I think it’s the way I sort of interpret the world,” Lappano said. “Since I was young, I always found meaning and connection in natural spaces. I think it’s how I’ve embedded meaning in my life and it’s where I search for meaning. I’ve also got a natural curiosity and wonder for the world around me … and because of that, my stories reflect that theme.”
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Like his previous books, Martin and the River is accompanied by colourful and whimsical illustrations. While Lappano has worked with a few different illustrators in the past, the artwork in this book is by Montreal artist Josée Bisaillon, who has illustrated more than 40 picture books, including The Snow Knows by Jennifer McGrath, which won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award.
“The illustrations in this book are spectacular,” Lappano said. “(It’s) the colour, the light and just everything that she does to bring this story alive. I think one of the things I was most grateful for in working with Josée was her ability to bring this sense of childlike imagination onto the page. So much of the story takes place in Martin’s imagination and just him projecting his imagination onto the world around him, and she capture that so beautifully.”
Martin and the River will be available for purchase on March 1 at Fanfare Books and Fundamentals Books and Toys Inc. in Stratford, as well as through most online book sellers.
LJI researchers shed light on the role of TET enzymes in genomic stability and cancers.
Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have uncovered how loss of TET enzymes can lead to B cell lymphoma. Their research, published in Nature Immunology, could potentially open opportunities for designing drug treatment strategies to target malignant cells in many cancers.
The new research was led by LJI Professor Anjana Rao, Ph.D., in the LJI Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, and experiments were spearheaded by LJI Instructor Vipul Shukla, Ph.D., (soon to be an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University) and UC San Diego Graduate Student Daniela Samaniego-Castruita.
The new research helps scientists finally link two dangerous phenomena in cancer cells.
In previous studies, scientists spotted mutations that cause TET enzymes to lose their function in many patients with blood cancers and solid cancers. Researchers have also found that genomic instability, such as double-stranded breaks in the DNA code, are a common feature in cancer cells
In this project, scientists explored one potential way in which TET deficiency is connected to genomic instability.
“This study provides insights about an important question in the field,” says Shukla.
By studying a mouse model of lymphoma, the researchers found that deleting TET2 and TET3 enzymes in mature B cells had huge consequences for B-cell homeostasis. “The TET-deficient mice developed lymphoma, and we observed an increase in marks associated with genomic instability, such as double strand breaks,” says Samaniego-Castruita.
The team then performed genomic analysis for clues to what was happening at the molecular level. They saw that without TET2 and TET3, the DNA became riddled with unusual DNA structures called G-quadruplexes and R-loops.
DNA normally has two strands running parallel to each other, like two rails of a ladder. R-loops appear when a third rail, made of RNA, slips in and forces a gap between the two DNA rails. G-quadruplexes act like knots on the DNA rails. Both R-loops and G-quadruplexes make it hard for the original two rails of DNA to “unzip” as the cell tries to read the DNA code and keep the cell working properly.
Diagrammatic representation of a G-quadruplex (G4) with an associated R-loop structure, illustrating the reagents used for detection of G-quadruplexes and R-loops. Credit: Shukla et al
Shulka and Samaniego-Castruita examined these DNA structures in depth thanks to funding from the La Jolla Institute’s Tullie and Rickey Families SPARK Awards for Innovations in Immunology. “These structures represent sites in the DNA that are much more fragile than other regions,” says Shukla. “With this study, we found that TET enzymes are perhaps related to the regulation of these structures, which could in turn explain one mechanism for acquisition of genomic instability in the absence of TET enzymes.”
When it comes to B cell malignancies, G-quadruplexes and R-loops appear to be a missing link between tell-tale TET mutations and dangerous genomic instability.
So if G-quadruplexes and R-loops are causing problems, is there a way to stop them from forming?
Shukla and Samaniego-Castruita observed that DNMT1 was upregulated in TET-deficient B cells. DNMT1 is a key enzyme responsible for maintaining marks on DNA called “DNA methylation.” DNA methylation is an important regulatory mark in the genome, and is normally removed through the activity of TET enzymes.
