The increase in myopia (nearsightedness) is largely related not to “screens as such,” but to a combination of prolonged work at close range and insufficient lighting in the room, according to a hypothesis by researchers at SUNY College of Optometry, presented in a press release accompanying a publication in Cell Reports.
The authors link the possible mechanism to the fact that when focusing on close objects, the pupil can constrict not only from bright light, but also as part of accommodation—to increase clarity. In dim lighting conditions, this can significantly reduce the illumination of the retina, which, according to the researchers, may be a common “link” for myopia risk factors and for some approaches to its control, including time spent outdoors. At the same time, the authors themselves emphasize that this is a testable hypothesis and further research is needed.
The problem of myopia is seen as a long-term global trend: one of the most cited forecasts (a meta-analysis in Ophthalmology) predicts that by 2050, myopia could affect about half of the world’s population, with high myopia affecting about 10%.
To date, the evidence base generally supports the role of “lifestyle”: more time spent outdoors is statistically associated with a lower risk of developing myopia and slower eyeball elongation in children, and one of the biological pathways under discussion is light-stimulated dopamine release in the retina, which may inhibit axial elongation of the eye. In practical terms, ophthalmologists usually advise reading and studying in sufficient general lighting, taking regular breaks when working at close range, and spending more time in daylight; if you have complaints or your vision deteriorates rapidly, it is recommended that you have your eyes checked by a specialist.
Myopia
In an exclusive comment to Interfax-Ukraine, Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk spoke about evacuation routes from Israel for Ukrainians wishing to leave the country due to the deteriorating security situation in the region.
According to the diplomat, there have been direct hits in Israel, although few. In total, more than 10 people have been killed and about 130 wounded to varying degrees. The airport was closed at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. The embassy is constantly updating information on its website for Ukrainian citizens who are temporarily staying in Israel and have not yet managed to leave the country.
Kornichuk emphasized that it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions of the Israeli Home Front Command; constantly monitor official reports from local authorities and the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel; minimize movement and avoid places of mass gatherings; and find out in advance the location of the nearest shelters.
According to the diplomat, the embassy is keeping track of citizens seeking assistance in leaving the country, and at the moment, about 30 people have signed up for evacuation. He noted that the number of people wishing to leave will increase, so the embassy will try to organize group departures, in particular by booking buses to the Taba checkpoint (border with Egypt) at the expense of sponsors.
According to Korniychuk, private transport is still operating in the country, so Ukrainian citizens can evacuate independently. Currently, there are two routes available.
Route through Egypt – get to Eilat, cross the border on foot at Taba (open 24/7, crossing at any time). A valid Ukrainian passport (valid for at least 6 months) is required. If your stay in Egypt exceeds 14 days or you plan to travel from Sinai to Cairo, etc., you will need to purchase a visa for approximately $30 in cash. From Taba to Sharm el-Sheikh Airport – ≈160 km (shuttle buses or private taxi ≈$150).
The diplomat specifically clarified that charter flights from Sharm el-Sheikh are only available to those who arrived in Egypt on these same charter flights earlier. Independent departure does not guarantee boarding a charter flight. It is recommended to purchase only scheduled tickets.
The second evacuation route through Jordan is via the Allenby Bridge checkpoint. It takes 1.5-2 hours to get from Tel Aviv to the border. After crossing the border, it takes about an hour to get to Amman airport by car or bus (which run regularly).
However, during a conversation with the ambassador, additional restrictions became known. The Ukrainian Embassy in Jordan published a post stating that the Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority had announced a partial and temporary closure of Jordanian airspace to all aircraft (arrival, departure, transit). The closure is in effect daily from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. the following day (local time), starting on the evening of March 2 and continuing until further notice.
Passengers are advised to contact their airlines directly for schedule details and possible changes.
“The embassy continues to monitor the situation and update its recommendations on its official website,” he concluded.
