Friday, 18 October - It was the best song ever

October 18, 2024

Good morning, it’s Friday, 18 October. In your Squiz Today…

  • The ACT goes to the polls

  • The Hamas mastermind behind the 7 October terror attacks has been killed

  • And a recipe for tasty taters…🥔

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“Happy days back doing what I love.”

Said Aussie tennis star Alex ‘Demon’ de Minaur after winning his first match at the European Open. The 25yo world #9 has been recovering from a hip injury that derailed his Wimbledon, Olympic and US Open hopes, making this comeback extra sweet…

Democracy sausage central in the ACT

The Squiz

Kicking off the upcoming string of elections - local and international - is the Australian Capital Territory’s tomorrow… About 220,000 voters across the Territory’s 5 electorates will head to the polls to select 25 members of the ACT Legislative Assembly from the 149 candidates. More than 74,000 people have already cast early votes, and there are another 24,000 postal votes expected to roll in. Voting centres are open between 8am-6pm, and if you’re in the ACT, here’s a good guide on everything else you need to know.

Sure, but what do I need to know?

Chief Minister Andrew Barr is hoping Labor can add to its 23 years in office, while Liberal leader Elizabeth Lee is hoping to end Labor’s reign… She’s recently faced criticism after a run-in with a journalist but has since apologised and is keeping her eye on the prize. As for the key issues, Barr says Labor - which has overseen progressive policies on voluntary assisted dying, renewable energy and drug decriminalisation - offers a “balance of experience and new members”. The Liberals are focusing on cost-of-living issues, saying they’re looking to provide more value for money in government services. And the Greens, led by Shane Rattenbury, and independent candidates are also players in Canberra - their candidates are pushing for more ambitious policies on climate change and housing from whichever major party comes out on top.

So what’s going to happen?

If you have a crystal ball, let us know - but it might not be cut and dried for Labor, with reports saying some voters are eyeing change. One resident says the caveat is that “it has to be a good change, and we don’t know if that’s on offer at the moment”. As for when we’ll get the results, the ACT’s Hare-Clark election system makes it a bit trickier, but the ABC's election guru Antony Green is all over it… Given many of the ACT's eligible voters have opted to make their selections via electronic vote, he might be able to call the result tomorrow night. But keep in mind - it won't be officially declared by ACT Elections until all the votes have been counted, and with postal votes being accepted until 25 October, that's a ways off yet…

Your fresh market update…

At the Squiz, we’re all about giving you the useful stuff. So, we’ve teamed up with Woolies to share their top weekly fruit and veg picks. Here’s what to grab this week:

🥭 Mangoes - the season is back with a great variety of mangoes to enjoy like Kensington Pride, Calypso, Honey Gold and R2E2. We see smoothies ahead…

🌱 Asparagus - If you’ve got mates coming around for weekend barbecues, some grilled asparagus on the side is likely to impress…

🥬 Iceberg lettuce - While we’re on a BBQ theme, you’ll probably find these handy for all your salad needs…

​​🖤 Blackberries - There may be no dedicated emoji for these sweet, tangy treats, but we still enjoy ‘em straight from the punnet…

Squiz the Rest

Terror mastermind killed

The Hamas leader behind the 7 October terror attacks on Israel, Yahya Sinwar, has been killed in Gaza. Israel’s Foreign Minister confirmed Sinwar - the most senior leader left in the militant group - died in a skirmish with Israeli troops in Rafah on Wednesday. Hamas hasn’t yet commented. Israel had been targeting Sinwar since the terror attacks last year but he was thought to have been hiding in tunnels underneath Gaza. Reports say his death could provide a pathway to the end of the war - and a Palestinian leadership free from Hamas. But Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said while it was "the beginning of the end" for Israel's enemies, the war would continue. US President Joe Biden said he remains hopeful for a way to end the conflict - saying he’d speak to Netanyahu to "discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home" and "ending the war once and for all".

Tributes flow for Liam Payne

News of the 31yo British singer/songwriter’s death hit hard for fans of boyband One Direction yesterday. It’s still early in the investigation, but police in Buenos Aires say Payne died after falling from the third storey of the hotel he was staying at around 5pm local time on Wednesday. Reports say hotel staff had earlier called police for help with an intoxicated guest. Even for those who weren’t avid 1D fans, Payne was very recognisable… He, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik became household names during the band’s heyday, from their formation on UK talent show The X Factor in 2010 until they disbanded in 2016. They were massively successful, selling more than 70 million records worldwide, and despite pursuing solo careers after their split, the guys stayed close. As tributes flowed in from across the world, Payne’s family said they were “heartbroken”.

 Jobs ahoy

Australia’s unemployment rate has held steady at 4.1% - hardening the market’s expectations that interest rates won’t fall until next year. The latest numbers show 64,000 people found jobs in September - and more people than ever are now looking for work. Despite being under pressure to cut rates, the Reserve Bank reckons the economy is still running pretty hot - and any cut could send inflation higher… Sean Langcake from Oxford Economics predicts the next rate cut is probably coming somewhere between April and June next year because “the labour market does not appear to be slackening as quickly as we previously thought”. And if you watch these things as keenly as some folks in our office - the next Reserve Bank meeting is happening on 5 November… 

Nine faces an overhaul

The Chair of Nine Entertainment Catherine West has told staff that the company’s board is “deeply sorry” to “past and present employees who have experienced unacceptable conduct in the workplace”. She was responding to the final report from an external review into its culture (known as the Intersection report), which was prompted by allegations of misconduct earlier this year. That included claims against former news director Darren Wick, who denies he behaved inappropriately in the role. The report includes accounts from staff outlining “a systemic cultural issue with abuse of power; bullying, discrimination and harassment; and sexual harassment”. More than 57% of all staff in Nine’s broadcast division reported discrimination, bullying, or harassment, but West said “no department is immune”. The board wants to change that and says it will adopt all 22 recommendations made.

