Eastern Ukrainians brace for Russian advance

Plus: Hottest February on record, and Labradors' hungry genes

View this email online 7 March, 2024 Sofia Lotto Persio Hello. As Russian troops advance in Ukraine's Donetsk region, residents must decide whether to flee or stay. James Waterhouse meets those confronting that dilemma. In Ghana, where a new law sets prison terms for identifying as LBGTQ+, Favour Nunoo and Thomas Naadi talk to people who fear the bill will legitimise homophobic attacks. Finally, Mark Poynting explains how February 2024 broke another temperature record, and scientists find out why some dogs are chunkier than others. Top of the agenda 'We know what's coming' Freight carriages are lined up on station platforms to provide cover from Russian attacks. Credit: BBC/Xavier Vanpevenaege In February, Russia captured the eastern town of Avdiivka, the most significant development of the war since the fall of Bakhmut in May. Since then, Russian troops have advanced further west into Ukraine and taken several villages. Correspondent James Waterhouse speaks to people in nearby cities who are now facing a fast-approaching front line. For some, the choice between leaving and risking death, or Russian occupation, feels like an impossible one. Though for families with children, evacuation from front-line settlements is compulsory. The train station in the city of Kramatorsk is the last stop for arriving troops and increasingly, departing civilians laden with bags. • Odesa explosions: The Ukraine navy has reported five deaths during a Russian attack on a maritime facility in the southern port city, where President Volodymyr Zelensky was meeting Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis. • International law: Russia has refused to recognise arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for two top Russian commanders over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. • New lease of life: A Ukrainian woman who left her home in Kyiv at the start of Russia's invasion in February 2022 has reopened one of the oldest pubs in south Wales. World headlines • Islamic State (IS) group: At least 18 truffle hunters in the Syrian desert have been killed in an attack by gunmen believed to be from IS. • IVF protections: Alabama governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, has signed a law that shields fertility service providers from legal action and prosecution for "damage or death of an embryo" in their practice. • Rust trial: Armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Alex Baldwin's film. • Samantha Murphy: A 22-year-old Australian man has been charged with murdering a 51-year-old woman whose disappearance a month ago prompted a huge search. • Taylor Swift tour: Authorities in Singapore have charged two men with cheating for sneaking three people into the sold-out concert. The city-state is the only south-east Asian stop of the Eras tour, which other countries in the region did not take well. AT THE SCENE | Accra, Ghana LGBTQ+ people fear for their lives Ghana's Supreme Court is reviewing a law that would impose a jail term of up to three years for simply identifying as LGBTQ+. The country's community is extremely fearful of the bill's consequences. Favour Nunoo and Thomas Naadi, BBC News "A relative told me if this bill is passed, any chance he gets, he is going to poison me because I am an abomination to the family," Mensah, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, tells the BBC. Dressed in an all-black outfit, the young man in his late teens looks visibly terrified: "I am very worried anyone can snitch on me, even in my own neighbourhood. It's going to be very hard to live here." Read in full Beyond the headlines The warmest February on record Chile was one of the countries experiencing an intense heatwave in February. Credit: EPA Global temperatures last month were about 1.77C warmer than in "pre-industrial" times, before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels, according to the EU's climate service. Every month since June 2023 has marked a new record. These graphs help paint a picture of what that means for ocean temperatures and Arctic sea-ice levels. Explore the data Something different What era is this? Geologists still can't agree when the Anthropocene actually started. Here's why And finally... Labradors might be known for their healthy appetites. Indeed, the chunky nature of many of them may be among the reasons they're such beloved pets. Now scientists say they have discovered a genetic reason why there are so many fat labradors and flat-coated retrievers. And they say humans may even have had a hand in making them that way. US Election Unspun newsletter Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday to your inbox. 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