Without TET enzymes, the normal give-and-take of DNA methylation marks was broken. So in their next experiment, the scientists also deleted the Dnmt1 gene in TET-deficient B cells in mice to test if levels of G quadruplexes and R-loops could be altered upon removal of DNMT1 protein.
Indeed, deleting DNMT1 was associated with a striking delay in the development of aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Deleting DNMT1 was also associated with decreased levels of G-quadruplexes and R-loops, says Samaniego-Castruita.
The researchers emphasize that regulating G-quadruplexes and R-loops may be just one way TET enzymes control genomic stability. There’s also more work to be done to uncover the precise steps that lead TET-deficient cells to accumulate these enigmatic structures in DNA. Someday, the team hopes to devise strategies through which G-quadruplexes and R-loops could be targeted to help cancer patients.
As the Rao Lab continues investigating the effects of TET enzymes, Shukla will be joining the faculty of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Northwestern University this winter. He plans to launch his own laboratory focused on studying alternative structural conformations in DNA.
For more on this research, see Strange Structures in DNA May Drive Cancer Development.
Reference: “TET deficiency perturbs mature B cell homeostasis and promotes oncogenesis associated with accumulation of G-quadruplex and R-loop structures” by Vipul Shukla, Daniela Samaniego-Castruita, Zhen Dong, Edahí González-Avalos, Qingqing Yan, Kavitha Sarma and Anjana Rao, 22 December 2021, Nature Immunology. DOI: 10.1038/s41590-021-01087-w
The researchers used resources of the Advanced Light Source, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Additional study authors include Zhen Dong, Edahi Gonzalez-Avalos, Qingqing Yan, and Kavitha Sarma.
Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine: EU imposes sanctions against President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov and adopts wide ranging individual and economic sanctions
The EU today decided to sanction Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation and Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The Council also agreed on a further package of individual and economic measures covering also Belarus to respond to the unprovoked and unjustified military aggression carried out by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
President Putin and his government started a war against an independent, sovereign neighbouring country. The behaviour of the Russian leadership constitutes a major threat to international peace and security. Today, we are replying with the strongest possible restrictive measures. The European Union is united in its resolve, together with international partners and allies, to defend the peace order, international law and the rules based system.
JOSEP BORRELL, HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY
Swiftly implementing the European Council conclusions of 24 February, the package of sanctions adopted today includes:
Individual sanctions
In addition to freezing the assets the Russian President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the EU will impose restrictive measures on the members of the National Security Council of the Russian Federation who supported Russia’s immediate recognition of the two non-government controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine as independent entities. Sanctions will also be extended to the remaining members of the Russian State Duma, who ratified the government decision of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the two entities.
Furthermore, the EU will also target those individuals, who facilitated the Russian military aggression from Belarus.
Economic sanctions
Financial sanctions
The package adopted today further expands the existing financial restrictions, thereby cutting Russian access to the most important capital markets. It also prohibits the listing and provision of services in relation to shares of Russian state-owned entities on EU trading venues. In addition, it introduces new measures which significantly limit the financial inflows from Russia to the EU, by prohibiting the acceptance of deposits exceeding certain values from Russian nationals or residents, the holding of accounts of Russian clients by the EU Central Securities Depositories, as well as the selling of euro-denominated securities to Russian clients.
These sanctions will target 70% of the Russian banking market, and key state-owned companies, including in the field of defence. They will increase Russia’s borrowing costs, raise inflation and gradually erode Russia’s industrial base. Additionally measures are taken to prevent the Russian elite’s fortunes from being hidden in safe havens in Europe.
Energy sector
The EU will prohibit the sale, supply, transfer or export to Russia of specific goods and technologies in oil refining, and will introduce restrictions on the provision of related services.