Hotline of the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel: +972 54 667 67 82 (Viber, Telegram), email: consul_il@mfa.gov.ua
As reported, due to the escalation of the security situation in the Middle East and the threat of rocket attacks and assaults, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Ukrainian citizens refrain from traveling to the State of Israel until the situation stabilizes and reminds them of the current recommendation to refrain from traveling to the Islamic Republic of Iran and to leave its territory, which was announced in early January.
We recommend that all Ukrainian citizens in the countries of the region remain vigilant, closely follow the reports of the local competent authorities of the countries of stay, strictly observe security measures, and always carry identity documents with them.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a joint large-scale military operation against Iran (called “Lion’s Roar” in Israel and “Epic Fury” in the US). The strikes targeted military, missile, and nuclear facilities, as well as the country’s leadership. As a result of the attacks, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, along with a number of high-ranking officials, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the defense minister.
In response, Iran launched massive missile and drone strikes on Israel, as well as on US military bases and facilities in the Persian Gulf countries (UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan). There have been civilian casualties in Israel (including nine people killed in Beit Shemesh by a direct ballistic missile strike), wounded US military personnel, and significant damage to infrastructure.
According to Fixygen, PJSC Artwinery (Kyiv) will hold an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in the form of a survey (remotely) on March 4, 2026.
According to the company’s announcement, the list of shareholders eligible to participate in the meeting will be compiled as of February 27, 2026.
The agenda includes issues related to the appointment of an auditor to conduct a mandatory audit of the financial statements for 2025, as well as the approval of the terms of the agreement with the auditor and the granting of powers to sign it.
Artwinery PJSC (Artwinery brand) is a Ukrainian producer of sparkling wines.
Analysis of the logistics situation in the Middle East and worldwide by the Experts Club analytical center as of March 2, 2026 (the situation is constantly changing).
According to NOTAM monitoring data, as of March 2, the picture is as follows (in parentheses — the duration of current restrictions, which is not a guarantee of reopening): Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, Israel – “total” closure at the FIR/route level, Saudi Arabia – partial closure of corridors near the border with Iraq and in the Persian Gulf area, UAE – formally not “empty sky,” but ESCAT zones have been introduced and commercial traffic is effectively severely restricted.
EU regulators directly classify the situation as high risk for civil aviation not only over Iran, but also over neighboring countries where air defense actions, interception, and spill-over risks are possible.
The key effect is the shutdown or “semi-shutdown” of major Persian Gulf hubs connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa. Reuters and other publications describe this as one of the most severe shocks to civil aviation in recent years, with thousands of cancellations and mass passenger relocations.
The largest regional carriers (hubs):
1) Emirates: has temporarily suspended all operations to/from Dubai until at least 3 p.m. UAE time on March 3.
2) Etihad: all flights to/from Abu Dhabi suspended until 14:00 UAE time on March 3.
3) Qatar Airways: operations temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatar’s airspace (resumption – after the regulator’s decision).
Large international groups and long-haul carriers are clearing their schedules en masse, as the “hole” in the corridor forces them to either cancel flights or fly long detours (longer, more expensive, with restrictions on crew working hours).
1) Lufthansa Group: flights to a number of destinations in the region suspended until March 8, with some restrictions on Dubai until March 4, plus an announcement that the group will not use airspace (the list includes Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran; separately – the UAE until March 4).
2) British Airways: announces the cancellation of some flights and offers free date changes for London-Abu Dhabi/Amman/Bahrain/Doha/Dubai/Tel Aviv routes for the period until March 15.
3) Air India: suspension of flights to/from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Qatar until 23:59 (India) on March 2, plus some flights to Europe.
What is happening with air cargo
Here, the blow is twofold:
1) Belly capacity is disappearing: when the passenger network through the Gulf hubs “shuts down,” the holds of wide-body passenger flights, which usually carry a significant share of urgent cargo, disappear with it. This quickly pushes rates up and overloads the remaining freighter capacity.
