Mariupol being overrun
The United Nations and the Red Cross are making a third attempt to evacuate civilians from the tunnels of a massive steel plant in the devastated southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol today.
So far, about 500 people have been brought out safely, but at least 200 others are still thought to be holed up in the sprawling complex.
Previous evacuations have ended prematurely, as Russia continues its attack on the estimated two-thousand Ukrainian soldiers who remain in the plant, the last pocket of resistance in the city.
Russia’s Victory Day
Ukrainian officials are accusing Russia of wanting to use Mariupol as a stage for celebrating a victory in the war.
They say civilians are being forced to clean up parts of the city in exchange for food, as Russia plans to mark “Victory Day” on May 9th, celebrating the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945.
The officials say Ukrainians will be forced to dress in prisoner-of-war uniforms and march through Mariupol a plan they call, “grotesque.”
Calls to return mask mandates
Three regional medical officers of health are calling on the province to re-impose mask mandates in
Ontario.
The medical officers in Niagara, Windsor-Essex, and Peterborough say COVID-19 infection numbers are high enough that they’re starting to affect health care facilities in their regions and those most at risk of poor outcomes are among those being hit the hardest.
In a letter to the provincial chief medical officer of health, Doctor Kieran Moore, the three say mask
mandates should be restored for use in schools and most public indoor settings.
The compulsory wearing of face masks was eliminated in March for most locations.
However, Doctor Moore has kept it in place for public transit, hospitals, and long-term care facilities until at least June.
Motorcycle fatalities study in Ontario
The Ontario Provincial Police say motorcyclists have been responsible for six out of ten fatal crashes
over the past ten years.
The force has released results of a study of the 342 riders killed in mishaps over the past decade.
It notes that excessive speed, failing to yield right of way, and driver inattention are the main reasons
behind the fatalities involving motorcyclists.
Riders between the ages of 45 and 54 suffered the highest number of fatalities on OPP-patrolled roads during the study period.