By introducing such export ban, the EU intends to hit the Russian oil sector, and make it impossible for Russia to upgrade its oil refineries.
Russia’s export revenues accounted for EUR 24 billion in 2019.
Transport sector
The EU introduced an export ban covering goods and technology in the aviation and space industry, as well as a prohibition on the provision of insurance and reinsurance and maintenance services related to those goods and technology. The EU will also prohibit the provision of related technical and financial assistance.
This ban on thesale of all aircrafts, spare parts and equipmentto Russian airlines will degrade one of the key sectors of Russia’s economy and the country’s connectivity, as three quarters of Russia’s current commercial air fleet were built in the EU, the US and Canada.
Technology sector
The EU imposed further restrictions on exports of dual-use goods and technology, as well as restrictions on exports of certain goods and technology which might contribute to Russia’s technological enhancement of its defence and security sector.
This will include products such as semiconductors or cutting-edge technologies.
Visa policy
Diplomats, other Russian officials, and business people will no longer be able to benefit from visa facilitation provisions, which allow privileged access to the EU. This decision will not affect ordinary Russian citizens. The decision will enter into force on the day of the adoption.
The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus in this aggression.
The European Union demands that Russia immediately ceases its military actions, unconditionally withdraws all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and fully respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognised borders. The European Council calls on Russia and Russia-backed armed formations to respect international humanitarian law and stop their disinformation campaign and cyber-attacks.
The use of force and coercion to change borders has no place in the 21st century. Tensions and conflict should be resolved exclusively through dialogue and diplomacy. The EU will continue cooperating closely with neighbours and reiterates its unwavering support for, and commitment to, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and of the Republic of Moldova. It will continue strong coordination with partners and allies, within the UN, OSCE, NATO and the G7.
The relevant legal acts, including the names of the persons concerned by restrictive measures, will be published in the Official Journal.
Background
Individual restrictive measures will apply to a total of 654 individuals and 52 entities, and include an asset freeze and a prohibition from making funds available to the listed individuals and entities. In addition, a travel ban applicable to the listed persons prevents these from entering or transiting through EU territory.
Several FDA-approved drugs — including for type 2 diabetes, hepatitis C and HIV — significantly reduce the ability of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 to replicate in human cells, according to new research led by scientists at Penn State. Specifically, the team found that these drugs inhibit certain viral enzymes, called proteases, that are essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication in infected human cells.
“The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines target the spike protein, but this protein is under strong selection pressure and, as we have seen with Omicron, can undergo significant mutations,” said Joyce Jose, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, Penn State. “There remains an urgent need for SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic agents that target parts of the virus other than the spike protein that are not as likely to evolve.”
Previous research has demonstrated that two SARS-CoV-2 enzymes — proteases including Mpro and PLpro — are promising targets for antiviral drug development. Pfizer’s COVID-19 therapy Paxlovid, for example, targets Mpro. According to Jose, these enzymes are relatively stable; therefore, they are unlikely to develop drug-resistant mutations rapidly.
Katsuhiko Murakami, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, Penn State, noted that these virus proteases, because of their capabilities to cleave, or cut, proteins, are essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication in infected cells.
“SARS-CoV-2 produces long proteins, called polyproteins, from its RNA genome that must be cleaved into individual proteins by these proteases in an ordered fashion leading to the formation of functional virus enzymes and proteins to start virus replication once it enters a cell,” Murakami explained. “If you inhibit one of these proteases, further spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the infected person could be stopped.”
The findings were published today (February 25, 2022) in the journal Communications Biology.
The team designed an assay to rapidly identify inhibitors of the Mpro and PLpro proteases in live human cells.
“Although other assays are available, we designed our novel assay so it could be conducted in live cells, which enabled us to simultaneously measure the toxicity of the inhibitors to human cells,” said Jose.
