⏳ Tuesday Fix: Poisoned?
Morning all,
Conflicting reports over whether or not Roman Abramovich might have been poisoned, a thanksgiving service for Prince Philip, a possible fine for Boris Johnson's circle, and a public apology for Chris Rock.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
GOOD LISTENER?
Click the screenshot below to access the podcast version of today's NewsFix.
SUSPECTED POISONING?
Reports have suggested Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich may have suffered a suspected poisoning following peace talks in Ukraine earlier this month.
The Wall Street Journal broke the story. All those affected had red eyes, peeling skin, and painful tearing - but have since recovered.
An investigator quoted by The Wall Street Journal said the suspected poisoning "was not intended to kill, it was just a warning".
Okay, what's new on this? The US has actually cast doubt on the story. According to a Sky News report, a US official has said "the intelligence highly suggests" the cause was environmental, "not poisoning".
We will keep an eye on this for any further developments.
Looking ahead: Talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations are expected to begin in Turkey today. As many media outlets noted, they will be the first face-to-face peace talks "in more than two weeks".
Worth noting: Journalist Henry Foy noted Russia are willing to "allow" Ukraine join the European Union, "if it abandons NATO aspirations".
IF YOU WATCH ONE THING ON UKRAINE TODAY...
Vice News published a harrowing and quite graphic piece on the battle for South of Ukraine, documenting the human toll of war, from goodbyes to children - both temporary and permanent - to internal battles within families about what this war is all about.
You can watch it by clicking 👇🏽 or here, and it has already been viewed more than four million times in just two days.
IF YOU READ ONE THING ON UKRAINE TODAY...
The Wall Street Journal had a fascinating report Monday about how rival Western networks are helping each other in Ukraine.
It highlights once again just how perilous the situation is.
Rival Networks Aided Fox News After Ukraine Tragedy, Highlighting War-Zone Collaboration
ON TODAY'S AGENDA...
A thanksgiving service for the late Prince Philip will take place in Westminster Abbey later today.
Is the Queen expected to attend? It is not clear at this point. BBC News said "Buckingham Palace has indicated a last-minute decision will be taken" on the matter.
Context: The report also noted that if the Queen does attend, "it would be the first public event, outside of her own residences, attended by the 95-year-old monarch this year".
Who else might be in attendance? Prince Andrew.
We'll keep a close eye on this for you. You can watch it on BBC One from 10:30am.
KEEPING AN EYE...👀
A number of UK media outlets are reporting the Metropolitan Police are expected to issue fines this week for some of those involved in the Downing Street party breaches during coronavirus restrictions.
An ITV News report suggested it would happen "imminently", but "no decision has been made on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be fined".
SOCIETAL SHIFTS
Florida's Republican Governor, Ron deSantis, signed a controversial bill - dubbed 'Don't Say Gay' - into law on Monday.
What does it mean? It bans discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity with primary school students. Critics say the bill would negatively impact the mental health of LGBTQ+ students, while supporters argue this is about parental rights when it comes to their kids' education.
President Biden has previously described it as a "hateful" bill.
Reactions? After the bill was signed, Disney issued a statement condemning it, saying it "should never have passed and should never have been signed into law".
THAT SLAP IN THE FACE
Will Smith slapping Chris Rock had everybody talking yesterday. Since then, the Academy has launched a formal review of the incident.
Smith also apologised publicly to Chris Rock on Instagram.
"My behaviour at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable... I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong." - Will Smith
We asked you guys on our Instagram account for your thoughts on the matter;
- In the closest poll all day, we asked you "if it was as simple as picking a side, whose would you be on?" Amazingly, it currently stands at 50/50 - 841 votes for Will Smith, 836 for Chris Rock.
- While only 12% think it can sometimes be fair to joke about a person's health, even less (8%) thought the joke was funny
- Interestingly, despite the first poll being neck-and-neck, nearly three quarters (73%) thought Will Smith should have been removed from the ceremony following the incident
MOST READ
- BBC News: Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock after slap
- The Guardian: Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock, Academy and viewers for onstage slap
- The Financial Times: Biden denies US is seeking regime change in Russia
- Al Jazeera: Ukraine forces take key Kyiv suburb as Russia peace talks resume
- The Irish Times: Covid-19: Coalition under pressure to look again at restrictions as BA.2 subvariant proliferates
TWITTER TRENDS
#KimKardashian
Why? Last week, Kim made headlines for advising women to "get your a** up and work". People were quick to discuss her privilege online.
In an exclusive interview with Good Morning America, the reality tv star and entrepreneur sought to explain the comments.
“It wasn't a blanket statement towards women … it was taken out of context, but I’m really sorry if it was received that way.” - Kim Kardashian
#LiamPayne
Why? Because Liam Payne is from Wolverhampton. His accent is not. Well worth a listen 👀
TODAY MARKS...
30 years since Bill Clinton admitted - while running for president - that he "experimented" with marijuana while studying in England, but "didn't inhale".
Honestly, it was a big deal at the time.
The Irish Examiner published a really interesting piece ahead of the anniversary - would Bill Clinton's scandals break the internet in 2022?
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
Ace approach.
