⏳ Monday Fix: Sir David Amess
Morning all,
Sir David Amess was murdered on Friday, the sixth MP to be killed in office since the end of WWII - the second in less than six years.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
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LET'S CATCH UP
On Friday, Conservative MP Sir David Amess was stabbed to death in what police are treating as a terrorism incident. A 25-year-old British man of Somali descent was arrested.
In terms of security for MPs going forward, Home Secretary Priti Patel said they "need to close any gaps... where we feel that there are concerns".
There will be a minute's silence in the House of Commons followed by MPs sharing their memories of Sir David from 2:30pm today.
Bigger picture: According to The Guardian, six MPs have been killed while in office since the end of WWII. Of those, three were murdered by the IRA, while a fourth was killed by the Irish National Liberation Army.
Former British Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced last week he had a new role with the UN, helping with Africa's economic recovery from the pandemic.
Okay, what's the latest? He's out before it ever began. The UN withdrew the role. Officially, the reason is because it was pointed out that sitting MPs cannot become special representatives. However, The Times and many other publications said the withdrawal came "amid backlash" over his record as Health Secretary during the coronavirus.
ON TODAY'S AGENDA...
Jury selection for the trial of Ahmaud Arbery is set to begin today.
Remember: The killing of Arbery along with the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, sparked mass protests calling for racial justice across the US.
Back in February 2020, Arbery was jogging in a neighbourhood when he was followed by three white men and ultimately shot dead. They accused him of being associated with recent robberies in the Georgia neighbourhood, something police had not linked him to. Similarly to the case of George Floyd, no action was taken until a video of the incident circulated on social media.
Former president Donald Trump is obliged to give sworn testimony today.
Why? It relates back to 2015. A group of activists of Mexican heritage were protesting outside the Trump Tower, and allege they were "violently assaulted" by Trump's security guards. A bodyguard of Trump's is accused of punching a protestor in the head.
Why does Trump have to testify? Although he wasn't directly involved, MSNBC noted he "bears legal responsibility for the actions of his employees".
Worth noting: It's not clear at this point whether or not the taped testimony will be made public at the upcoming trial.
The man who organised the fatal flight footballer Emiliano Sala took in 2018 will go on trial today.
Remember: Back in 2018, Sala and the pilot died when the aircraft crashed. Sala was en route to Wales, where he was set to sign a £15m deal to join Cardiff City FC.
What is the trial about? David Henderson is accused of discharging the plane "without valid permission or authorisation". As Sky News reports, the pilots license "to fly an aircraft commercially had expired in November 2018".
Ireland's NPHET group will meet today to decide on its advice to the government ahead of this Friday's scheduled lifting of restrictions. Last week, the Taoiseach cast doubt on when restrictions would be lifted, saying the virus had "taken a wrong turn".
RTÉ News reported it is now "likely" vaccine certificates for indoor hospitality will continue "throughout the winter".
QUICK UPDATES
Bill Clinton was released from hospital on Sunday, where he had been treated for "an infection that turned into sepsis". Thumbs up if you're feeling better, Bill...
SOCIETAL SHIFTS
Spain's prime minister has vowed to ban prostitution, saying it "enslaves" women.
What are the statistics? Sky News reports there are up to 300,000 sex workers in Spain, where prostitution was decriminalised in 1995.
"A survey in 2009 found that one in three men had paid for sex, but another report in the same year suggested the figure was almost 40%. A 2011 UN study found Spain was the third biggest centre for prostitution globally, behind Thailand and Puerto Rico." - Context from Sky News
MOST READ
- BBC News: I get abuse and threats online - why can't it be stopped?
- The Guardian: 'It feels really natural': hundreds pose nude for Spencer Tunick shoot near Dead Sea
- The Financial Times: Lex in-depth: Does Uber deserve its $91bn valuation?
- Al Jazeera: Inside Nigeria's unregulated human egg industry
- The Irish Times: Covid-19: primary schools closes until November after outbreak of 30 cases
TWITTER TRENDS
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are engaged. The couple - who were friends for years - went public with their relationship less than a year ago.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
"I eat heathy during the week and then relax at the weekend".
Me on Friday at 5pm: