May 6, 2022

*) UK: Russia aims to take #Mariupol before V-Day The UK believes Russia wants to take the port city of Mariupol and its vast steel mill before it marks Victory Day on Monday. “The renewed effort by Russia to secure Azovstal and complete the capture of Mariupol is likely linked to the upcoming 9 May Victory Day commemorations”, the British Defence Ministry said in a daily intelligence briefing. Whilst Ukrainian resistance continues in Azovstal, Russian losses will continue to build and frustrate their operational plans in southern Donbass, it added. *) Almost 500 civilians evacuated from Mariupol: Ukraine Staying with Ukraine, Kiev has said almost 500 civilians have been evacuated from Mariupol and its besieged Azovstal steel plant since a UN-led rescue operation began. "We have managed to evacuate almost 500 civilians," Andriy Yermak (An-dree Year-mak), who heads Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, said. The United Nations had said that a new convoy would evacuate civilians from the "bleak hell" of the factory, which has become the last pocket of resistance in the southern port city. *) UK PM Johnson loses control of traditional strongholds in local elections British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party has lost control of traditional strongholds in London and suffered losses elsewhere in local elections. Early results showed that Johnson's party was ousted in Wandsworth - a low-tax Conservative stronghold since 1978. The Tories also said they had lost control of the borough of Barnet, which has been held by the party in all but two elections since 1964. "This is a warning shot from Conservative voters," said Daniel Thomas, the Tory leader of Barnet council. *) Researchers find animal virus in deceased man's implanted pig heart US researchers trying to learn what killed the first person to receive a heart transplant from a pig have discovered the organ harboured an animal virus. University of Maryland doctors said they found an unwelcome surprise, viral DNA inside the pig heart. They did