2) Express chains and last mile in Gulf countries are disrupted:
1) FedEx: announces the suspension of flights to/from a number of markets in the region and the temporary suspension of pickup/delivery in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and the UAE “until further notice,” warning of increased transit times in other countries in the region.
2) DHL Express: has temporarily suspended international shipments to/from Israel due to the closure of Israeli airspace.
For cargo, this usually means: more “transshipments,” more ground legs, shifting of some flows to alternative hubs, queues for capacity, and increased delivery times even where the skies are formally open.
In addition to countries with closed or restricted skies, the following are also significantly affected:
1) markets associated with transshipment through the UAE and Qatar (Europe – Asia – Africa),
2) India and South Asia (many destinations in the Gulf, plus onward transit),
3) ATP and European airlines, which have to cancel flights or reroute them on long detours, which affects the economics of the flight and punctuality.
In terms of scale, this already looks like a systemic network failure, rather than a local “detour zone”:
1) Thousands of flights have been canceled, and recovery is complicated by the fact that aircraft and crews are “scattered” around the world and need to be physically returned to the correct points in the network;
2) costs are rising across several areas: fuel (longer routes), airport charges for unscheduled landings, compensation/accommodation, and schedule changes; this is also reflected in the market through the reaction of carrier and tourism sector stocks.
3) Regulatory factors are amplifying the effect: EASA warns of high risk in the area, and the US has long had bans/restrictions on flights in certain FIRs (e.g., Iran and Iraq due to SFAR and security NOTAM).
On March 3–4, partial traffic restrictions will be introduced on a number of bridges and overpasses in Kyiv due to repair work, city services reported.
In particular, the work in Kyiv will be carried out in stages, so traffic will be partially restricted—without complete closure—but drivers are urged to plan their routes in advance to avoid traffic jams.
Restrictions on March 3
Repair work is planned at the following locations:
– South Bridge;
– overpass across the railroad tracks on Kharkiv Highway;
– overpass at the intersection of Bratislavska and Sholom Aleichem streets;
– overpass near the Chernihivska metro station;
– Overpass at the intersection of Brovarsky Avenue and the Darnytsia-Pochaina railway section.
Restrictions on March 4
The following day, work will be carried out:
– On the Paton Bridge;
– On the Mykilsky overpass over the railway tracks;
– On the overpass near the Beresteiska metro station.
The city administration notes that restrictions are being introduced in stages depending on the stages of repair. Drivers are advised to take into account changes in traffic organization and use alternative routes during rush hour.
The average level of reserves in underground storage facilities in Europe fell to 29.99% at the end of the gas day on February 27, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. This is 16 percentage points lower than the average for the last five years.
The fill rate of underground storage facilities in Germany and France, Europe’s leading economies, is significantly lower than the European average — 20.6% and 21.4%, respectively, and 10.7% in the Netherlands.
The spot price of gas with “day ahead” delivery on the benchmark European TTF hub closed at $387 per 1,000 cubic meters on Friday.
Since the beginning of 2025, the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine has ceased. Europe is trying to compensate for the shortage of Gazprom’s pipeline gas supplies by importing liquefied natural gas. At the end of 2025, countries in the region purchased 109 million tons of LNG (142 billion cubic meters after regasification), which is 28% more than in 2024. In February 2026, liquefied gas imports reached 9 million tons, which is 9% higher than a year earlier.
Despite high demand, there remains a large unused capacity reserve—on February 27, terminals were operating at 64% of their throughput capacity.
Europe entered the current heating season with incomplete underground gas storage facilities. The need to replenish the reserves used up during this period will be an additional factor driving demand on the global market throughout the coming year.
Given not only technical but also realistic and economic constraints that will limit the European injection campaign in the summer of 2026, the question of how much Europe will be able to fill its UGS facilities by next winter and how risky the 2026/27 heating season will be will be relevant.
