⏳ Wednesday Fix: Biden Heading to Europe
Morning all,
A presidential visit to Europe, a potential royal reckoning in Jamaica, and a shock retirement in tennis.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
GOOD LISTENER?
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BIDEN TO EUROPE
President Biden travels to Europe today for talks on the war in Ukraine. On Thursday - the day that marks a calendar month since the invasion began - there will be a NATO summit, and on Friday Biden is expected to visit US troops in Poland.
*We will have a more comprehensive update on Ukraine marking one month in Thursday's NewsFix.
In light of that, Axios published a fascinating look 👇🏽 at the number of US troops deployed across Europe. It also makes for a really interesting article, with a lot of historical context.
TUESDAY'S OTHER TOP LINES
- Alexey Navalny received a nine-year jail sentence, after being found guilty of fraud in what many called a "sham trial".
A judge has ruled to release Amanda Bynes from her nine-year conservatorship.
The 35-year-old former actor was placed under the legal arrangement "while undergoing psychiatric care" and suffering "drug and mental health problems".
Worth noting: Amanda's mother was her conservator during this period. According to The Guardian, the petition to end the arrangement was filed "with support from her mother and psychiatrist".
ON TODAY'S AGENDA...
Rishi Sunak, the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, will present his Spring Statement in the House of Commons today.
As BBC News noted, "the decisions he announces at the dispatch box will affect the prices we pay, the pound in our pocket".
Here is the most helpful article on this we have seen.
Julian Assange is expected to marry his long-term partner, Stella Moris, in England's Belmarsh prison later today.
It is not clear whether or not any photos will be released.
Ever wanted to know more about Assange? Read our recent in-depth piece; Julian Assange: The Character Behind the Controversy.
THE BRIDGE BY NEWSFIX!
As you may have seen, we are very excited to have launched our new podcast series; 'The Bridge by NewsFix'.
These are basically podcast versions of some of our most successful in-depth pieces, beautifully produced in the hopes you feel immersed in the story.
Give it a try... and if you like it, give it a shoutout ✌🏽
ROYAL ROUND-UP
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have begun their visit to Jamaica amid a number of protests, with many saying the royals have benefited from the "blood, tears and sweat" of slavery.
#AbolishtheMonarchy was even trending on Twitter on Tuesday.
Looking ahead: A Sky News report said Prince William is "expected to acknowledge the issue of slavery in a speech on Wednesday night".
Meanwhile, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have started a four-day visit to the island of Ireland.
The pair began the trip in Northern Ireland, and will visit Waterford and Tipperary in the coming days.
THE DIVIDED STATES OF AMERICA
Florida's Governor, Ron deSantis, has refused to recognise a trans woman's victory in what BBC News described as "the highest US national college swimming title".
DeSantis signed a proclamation ignoring Lia Thomas as the winner of the race, and instead recognising the first runner-up. Thomas began hormone therapy back in 2019.
#HaveYourSay: The participation of Lia Thomas - who hasn't won every race - has sparked a polarising debate in the US. A few weeks ago, we asked you guys on our Instagram account for your thoughts on the matter;
- More than three quarters (76%) feel it is not discriminatory to exclude an athlete from a single-sex sport because they are trans
- A majority (56%) believe the rules should be decided on a sport-by-sport basis
- A minority (46%) believe when an athlete transitioned should be taken into account
Also in the US, Oklahoma is one step closer to having the most restrictive abortion laws in the entire country.
What do you mean? With a significant majority, Oklahoma's House voted in favour of banning all abortion, unless necessary to save a pregnant woman's life. The bill will now move to the state's Senate.
Worth noting: Like Texas and Idaho, the bill includes an incentive on ordinary citizens to take legal action against anyone who helped facilitate an abortion - a move which makes it very difficult to challenge the bill in court.
Stark statistics: According to Axios, after Texas imposed its six-week ban on abortion last September, Oklahoma saw a 2,500% rise in Texas patients seeking an abortion, in comparison to the year before.
Looking ahead: Abortion in the US is set to become a huge story this summer, when the Supreme Court will issue its ruling on a highly consequential legal challenge from Mississippi. We wrote a piece about it before, but below is our newly-released podcast explainer.
GAME, SET AND MATCH
The world's number one female tennis player, Ashleigh Barty, made the surprise announcement she was retiring from the game at 25.
The reason? To "chase other dreams".
As Sky Sports noted, Barty is the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion. In a video uploaded to her Instagram account, Barty said winning Wimbledon changed her perspective.
You can watch the on-camera announcement 👇🏽.
OFF THE SHELF
A few months ago, a new book alleging to have uncovered information about who could have betrayed and turned in Anne Frank's family to the Nazis made headlines around the world.
The book suggested a Jewish person may have turned in the family in order to save his own.
What's the latest? Dutch publishers have recalled the book, after a critical report raised questions about some of the book's findings.
PANDEMIC
- Ireland reported a "near-record" number of cases on Tuesday, 23,702. The World Health Organisation has warned Ireland lifted restrictions "too brutally", and the government advised to continue wearing masks on public transport.
- White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has tested positive for coronavirus, meaning she won't be travelling to Europe with President Biden this week.
- Hillary Clinton also tested positive.
MOST READ
- BBC News: World number one Barty in shock tennis retirement
- The Guardian: Ash Barty announces shock retirement from tennis at 25
- The Financial Times: Archegos quietly built stake in Deutsche Bank
- Al Jazeera: UN urges end to 'unwinnable war': Zelensky decries inhuman blockade of Mariupol
- The Irish Times: Miriam Lord: Angry Varadkar calls out Healy-Rae as Kerry TD goes on the offensive
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TODAY MARKS...
One year since the Ever Given cargo ship got stuck in the Suez Canal for seven days.
As BBC News noted at the time, the Suez Canal is vital for global trade.
"About 12% of global trade, around one million barrels of oil and roughly 8% of liquefied natural gas pass through the canal each day." - BBC context in March 2021
#PHOTOOFTHEDAY
When you see it 🤯
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
So cuuuute.
