Sep 24, 2021 4 min read Daily Digests

NewsFix: Friday September 24, 2021

Morning all,

In London, one man has been arrested over the murder of Sabina Nessa, as police look for another. In the US, the FBI continue the search for Brian Laundrie - the former boyfriend of Gabby Petito who disappeared after her murder.

Until Monday,

Hilary

THURSDAY’S TOP LINES

A 38-year-old man has been arrested following the murder of Sabina Nessa in east London last Friday evening. Police have also released CCTV footage of a second man they wish to speak to, seen below.

Remember: Sabina Nessa was a 28-year-old teacher. Last Friday at around 8:30pm, Sabina walked through a busy park close to her home, to meet a friend at a local pub. She never arrived, and her body was found the next day. Her death has sparked multiple conversations about both the safety of women, and the coverage of non-white women who are murdered.

The FBI have issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie - the former boyfriend of Gabby Petito who was named as a person of interest in her killing. Laundrie - who disappeared before Petito’s body was found - has been charged with illegal bank card use of around $1,000. It is not clear who the bank card belonged to.

Not familiar with this case? Below is a helpful podcast on all the twists and turns in this case.

Carles Puigdemont - the former Catalan leader and current MEP - was arrested in an Italian airport. He is expected to appear in court today, where a judge will decide whether to release or extradite him.

Remember: Back in 2017, Puigdemont led a failed bid to gain Catalan independence from the rest of Spain. An illegal referendum went ahead, causing major political tensions in Spain. Puigdemont ultimately fled to Brussels to escape charges of sedition, but earlier this year the European Parliament lifted his immunity. Barcelona is the main city in Catalonia.

ON TODAY’S AGENDA

In Ireland, young people are expected to hold a number of protests across the country today, calling for more action to tackle climate change. Where will the protests occur? Cork, Galway and Dublin.

COMING UP…

Angela Merkel GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

After 16 years at the helm, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is getting ready to step down as leader.

On Sunday, Germans will go to the polls, where the next chancellor will ultimately be decided in what looks like an increasingly tight race.

Worth noting: Given how voting occurs in Germany, it is “virtually impossible” that one political party will rule without the need to form a coalition. While Merkel’s conservative CDU party have led the last four coalition governments, there have been a number of polls suggesting the centre-left SPD might come in ahead.

*Here is the most helpful article I’ve read covering Merkel’s departure from the political stage, and the possible outcome of Sunday’s election

Also, below is a really helpful graphic highlighting just how many world leaders have come and gone since Merkel came to power in 2005.

“In her time in office, she has dealt with five UK prime ministers, four French presidents, seven Italian prime ministers, and four American commanders-in-chief.” - CNN analysis

statista

A post shared by @statista

CHATTER THAT MATTERS

A woman with Down’s syndrome has lost a High Court battle to prevent abortions on unborn babies with disabilities after 24 weeks.

Heidi Carter and the mother of a son with Down’s syndrome challenged the 1967 Abortion Law - which legalises abortion up to 24 weeks. They say it is discriminatory and stigmatises disabilities.

Why? because the 24-week limit does not apply if there is “substantial risk” of the child being “seriously handicapped” - a definition which includes Down’s syndrome.

What are the statistics? The BBC reported 90% of women who are told their unborn baby has Down’s syndrome choose to terminate their pregnancy.

What about outside of the UK? In Denmark, figures from 2015 show 98% of women who receive a positive test for Down’s syndrome terminate their pregnancy. In Iceland, 2017 figures show it is close to 100% - leading to Down’s syndrome effectively “disappearing” there.

SUPERMODEL POSES QUESTIONS ABOUT PROCEDURE

Supermodel Linda Evangelista said she was “brutally disfigured” by a CoolSculpting procedure that has left her “unrecognisable,” in an Instagram post on Thursday.

Evangelista said the ordeal sent her into a “cycle of deep depression” and led to her becoming a “recluse”. She also suggested she would be bringing a lawsuit to the company responsible.

What is CoolSculpting? A “procedure that helps to remove extra fat cells from beneath the skin… by placing a roll of fat into two panels that cool the fat to a freezing temperature”. The medical term for the procedure is cryolipolysis.

lindaevangelista