The researchers used their assay to test a library of 64 compounds — including inhibitors of HIV and hepatitis C proteases; cysteine proteases, which occur in certain protozoan parasites; and dipeptidyl peptidase, a human enzyme involved in type 2 diabetes — for their ability to inhibit Mpro or PLpro. From the 64 compounds, the team identified eleven that affected Mpro activity and five that affected PLpro activity based on a cut-off of 50% reduction in protease activity with 90% cell viability.
Anoop Narayanan, associate research professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, monitored the activity of the compounds using live confocal microscopy.
“We designed the experiment so that if the compound was affecting the proteases, you would see fluorescence in certain areas of the cell,” said Narayanan.
Next, the team evaluated the antiviral activity of the 16 PLpro and Mpro inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 viruses in live human cells in a BSL-3 facility, the Eva J. Pell ABSL-3 Laboratory for Advanced Biological Research at Penn State, and discovered that eight of them had dose-dependent antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, they found that Sitagliptin and Daclatasvir inhibit PLpro, and MG-101, Lycorine HCl and Nelfinavir mesylate inhibit Mpro. Of these, the team found that MG-101 also hindered the virus’s ability to infect cells by inhibiting protease processing of the spike protein.
“We found that when the cells were pretreated with the selected inhibitors, only MG-101 affected the virus’s entry into cells,” said Narayanan.
In addition, the researchers found that treating cells with a combination of Mpro and PLpro inhibitors had an additive antiviral effect, providing even greater inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication.
“In cell culture, we showed that if you combine Mpro and PLpro inhibitors, you have a stronger effect on the virus without increasing toxicity,” said Jose. “This combination inhibition is highly potent.”
To investigate the mechanism by which MG-101 inhibits the activity of Mpro protease, the scientists, including Manju Narwal, postdoctoral scholar in biochemistry and molecular biology, used X-ray crystallography to obtain a high-resolution structure of MG-101 in complex with Mpro.
“We were able to see how MG-101 was interacting with the active site of Mpro,” said Narwal. “This inhibitor mimics the polyprotein and binds in a similar manner to the protease, thereby blocking the protease from binding to and cutting the polyprotein, which is an essential step in the virus’s replication.”
Murakami added, “By understanding how the MG-101 compound binds to the active site, we can design new compounds that may be even more effective.”
Indeed, the team is in the process of designing new compounds based on the structures they determined by X-ray crystallography. They also plan to test the combination drugs that they already demonstrated to be effective in vitro in mice.
Although the scientists studied the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, they said the drugs will likely be effective against Omicron and future variants because they target parts of the virus that are unlikely to mutate significantly.
“The development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs against a wide range of coronaviruses is the ultimate treatment strategy for circulating and emerging coronavirus infections,” said Jose. “Our research shows that repurposing certain FDA-approved drugs that demonstrate effectiveness at inhibiting the activities of Mpro and PLpro may be a useful strategy in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.”
Reference: “Identification of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors targeting Mpro and PLpro using in-cell-protease assay” by Anoop Narayanan, Manju Narwal, Sydney A. Majowicz, Carmine Varricchio, Shay A. Toner, Carlo Ballatore, Andrea Brancale, Katsuhiko S. Murakami and Joyce Jose, 25 February 2022, Communications Biology. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03090-9
Other authors on the paper include Sydney A. Majowicz, graduate student, and Shay A. Toner, undergraduate student, Penn State; Carmine Varricchio, postdoctoral research associate, and Andrea Brancale, professor of medicinal chemistry, Cardiff University; and Carlo Ballatore, professor of medicinal chemistry, University of California, San Diego.
The National Institutes of Health, Welsh Government Office for Science and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State (COVID-19 Seed Grant for Jose Laboratory) supported this research.
Churches of all denominations across Europe have joined in firmly condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine, while praying for peace to prevail and expressing heartfelt solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
CCEE
“We must act together and with determination to immediately put an end to the Russian aggression and do everything possible to protect innocent women, men and children: in the name of God stop now!”, wrote the president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius in a message issued on Thursday, while attending the ongoing meeting of Bishops and Mayors of major cities of the Mediterranean in Floremce.
