⏳ Monday Fix: Politics and Pageantry

Morning all,

Politics and pageantry, drama in sport, and devastation in the US - as a tornado rips through eight states, leaving more than 100 people feared dead.

Until tomorrow,

Your Fixers

POLITICS AND PAGEANTRY

On Sunday, India won the Miss Universe contest in Israel, a pageant which hit the headlines many times in the lead up to the event.

For example, weeks ago the South African government withdrew their support for Miss South Africa's attendance, saying they did not support Israel's regime of apartheid against Palestinians. While that is something Israel vehemently denies, Miss South Africa did in fact participate in the pageant, despite the lack of support from her country's government.

Also, there was confusion after a Greek model, Rafaela Plastira, said she wouldn't attend the pageant, standing in support of the Palestinian people. However, the Greek organisation responsible for Miss Greek quickly clarified Plastira wasn't even their contestant.

GOOD SPORT?

Max Verstappen is the Formula One world champion, but it wasn't without controversy.

"Formula One. Bloody hell. The sport descended into farce last night as the world watched the climax of this most brilliant of seasons." - the opening lines in The Times

This article here makes for a fascinating account of what happened, you can feel the drama as you read it! Also, the clip below makes for a fascinating watch.

PANDEMIC

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of a coming "tidal wave" of Omicron, saying every adult over the age of 18 will now be eligible to get the booster vaccine between now and the New Year.  Meanwhile, he faces a vote on the plan B measures in the House of Commons on Tuesday, where as many as 50 Conservative MPs are said to be planning to vote against them.

• South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has tested positive for coronavirus and is being treated for mild symptoms. According to CNN, he began to feel unwell following a memorial for the recently deceased former president, FW de Klerk.

CLIMATE COVERAGE

More than 100 people are feared dead - including around 80 people in the US state of Kentucky - after at least 50 tornadoes that tore through eight states.

President Biden declared a federal disaster and a state of emergency in Kentucky, describing it as "likely to be one of the largest tornado outbreaks in our history".

CROPPING DOGS EARS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA TREND

In an extraordinary investigation, BBC News has exposed a trend of mutilating dogs ears for the sake of a social media trend.

While the procedure is illegal in the UK, there is a loophole as dogs who had the procedure abroad can be brought to the country. As such, some breeders are accused of offering fraudulent pet passports "to imply it was done abroad".

MOST READ

• BBC News: I'm a Celebrity crowns 2021 winner
• The Guardian: What makes boosters more effective than the first two jabs?
• The Financial Times: Tory backbenchers add to sense crunch moment coming for Johnson
• Al Jazeera:
• The Irish Times: Traffic chaos expected in Dublin as hauliers protest again over high fuel prices

TWITTER TRENDS

Spoiler alert - if you haven't watched the Sex and the City reboot yet - skip ahead!

Chris Noth, the actor who plays 'Mr Big', starred in a very clever Peloton ad released over the weekend.

I won't say why, but a certain scene in the latest series included a shocking twist, and featured a Peloton bike. That night, Peloton's stock price dropped a staggering 11%.

Here is a fascinating article about whether or not Peloton could sue the production company.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE...

"You're doing great, sweetie."