The Loop: Ukraine's 'Iron Dome' plea, Kimberley Kitching's funeral, why blood is becoming more positive

Good morning, it's Monday, March 21. Here's what you need to get going today.

One thing to know right now: Ukraine's president pleads for 'Iron Dome', thousands 'deported' to Russia

Here's the lowdown:

• Thousands of people in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol have been taken, by force, to Russia, its city council said on its Telegram channel. It said they had been "deported" to Russia over the past week. Russian news agencies said buses had carried hundreds of people who Moscow is calling "refugees" from Mariupol to Russia in recent days
• Speaking to CNN, US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the deportation accounts "disturbing" and "unconscionable", if true, but said Washington had not yet confirmed them
• And Russian forces are being accused of bombing an art school sheltering 400 residents, also in Mariupol

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia's actions in Mariupol are a "terror that will be remembered for centuries to come". (AP: Evgeniy Maloletka, file)

• Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has appealed to Israel for help in pushing back the Russian assault on his country, questioning the nation's reluctance to sell its Iron Dome missile defence system to Ukraine. He said:

• And the ABC's Four Corners program has secured an exclusive interview with Ukraine's deputy PM, Iryna Vereshchuk. She says her country will struggle to defeat the invading Russians without the implementation of a no-fly zone. You can see part of the interview here: 

Four Corners interviews Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister, Iryna Vereshchuk. (ABC Four Corners: Ryan Sheridan)

One thing you’ll be hearing about today: Kimberley Kitching's state funeral

• A state funeral will be held in Melbourne today for the late ALP Federal Senator Kimberley Kitching
• Senator Kitching died by the side of a suburban Melbourne road on March 10, after suffering a heart attack. She was 52
• Her death has sparked claims that she had been subjected to bullying by senior members of the Labor Party.

Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching died suddenly of a heart attack in Melbourne last week. (AAP: Mick Tsikas)

News while you snoozed

Let's get you up to speed.

• At least six people have died and dozens are missing after a small ferry collided with a cargo vessel in central Bangladesh. Up to 50 people were believed to be on the ferry when it sank near the country's capital, Dhaka

Efforts to rescue those missing from the accident continue. (Reuters: Mohammad Ponir Hossain)

• Witnesses have described the "indescribable chaos" caused by a car driving into a group of people queuing up for a festival in southern Belgium. Six people were killed early in the morning when a car drove at high speed into a crowd gathered out the front of an annual folklore parade

People had been gathered for the annual folklore parade, which had been abandoned for the previous two years because of COVID-19, when the incident occurred.  (Reuters: Johanna Geron)

• An independent inquiry is being launched in New South Wales to investigate flood causes, recovery and response. Recently retired police commissioner Mick  Fuller and Independent Planning Commission chair Mary O'Kane will lead the inquiry. An interim report is due to go to the state's premier by the end of June
• The Brisbane Broncos beat the Canterbury Bulldogs 16 to 10 at Olympic Stadium last night. At half-time it was 4-4, and the close contest continued in the second half — and, while Herbie Farnworth put the Broncos in front with 15 minutes to go, the Bulldogs had their chances late in the game. Elsewhere, the Newcastle Knights thrashed Wests Tigers 26 to 4 in Newcastle

• The Crows suffered a one-point loss to Fremantle at Adelaide Oval last night, 11.17(83) to 12.10(82)

The news Australia is searching for

• Formula 1 Bahrain: Ferrari have started the 2022 Formula One season in style, with Charles Leclerc winning from pole, and team-mate Carlos Sainz coming in second

• West Coast Eagles: That'll be this disappointing result for the Perth side. The Gold Coast Suns beat the West Coast Eagles by 27 points, taking away the Eagles' lead at both half-time and at the last break. It's the Gold Coast side's first away win over the Eagles, 16.11 (107) to 12.8 (80)

One more thing: Our blood types are becoming more ... positive

The first Australia-wide study of its kind in nearly 30 years has found our blood types are changing.

A larger proportion of patients today have positive blood, and B and AB types increased by 2-4 per cent.

But why is that happening?

Like eye colour, your blood type is inherited, and it refers to the presence or absence of certain molecules, called antigens, scattered over the surface of your red blood cells.

Different populations have different proportions of blood types, and as people move around, so too do their blood type genes.

For Australia, the fraction of people born overseas has increased steadily since the turn of the millennium, and currently sits just shy of 30 per cent.

Different combinations of the ABO and Rhesus D antigens gives eight main blood types. (Freepik: ibrandify)

That's it for now

We'll be back later on with more.

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