The prelate expressed the Council’s closeness to the victims and to all those suffering in the conflict, while confirming that the European bishops will join the global day of fasting and prayer Pope Francis has called for on Ash Wednesday, March 2.
COMECE
For his part, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), urged the international community, including the EU, not to stop seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis through diplomatic dialogue, reminding that “war is a serious affront to human dignity and has no place” in Europe.
Cardinal Hollerich also appealed on European governments to “welcome refugees fleeing Ukraine and seeking international protection: “It is our vocation, our responsibility and our duty to welcome and protect them as brothers and sisters”, he said.
CEC, Lutherans, Methodists and Reformed
Other Christian Churches in Europe have also condemned the assault and are supporting the global day of prayer for Ukraine on March 2. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), the Conference of European Churches (CEC), and the World Methodist Council (WMC) have issued a joint invitation to an online prayer service at 17.00 CET that day. In the call to prayer for the people of Ukraine and the region, the four Christian communions note the military assault threatens the lives of Ukrainians, as well as peace throughout Europe and beyond. “The crisis is urgent and requires the attention and solidarity of the global Christian community”, they say.
The Anglican Church
The Church of England too has condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and is calling on the faithful to join in prayer. In a joint statement Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said “the horrific and unprovoked attack” is “an act of great evil” and urged Christians to make this Sunday a special day of prayer for Ukraine, Russia and for peace, while supporting the global day of prayer and fasting for peace on Ash Wednesday.
Shots reverberated throughout the Ukrainian capital as Russian forces entered Kyiv on Friday. Civilians tried to hide from Russian airstrikes in underground railway stations and other areas.
After taking a key airport, Moscow now says it is determined to topple the democratically elected government, which Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said was steered by what he called “neo-Nazis” and the West.
The United States and the European Union have announced sanctions against Russia. They range from freezing assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and allies to even halting a critical Russian natural gas pipeline to Europe.
Yet, unshaven and emotional, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the world had abandoned his nation. “This morning, we are defending our state alone as we did yesterday. Yet, the world’s most powerful forces are watching from afar. Did yesterday’s sanctions convince Russia? We hear in our sky and see on our earth that this is not enough,” the president said in a video message.
Massive protest
His sentiments are shared across the border in Hungary. Thousands of Hungarians protested near the Russian embassy in Budapest against the invasion.
One protestor said Hungary still remembers how Russian forces crushed its 1956 Revolution against Soviet domination. “As a nation that was affected by very similar things, it is almost our moral duty to show support [for Ukraine] in our own ways as much as we can, really. And I hate seeing people having to flee their country, having to flee their homes, getting killed, getting bombed. It is horrifying, so this is the least I can do,” she added about the protest.
Hundreds of people are believed to have died on both sides. But there were no signs yet Friday that Europe’s most significant armed conflict since World War Two would end soon.
Hungary and other nearby nations are expecting thousands of refugees.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday celebrated the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ by inaugurating projects reflecting Buddhist linkages with the ASEAN and East Asian countries.
Bharat ki Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to commemorate 75 glorious years of progressive India and its rich history, diverse population, magnificent culture and great achievements.
This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who have not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The official journey of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced on 12th March 2021 which started a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of independence and will end post a year on 15th August 2023.
As part of the celebration, books of Buddhist ‘Jataka’ tales translated into Thai, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese languages were unveiled, the MEA said.
The Jataka tales are a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. The future Buddha may appear as a king, an outcast, a god, an elephant—but, in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates. Often, Jātaka tales include an extensive cast of characters who interact and get into various kinds of trouble – whereupon the Buddha character intervenes to resolve all the problems and bring about a happy ending.
A comprehensive video of e-ITEC courses offered by the MEA on Buddhist teachings was shown during the event.
