5 min read

⏳ Thursday Fix: 'In The Name of God, Go'

⏳ Thursday Fix: 'In The Name of God, Go'

Morning all,

Boris Johnson survives another day, Donald Trump suffers a personal blow, and Vladimir Putin keeps the west guessing.  

Until tomorrow,

Your Fixers


GOOD LISTENER?


'IN THE NAME OF GOD, GO'

Those were the words of Conservative MP and fellow Brexiteer, David Davis, calling on Boris Johnson to resign as prime minister.

What's the latest? Well, Wednesday started with an MP called Christian Wakeford defecting to the Labour Party. While the move was a stance against Johnson's leadership, it actually was condemned "from all wings" of the Conservative party and had somewhat of a galvanising effect.

Okay, so no leadership battle? Not for now at least. While some MPs expressed confidence on Tuesday that the 54 letters required to trigger a leadership battle would be received, they are now said to have "pulled back from the brink".

Remember: The investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the numerous alleged parties at Downing Street has not yet delivered its conclusion. Both BBC News and The Times suggest MPs might now be sitting tight and waiting for that report.


A man called Jozef Puska has been charged with the murder of Ashling Murphy.

What do we know about Mr Puska? He is a 31-year-old Slovakian national, and is the man who was in hospital over the weekend with unexplained injuries. He will appear in court again on January 26. Puska was jeered by a heavy public presence outside the courthouse on Wednesday.


Tennis star Novak Djokovic is back in Serbia, but he's also back in the headlines.

The world #1 is making news again, and this time it is because reports have emerged that he has an 80% stake in a Danish biotech firm developing a Covid-19 drug.

The company is working to develop a treatment for coronavirus that does not involve a vaccine. According to The Guardian, the company's chief executive has told media outlets Djokovic - who has expressed his personal objection to the vaccine - is not "anti-vax".

Meanwhile, another Djokovic story we're keeping an eye out for are reports he is "in talks" to sue the Australian government, but there's nothing official on this for now.

Also, the Australian Open saga might not be just a thing of the past for Djokovic. Ahead of the French Open in May, the country's sports minister said all athletes competing would have to be vaccinated.


The US Supreme Court has rejected a bid by former president Donald Trump to block the release of White House records relating to the deadly January 6 breach of the Capitol.

CNN described it as a "bitter legal and personal blow" to Trump.

Why? Probably because eight out of the nine Supreme Court justices voted to reject Trump's request. Those eight include the three justices he personally nominated to the court.

As The Guardian pointed out, the ruling means more than 700 documents can now be passed to the congressional committee investigating what happened on January 6 last year.


KEEPING A CLOSE EYE...

What's the latest on Ukraine?

President Biden said he thinks President Putin will "move in" on Ukraine, warning Russia would pay a "serious and dear price" for it.

Remember: It is estimated there are more than 100,000 Russian troops along the border with Ukraine.

The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said if there is any movement of Russian troops across the border "it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our Allies".

Bigger picture: The Biden administration has spoken a lot about the importance of a united Western response to any invasion. However, there hasn't been full agreement amongst allies on what exact response they would have, regarding sanctions against Russia etc. President Macron has suggested the EU come up with its own plan. The Financial Times described that suggestion as a move "that risks undermining western solidarity".  

"The Ukrainians resent being sidelined in talks between the US and Russia about a potential war on their soil... but they're grateful for US military support." - The Channel 4 News piece below is worth a watch 👇🏽

PANDEMIC

  • In Ireland, NPHET is expected to officially recommend the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions today. According to RTÉ News, the Taoiseach has already told members of his party that a positive announcement will be made on Friday.
  • A Czech folk singer has died after deliberately catching coronavirus. The singer sought to obtain a health pass by recovering from the virus. The country's current rules suggest you must either be vaccinated or have proof of recently recovering from coronavirus to enter a number of venues.

MOST READ


WORTH A WATCH

Earlier this week, VICE News uploaded a fascinating watch - How North Korea Tried to Steal $1 Billion - which documents how state-sponsored hackers, supported by North Korea, got revenge from Sony and stole much needed funds for their country.

"This is without a doubt the most audacious cyber crime that's ever been attempted. The idea that you would steal a billion dollars from a national bank and transfer it away across international time zones is absolutely astonishing." - Geoff White, Investigative Journalist

TODAY MARKS...

One year since Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the US.


ON A LIGHTER NOTE...

Eggcellent.