Feb 7, 2022 5 min read Daily Digests

⏳Monday Fix: A Milestone for the Monarchy

Morning all,

The Queen makes history, Ukraine makes leaders move, and Canada's freedom protests makes for a state of emergency in Ottawa.

Until tomorrow,

Your Fixers

GOOD LISTENER?

A MILESTONE FOR THE MONARCHY

Sunday marked 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne following the death of her father, King George VI.

As you probably know, she is already the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She is now the first to ever celebrate a Platinum Jubilee - a milestone that will be officially marked in June.

In a statement to mark the occasion, the Queen made clear her wish to see Camilla, the wife Prince Charles, become "Queen Consort" during his reign.

Why is this so significant? There was a great deal of public anger towards the couple at the beginning of their relationship, particularly because of Diana's unprecedented popularity.

When Camilla and Prince Charles married in 2005, it was made clear she would be known as "Princess Consort" - rather than Queen Consort - in the future. This was due to public sensitivity at the time.

#HaveYourSay: We asked for your opinion on this on our Instagram account;

ON TODAY'S AGENDA...

It is a day for diplomacy, with the future of Ukraine most definitely on the agenda on both sides of the world.

Germany's relatively new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, will meet with President Biden at the White House later today. CNN advertised an interview they will have with Scholz - his "only US television interview" - this evening.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron is in Moscow for talks with President Putin. Ahead of the talks, Macron spoke to Biden on Sunday and expressed optimism in reaching a deal with Putin to avoid "full scale war" in Ukraine.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister also downplayed any imminent threat, tweeting on Sunday not to believe "apocalyptic predictions".

According to BBC News, Macron will continue his diplomatic efforts by visiting Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on Tuesday.

PIN DROP - WHAT'S GOING ON IN OTTAWA?

The mayor of Ottawa, Canada's capital city, has declared a state of emergency in response to the ongoing truckers' protests against Covid-19 restrictions.

What is this all about? Last month, the Canadian government announced new measures whereby all truckers crossing the US-Canada border would have to be fully vaccinated. The protests began in direct response to this, but demonstrators are now calling for an end to all Covid-19 restrictions.

They are also calling for the end of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, although as The Guardian pointed out most of the measures "were put in place by provincial governments".

Public opinion: According to multiple media reports, many in Canadian cities have been outraged by the behaviour of some of the protestors. Some flags with swastikas have been seen among the crowd, with many comparing the vaccine mandate to fascism. BBC News also cited reports of harassment of people wearing masks.

NORTH KOREA'S CRYPTO

North Korea has stolen more than $50 million worth of cryptocurrency in recent years "to fund the country's missile programmes", according to a UN report.

A separate report from last year suggested the country's cyber attacks "could have netted as much as $400 million" in digital assets.

The missile angle: As BBC News noted, the country carried out nine missiles tests last month alone.

Below makes for a fascinating watch on North Korea's hacking efforts.

PANDEMIC

Australia is set to reopen its borders to all "double vaccinated" tourists on February 21.

MOST READ

BBC News: Plan to tackle England's NHS backlog delayed
The Guardian: The curse review - a sublime crime caper with an unfeasibly brilliant cast
The Financial Times: Johnson loyalists appeal for more time for Downing St reset
Al Jazeera: Ukraine says don't believe 'apocalyptic predictions' over Russia
The Irish Times: Deep retrofit grants of over €25,000 to be offered to householders

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Ever wanted to know more about China's President, Xi Jinping?

No? Well, what if we told you he was born into luxury, and then spent years living in a cave?

Don't miss our most recent in-depth piece; Xi Jinping: The Person Behind China's Powerful Presidency

TODAY MARKS

30 years since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty.

It was an agreement by the 12 members of the European Community. As The Financial Times noted, it "established the EU and laid the foundations for monetary union as well as fuelling concerns among those opposed to further political union, arguably sowing the seeds of Brexit".

TWITTER TRENDS

#CristianoRonaldo

Why? The footballer is the first person ever to have 400 million followers on Instagram.

Many have also discussed the recently released Netflix series about his girlfriend Georgina. It's called Soy Georgina and is on Netflix with English subtitles.