The Royals roll up

If you’re a monarchist or just a sticky beak, don’t forget tonight’s the night King Charles and Queen Camilla touch down in Oz for the start of their 5-day visit. So far, officials have only confirmed a few places the public might be able to get a glimpse - the War Memorial and Parliament House in Canberra on Monday and then the Opera House/Botanic Gardens in Sydney on Tuesday… It’s been a big feat for the King just to make it here - he’s still undergoing treatment for cancer but is going to pause it during the visit. And once the HRHs are done here, it’s off to Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders - the first time Charles has attended as King. And while our Kiwi cuzzie bros are a bit sad they’re not getting a Royal visit, they might take some solace that their former PM Jacinda Ardern did just officially become a Dame… 

To help you brush up on the Royals, we’ve done Shortcuts on King Charles and Queen Camilla…

Your last chance to win

It's your last chance to get sharing, cos each person that signs up off your unique link by 19 October gets you into the draw to win a $450 Go-To voucher - their whole schtick is skincare that’s effective, effortless, and fun… A bit like us. Pretty sweet huh? And it’s too easy to share…

Your unique link: https://squiztoday.thesquiz.com.au/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

PS: Your friends will need to confirm their email to guarantee entry into the draw. This competition ends at 11.59pm AEDT on 19 October, and the winner will be drawn on 20 October 2024 and contacted via email. Go forth…

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

Confession time - chopsticks are not our favoured eating tools, but they are clearly handy when it comes to catching rockets… What happened this week when SpaceX got the lower half of a Starship to come back to the launch tower was groundbreaking. The full video of the mission is here - skip forward to the 38-minute mark to see the magic moment. 

We have so many thoughts about the blog So Many Thoughts… Written by Elizabeth Holmes (not that one…), it began as royal fashion commentary on Instagram and has since expanded to be a lot more. She’s documented what she wore on a recent London trip, and there’s some very nice stuff… 

As you know, potatoes are our thing - and this might just be the ultimate. Sure, it might take 15 hours for this wonderful creation to come together, but most of that is chilling time… Behold these amazing salt and vinegar potato bites - they take 30 minutes and a mandolin to prep, but it’s so worth it.

Squiz the Day

Friday
11.30am (AEDT) - Greg Lynn is to be sentenced for the murder of camper Carol Clay in Victoria’s high country (he was acquitted of the murder of Clay’s companion Russell Hill) - Melbourne

5.05pm (AEST) - Women's Rugby League: Pacific Cup, Australia v PNG - Brisbane, and watch on Kayo

6.30pm (AEDT) - ABC journalist/presenter Fran Kelly will deliver this year’s Andrew Ollie Media Lecture - Sydney

7.10pm (AEST) - Men's Rugby League: Pacific Cup, Australia v Tonga - Brisbane, and watch on Kayo

👑 King Charles and Queen Camilla touch down in Australia for their 5-day tour (until 23 October) - Sydney

Sculpture by the Sea begins (until 4 November) - Sydney 

Melbourne International Jazz Festival begins (until 27 October) 

The Home Show is on (until 20 October) - Sydney

Independence Day in Azerbaijan

International Pronouns Day

Alaska Day (marking the anniversary of the US taking possession of the territory after purchasing it from Russia) (1867)

A birthday for Zac Efron (1987)

Anniversary of:

  • the founding of the British Broadcasting Company, later called British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)(1922)

  • the first all-female spacewalk by NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir outside the International Space Station (2019)

Saturday
8.30am (AEDT) - The International Congress on Menopause, bringing together world experts on workplace management, hormone therapy and health (until 22 October) - Melbourne

10.00am (AEDT) - Stella Day Out, a one-day literary festival celebrating the contributions of women and non-binary writers to Aussie literature - Sydney

12.00pm (AEDT) - The 2024 Sydney Everest Racing Carnival - Sydney 

5.15pm (AEDT) - Caulfield Cup Carnival - Melbourne

ACT Election

Epping, Pittwater and Hornsby by-elections

☄️ Rare comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is approaching the Sun and Earth and may become bright enough to be easily seen

Men’s Soccer: A League Round 1 matches kick off - watch on 10 Play

International Gin and Tonic Day

Anniversary of:

  • the Russian Politburo throws out Leon Trotsky and his followers (1926)

  • the release of Cher's Believe - the song that introduced Auto-Tune to the mainstream (1998)

  • Jacinda Ardern becoming New Zealand's youngest ever leader at 37yo when her Labour Party formed a coalition government (2017)

Sunday
2.00pm (AEDT) - Motorsport: Australian MotoGP - Phillip Island, and watch on Kayo

2.30pm (AEDT) - Cricket: T20 Spring Challenge final - Sydney, and watch on Kayo

5:30pm (AEDT) - Netball: Constellation Cup Game 1, Australia v New Zealand - Wellington, and watch on Kayo

Indonesia's President-elect Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in

Fisk season 3 begins on ABC

Birthdays for Thomas Newman (1955), Danny Boyle (1956), Kamala Harris (1964), and Snoop Dogg (1971) 

Anniversary of:

  • US President Abraham Lincoln formally establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday (1864)

  • the publication of the third and final volume of JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King (1955)

  • the opening of the Sydney Opera House by Queen Elizabeth II (1973)

  • Joko Widodo becoming President of Indonesia (2014)

Monday
1.00am (AEDT) - Women's Cricket T20 Cup Final - UAE, and watch on Prime 

6.00am (AEDT) - Motorsport: F1, USA Grand Prix - Austin, and watch on Kayo