The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) is a prestigious programme conducted by the MEA.
Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh inaugurated an interactive coffee table e-book on Buddhist linkages with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asian countries.
The digital exhibition titled “Bodhicitta: Interweaving Buddhist Art Traditions from India Across Asia” curated by National Museum was displayed, the MEA said in a statement.
“The ministry presented an Interactive Template for use by Missions for orientation visits by school/college students to cultural centres/missions for better understanding of India’s Buddhist linkages,” it said.
A series of commemorative events and activities will be organised by the MEA across the country as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav week’ from February 21 to 27.
Amid reported deadly missile attacks from Russia’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine, including the capital Kiev and other cities, terrified families have been forced to seek shelter underground, the UN said on Friday, adding that at least 100,000 people have likely been displaced by the violence.
“There have been major attacks in Kiev that have created greater fear and panic among the population, with families really scared, moving alongside their children into subways and shelters, and this is clearly a terrifying moment for children across the country,” said Afshan Khan, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director, Europe and Central Asia, speaking in Geneva.
Wrong but ‘not irreversible’
The development follows renewed condemnation for the Russian move by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who on Thursday appealed for peace and allocated $20 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to meet urgent needs.
The use of force by one country against another is “the repudiation of the principles that every country has committed to uphold,” which applied to the military offensive in Ukraine, Mr. Guterres insisted.
“It is wrong. It is against the Charter. It is unacceptable. But it is not irreversible.”
Civilian deaths confirmed
Two days since Russia launched military operations inside Ukraine, the UN rights office, OHCHR, confirmed that confirmed that many civilians have already been killed and injured.
“We’ve received reports of at least 127 civilian casualties; this includes 25 killed and 102 injured in Ukraine, caused by shelling and airstrikes…this is very likely to be an underestimate,” said Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson.
Communities are already in need of aid relief, too, UN humanitarians warned.
Fuel, cash, medical supply shortages
“When we look at shortages, we’re talking about fuel, which has been well reported in the media, we’re talking about cash, because often in humanitarian situations, cash assistance would be our first support to families, so obviously there’s been a drawdown on banks,” said UNICEF’s Ms. Khan.
Echoing that message and in an appeal for guaranteed humanitarian access to the most vulnerable individuals, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted concerns that medical teams face being overwhelmed.
“We don’t have reports yet from the hospitals, when we look to particular injuries and the details of medical,” said Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.
“Where our focus has been now, is that the prepositioned medical kits. We will run out of them soon, so what is important currently…is how to ensure new supplies to come and…[that] there are humanitarian corridors from the neighbouring countries available.”
Priority needs
UN agencies have been active in Ukraine for many years, particularly since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 – a move in large part rejected by the international community.
Immediate priorities include assessing what already vulnerable communities need in eastern regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and other oblasts.
“We are still trying to monitor what the situation is vis-à-vis civilian infrastructure,” said UNICEF’s Ms. Khan.
“As you know, there has been hits of critical infrastructure in the east, particularly in Donbass for some years and they have been cut off, hence the UNICEF water trucking [operations]. In the current scenario we are still trying to see which civilian infrastructure has been hit [and] where.”
Announcing the $20 million emergency funding allocation for the Ukraine crisis, Mr. Guterres underscored that the UN and its humanitarian partners are “committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need.”
A man stands in a school that was damaged by constant shelling in Oleksandrivka, near Donetsk, Ukraine. (file)
Lives shattered
Forced mass displacement has also begun, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed.
“There are more than 100,000 who we estimate have lost their homes and are displaced inside [the] country and we are also aware of several thousand who have crossed international borders in the region, and we’ve seen those really just happening since the onset of the situation,” said UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo.
“We’re seeing these reports and we’ve seen for instance yesterday that there were about 5,000 refugee arrivals in Moldova already, but the other movements are being reported in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Russian Federation.”
