⏳ Friday Fix: He's Back
Morning all,
Arnold Schwarzenegger is raising questions, President Putin is pushing demands, and Trevor Noah is weighing in.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
GOOD LISTENER?
Click the screenshot below to access the podcast version of today's NewsFix.
UKRAINE - WHAT'S THE LATEST?
President Putin set out his requirements for a peace deal with Ukraine in a phone call with Turkey's President Erdogan.
The BBC's John Simpson spoke with Erdogan's advisor who was on the call, and it makes for a fascinating read.
What does Putin want? Acceptance Ukraine will not apply to join NATO, a disarmament process for Ukraine, protection for the Russian language, and 'de-nazification'.
Worth noting: President Zelensky is Jewish, and relatives of his were murdered during the Holocaust. As the report said, while that notion is "deeply offensive" to Ukraine's president, "the Turkish side believes it will be easy enough for Mr Zelensky to accept".
Okay, so what else? The status of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine was also mentioned. It would be a "bitter pill" for Ukrainians to accepts these territories belonged to Russia.
Let's see.
TRENDING ONLINE
Austrian actor and former California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has gone viral for a nine-minute speech he made on camera - directed to Russian citizens - about the war in Ukraine.
In just 19 hours, it has been viewed more than 20.6 million times.
In it, he speaks about the lies being told to Russian citizens about what is happening, his own affections for Russia, and the impact of WWII on his own father.
Worth noting: The actor is said to be "extremely popular" in Russia, with journalist Mary Ilyushina saying "this may actually cut through the noise to the public of a certain age". Another journalist, Max Seddon, noted there was an effort for Arnold to be made US Ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration.
ON TODAY'S AGENDA
President Biden and China's President Xi Jinping are due to speak today. CNN said it would be their "first known discussion in months".
Top aides from both countries met in Rome recently, where the US warned China of the consequences if they were to assist Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
ALL... OFF BOARD
P&O Ferries made headlines on Thursday after the company made the surprise announcement 800 jobs were going, with immediate effect.
The company - which has Dubai owners - was widely condemned by politicians and trade unions for its handling of the situation.
"The company has made the decision that its vessels, going forward, will be primarily crewed by a third party crew provider. Therefore I am sorry to inform you that this means your employment is terminated with immediate effect on the grounds of redundancy. Your final day of employment is today." - the announcement by P&O
The Guardian reported the replacement agency workers are "typically a cheaper option and believed to have been recruited in the UK and Europe". A Reuters article noted the business "had lost 100 million pounds year-on-year". Below is the moment the pre-recorded message was played to workers.
KANYE WEST
On Thursday, rapper Kanye West was banned from Instagram for 24 hours, for a racial slur made about comedian Trevor Noah.
Before the post, Trevor Noah - the host of The Daily Show - weighed in on the ongoing situation between Kanye, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, and her new boyfriend, Pete Davidson.
It actually makes for quite a thought-provoking listen about harassment, mixed with Noah's signature style of humour.
“What I see from this situation, I see a woman who wants to live her life without being harassed by an ex-boyfriend, or an ex-husband, or anything… if Kim cannot escape this, Kim Kardashian… then what chance do normal women have?” - Trevor Noah
MEDIA MATTERS
Netflix - it might be time to get off Mom and Dad's account!
The streaming service is looking at new ways to limit the amount of people who can share the password of one account. A trial in Chile, Costa Rice and Peru is currently running, with extra charges for those using it outside the household.
As The Guardian noted, the move is "is another shift in the company’s strategy that suggests it is looking toward its existing customers, rather than new subscribers, to help grow the company’s revenue".
MOST READ
- BBC News: Putin lays out his demands in Turkish phone call
- The Guardian: Russia-Ukraine war latest news: rockets hit near Lviv airport; Biden to warn Xi against backing Putin - live
- The Financial Times: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe arrives back in UK after release by Iran
- Al Jazeera: Blasts heard in Lviv; cloud of smoke over airport area
- The Irish Times: Kyiv growing confident of a peace deal as Biden labels Putin 'a pure thug'
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I may be Irish, but I'm not stupid." - President Biden
Make of that what you will 😎
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WORTH A WATCH
BBC News aired a fascinating piece yesterday about the growing number of young women who are injecting or inhaling "an untested drug which promises a safe tan".
It actually makes for a really eye-opening watch.
Meanwhile, another report showed teenage girls are "three times as likely" to struggle with their mental health as boys the same age.
NEED SOME GOOD NEWS?
Derry Girls season three is coming "soon". The trailer is below - you watch, we'll keep an eye for dates ✌🏽
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
The hat tip 🥺
