⏳ Wednesday Fix: Winter is Coming

Morning all,

This morning four men face efforts to hold them to account for their actions - former cricketer Michael Slater, Trump ally Steve Bannon, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his Emirati counterpart.

Until tomorrow,

Your Fixers

GOOD LISTENER?

TUESDAY'S TOP LINES

Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater was arrested in Sydney following an alleged incident of domestic violence.

BBC News reports the incident occurred days after Slater was let go from a sports commentating job at an Australian TV network.

A committee investigating the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6 approved holding Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress.

Why? Because he refused to cooperate and testify before the committee, who wanted to speak to him about the day and the lead up to the Capitol being breached.

What is the next step? The approval from the committee means the House of Representatives will vote on this on Thursday. If the House agrees he is in contempt, it will move to the Justice Department. As CNN noted, if he is then convicted, he could face either a fine or a year in prison.

Bigger picture: This move - and the risk of possible prison time - could pressure other Trump allies to cooperate.  

Meanwhile, a documentary about January 6 - Four Hours at the Capitol - is set to be released by HBO later today. The trailer is well worth a watch.

ON TODAY'S AGENDA...

In the UK, a group of human rights lawyers are expected to submit a report to authorities today documenting alleged war crimes by Saudi and UAE officials relating to the war in Yemen.

While the list of people mentioned has not been released, The Guardian suggested Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), and his Emirati counterpart are featured.

What does this mean? While there is no guarantee police will agree to the recommendations, the lawyers are calling for anyone on the list to be "immediately arrested" if they enter the UK.

Bigger picture: The problem these lawyers will face is that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are allies to the UK. Also, as The Guardian pointed out, the UAE's ruling family own Manchester City FC, while a Saudi investment fund just bought Newcastle FC.

KEEPING AN EYE...

Facebook is reportedly set to announce a name change in the next week, according to a report in The Verge.

Citing "a source with direct knowledge of the matter," The Verge noted the change is expected to be announced sometime between now and the company's annual conference on October 28.

Why would this be done? Apparently to be known for more than social media. It's expected the platform Facebook would stay the same, but it would be under the umbrella of a new parent company name.

PANDEMIC

"It does look like we will have to get through another winter of this." - Irish Tánaiste (Deputy leader) Leo Varadkar

• The UK recorded the highest number of deaths since March on Tuesday, and the highest number of people testing positive since July. Context: As BBC News noted, case numbers have been above 40,000 for the last seven consecutive days. NHS bosses have called for some measures - like mask wearing - to be reintroduced. However, the government said they have "absolutely no plan" for that, but are "keeping a very close eye" on the data.
• In Ireland, a number of restrictions will be lifted as planned on Friday, but not all. Weddings and sports events can go ahead as normal, and pubs will not be subject to a strict opening times. What restrictions are staying? Independent.ie reported vaccine certificates for indoor hospitality will remain a requirement, and also states people won't be fully returned to their offices "until February next year". Meanwhile, discussions are set to continue today on what exactly will happen for nightclubs and live music venues.

MEDIA MOMENTS

CNN's John King revealed live on air that he has multiple sclerosis, during a discussion about the vaccines. The clip has been viewed more than a million times in just a few hours.

What is MS? It is a condition that damages the nerves in your brain and spinal cord. While a lifelong condition, it is not a terminal illness, and is nearly three times more common among women than men.

MOST READ

• BBC News: Bring back Covid rules as cases rise - NHS chiefs
• The Guardian: Implement 'plan B' winter measures now or risk NHS crisis, Johnson warned  
• The Financial Times: Brussels vows to punish Poland for challenging supremacy of EU law
• Al Jazeera: 'Detected and blocked': Indian submarine incursion: Pakistan army
• The Irish Times: Court overturns €113,000 award over fall from bike 'with considerable regret'

TWITTER TRENDS

#Trump

Why? Mostly because of the statement he released following the death of former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell.

"Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media. Hope that happens to me someday... he made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!" - Donald Trump's statement

TODAY MARKS...

Ten years since the death of Moammar Gadhafi, the dictator who ran Libya for more than four decades. He had been overthrown by rebel forces in August of 2011 and went into hiding, before being found that October and ultimately shot dead during his capture.

TWEET OF THE DAY

A letter has circulated showing the Queen turned down an 'Oldie of the Year' award suggested by a magazine.

In a response to the offER, the Queen's private secretary wrote;

"Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept..."

ON A LIGHTER NOTE...

Hundreds of Turkeys live on air? The absolute joys of live TV.