Russian protesters warned off
While the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) warned that Ukraine’s people were “terrified of further escalation,” agency spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani flagged concerns inside of Russia.
“Reportedly more than 1,800 were arrested…it’s impossible at this point to know to know exactly how many people there were,” Ms. Shamdasani said referring to anti-war protesters.
“It is unclear whether some of them have now been released. What we understand is that among those who were arrested were also some journalists, and they were arrested in over 50 cities across Russia.”
Teleworking, gender equality, mental health and unpaid care work are the focus of events around International Women’s Day on 8 March.
With the world emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, its impact on life at work and home feature high on the agenda. They will be the subject of an inter-parliamentary meeting on 3 March called An ambitious future for Europe’s women after Covid-19: mental load, gender equality in teleworking and unpaid care work after the pandemic.
The meeting is organised by Parliament’s women’s rights committee together with the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments. The event will be opened by Parliament President Roberta Metsola; Élisabeth Moreno, Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities in France; and Věra Jourová, vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Values and Transparency. Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir will give the keynote speech.
The meeting, hosted by Robert Biedroń, chair of the women’s rights committee, will take place via videoconference on Thursday 3 March from 9.00 to 12.00 CET and will be live streamed.
Other events
MEPs will mark International Women’s Day during the plenary session in Strasbourg on 8 March.
A media seminar in Strasbourg on 7 March will look at the role of the European Parliament and the EU in improving gender equality. It will be streamed.
Today’s events are a watershed moment for Europe. Bombs are falling on innocent women, men and children. They fear for their lives and many are dying. All of this happens in 2022 – in the very heart of Europe. President Putin chose to bring back war to Europe. This is a fully-fledged invasion of Ukraine. And this fundamentally puts into question our peace order.
But today I also say: The European Union stands united. Tonight, European Leaders were fully aligned in condemning the atrocious and unprovoked attacks. Now we have to meet the moment. We will hold the Kremlin accountable. The package of massive and targeted sanctions European Leaders approved tonight clearly demonstrates that. It will have maximum impact on the Russian economy and the political elite. It is built on five pillars: The first is the financial sector; second, the energy sector; the third is the transport sector; fourth are export controls and the ban of export financing; and finally, visa policy. Let me highlight some of the most important points.
First, this package includes financial sanctions that cut Russia’s access to the most important capital markets. We are now targeting 70% of the Russian banking market, but also key state-owned companies, including the field of defence. These sanctions will increase Russia’s borrowing costs, raise inflation and gradually erode Russia’s industrial base. We are also targeting the Russian elite by curbing their deposits so that they cannot hide their money anymore in safe havens in Europe.
The second main pillar targets the energy sector, a key economic area, which especially benefits the Russian state. Our export ban will hit the oil by making it impossible for Russia to upgrade its oil refineries, which gave actually Russia export revenues of EUR 24 billion in 2019.
The third topic is that we ban the sale of all aircrafts, spare parts and equipment to Russian airlines. This will degrade the key sector of Russia’s economy and the country’s connectivity. Three quarters of Russia’s current commercial air fleet were built in the European Union, the US and Canada. And therefore, they are massively depending on that.
The fourth point is that we are limiting Russia’s access to crucial technology. We will hit Russia’s access to important technologies it needs to build a prosperous future – such as semiconductors or cutting-edge technologies.
And finally, on visas. Diplomats and related groups, and business people will no longer have privileged access to the European Union.
As always, these measures are closely coordinated with our partners and allies. These are, of course, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Norway, but now also joined by South Korea, Japan or, for example, Australia. Our unity is our strength. The Kremlin knows this. And it has tried its best to divide us, but it has utterly failed. It has achieved exactly the opposite. We are more than ever united and we are determined
To conclude, let me stress that these events, indeed, mark the beginning of a new era. We must be very clear in our analysis: Putin is trying to subjugate a friendly European country. And he is trying to redraw the maps of Europe by force. He must, and he will, fail.
