⏳ Monday Fix: Royal Reckonings

Morning all,

One prince no longer wants his title, while another desperately clings on to his.

Meanwhile, Zelensky accuses Russia of genocide, Sri Lanka's Cabinet resigns amid a state of emergency, and a British MP is hospitalised following reports of sexual harassment and cocaine use.

Until tomorrow,

Your Fixer

GOOD LISTENER?

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'THE HORRORS OF BUCHA'  

President Zelensky has accused the Russian military of committing genocide in Ukraine.

The accusation was made following the circulation of shocking images, showing the bodies of dead civilians in the city of Bucha, north of Kyiv. At least 20 bodies were found "strewn in the streets".

While Russian authorities denied civilians had been killed, CNN reported their teams on the ground found a mass grave. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera said the bodies of 410 civilians "have been recovered from areas in the wider Kyiv region".  

If you watch one thing... please let it be the powerful - and graphic - piece by Jeremy Bowen and BBC News. I know it is 12 minutes long in total, but even if you can watch the first five minutes I think it would be important to do so.

This piece has been viewed more than three million times over the weekend.

PUTIN'S HEALTH

Over the weekend, a number of media outlets published reports about President Putin's health.

According to The Telegraph, the Russian president reportedly received 35 visits from a thyroid cancer doctor. The report also states the president "has also taken to bathing in the blood extracted from severed deer antlers as an alternative therapy".

"Treatment for thyroid cancer usually involves steroids, which, according to charities, can trigger anxiety, hallucinations and even cause the patient to 'imagine things that aren’t real'". - The Telegraph analysis

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

• Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has won a fourth consecutive term in office, in what BBC News described as a "landslide" victory. As CNN noted, Orban described President Zelensky as an "opponent" during his victory speech.
• Ghislaine Maxwell will not be granted a retrial, and a judge upheld her sex trafficking conviction. Maxwell's legal team sought a retrial after it emerged one of the jurors had been a victim of sexual assault, despite initially saying they had not been.
• A British MP called David Warburton was admitted to a psychiatric hospital shortly after allegations of sexual harassment and cocaine use were revealed by The Sunday Times. The damning article also alleged Warburton had "borrowed £100,000 from a Russian businessman without declaring it".

A ROYAL RECKONING

Jordan's Prince Hamzah - the half-brother of the country's current king - said he is renouncing the title of prince.

Remember: Hamzah and his half-brother, King Abdullah, are both the sons of the late King Hussein - who ruled the country for decades until his death in 1999. During the beginning of Abdullah's reign, Hamza was heir to the throne. In 2004, Abdullah changed that and made his own son the country's crown prince.

Worth noting: Hamza bares a striking resemblance to his late and very popular father. Last year, he was placed under house arrest, accused of "trying to destabilise the monarchy in a foreign-inspired plot". He quickly pledged allegiance to the king.

Al Jazeera noted the statement about his title was made on Twitter on Sunday, without consulting in advance with the royal family.

"Following what I have witnessed in recent years, I have come to the conclusion that my personal convictions which my father instilled in me, and which I tried hard in my life to adhere to, are not in line with the approaches, trends and modern methods of our institutions. From the matter of honesty to God and conscience, I see nothing but to transcend and abandon the title of prince. I had the great honour of serving my beloved country and my dear people over the years of my life. I will remain as I have always been and as long as I live, loyal to our beloved Jordan." - Hamza

Meanwhile in other royal news, Prince Andrew documented his account of serving during the Falklands War to mark the 40th anniversary, in a now deleted Instagram post.

The post was uploaded to Instagram by his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York. It originally signed off using the HRH (His Royal Highness) - a title Prince Andrew gave up amid his legal troubles in January.

The 'HRH' reference was deleted, but within hours so was the entire post. The Times reported aides were left "blindsided" by the post, with Buckingham Palace also understood to have been unaware.  

PIN DROP - WHAT'S GOING ON IN SRI LANKA?

Facing a severe economic crisis and a state of emergency across the country, 26 Cabinet members resigned from government. A new Cabinet is expected to be chosen today, with some likely to be reappointed.

It has been widely described as the "worst economic emergency since independence from the United Kingdom".

Who did not resign? The country's president and prime minister - who are brothers from the Rajapaksa family. In recent days, there was also a social media blackout, in an effort to prevent further protests.

Worth noting: Another relative - a nephew of the president - was the sports minister. According to The Guardian, he condemned the social media blackout - which Al Jazeera said eased by Sunday. Two other members of the Rajapaksa family resigned from Cabinet, including the finance minister.

Keeping an eye: Reports suggest Sri Lanka is in talks with the IMF for a bailout.

CRYPTO CURIOUS

According to a new survey, Irish people are the world's most curious to learn about cryptocurrency, with 58% of respondents saying they are keen to learn more and possibly acquire some in the coming year.

A report in RTÉ News said 18% of Irish people "currently own or have previously owned cryptocurrency".

Ever wanted to know more about Bitcoin? read our recent explainer piece by clicking 👇🏽 or here.

MOST READ

• BBC News: Hungary's PM criticises Zelensky as he wins vote
• The Guardian: Rape as a weapon: huge scale of sexual violence endured in Ukraine emerges
• The Financial Times: EU prepares more sanctions against Russia after apparent atrocities near Kyiv
• Al Jazeera: Global outrage over 'despicable war crimes' in Ukraine's Bucha
• The Irish Times: Former taxing master seeks to quash search warrant behind his arrest

TODAY MARKS

Five years since this incredible piece was published, showing just how deep the ocean really is.

Since then, it has been viewed an extraordinary 63 million times, and is honestly mind blowing 🤯.

"Humans have explored an estimated 5-10% of Earth's oceans. We've only just begun to understand the deep, dark world that flows beneath us."  

ON A LIGHTER NOTE...

When you don't have 'a TikTok', and grandpa doesn't have a filter.