Monday, 12 May - Everyday I'm shufflin'

May 12, 2025

Good morning, it’s Monday, 12 May. In your Squiz Today…

  • The jostle for political power continues

  • A truce between India and Pakistan is on the rocks

  • And a list of baby names so bad they’re illegal…

🎧 Listen to the podcast

🤓 This email will take you 5 minutes to read

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“The memorial must be - simply - a beautiful place, a place to visit with friends, a place to gather, to enjoy, and to reflect on an extraordinary life.”

Said Lord Janvrin, Queen Elizabeth’s former private secretary, of her future official memorial in central London. The finalists have been unveiled, including a bridge and a massive statue of Her Maj riding sidesaddle. Insiders reckon her heart would be where the horse is…

Jostling for power

The Squiz

We’re headed for another big week in federal politics with both major parties making moves that will get the next term of government off the ground. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for anyone - leadership battles are brewing for both the Nationals and Liberals, and there’s been infighting within Labor’s ranks before PM Anthony Albanese’s new ministry is sworn in at Government House tomorrow.

Let's start with those in power… 

Albanese will announce his new ministry any minute ahead of their swearing-in tomorrow… But before that happens, there is a lot of focus on the pain points, with senior Labor Party figures Ed Husic and Mark Dreyfus less than happy about being dumped from their frontbench positions. Husic - the former Minister for Industry and Australia’s first Muslim cabinet member - yesterday claimed he’s been demoted after speaking out about the war in Gaza. He’s taken particular aim at Deputy PM Richard Marles, calling him a “factional assassin” who played a key role in both of the men’s demotions.

And what about the Coalition?

The Nationals are meeting today to confirm their leadership, with Senator Matt Canavan announcing on Friday that he plans to challenge the party’s leader David Littleproud for the top job. He says that given the Coalition’s losses at last weekend’s federal election, he’s the best person to “prosecute change”. As for the Liberals, they’re voting for a new leader tomorrow. Acting leader Sussan Ley and former Treasury spokesman Angus Taylor are the frontrunners, with Jacinta Nampinjinpa Price - who defected from the Nationals’ partyroom to the Liberals last week - vying for the deputy title. The Greens are also headed for a vote on Thursday, so stay tuned for some jostling on that front…

Holiday shopping from home

Duty-free bargains are the best, and with Lotte Duty Free, there's a fresh way to shop and be rewarded before you jet off on your next adventure. Earn Qantas Points with every dollar you spend, so whether you're shopping in store or online, the points can be used towards your next holiday, adding value to your purchases before you board. Start earning points today by visiting Lotte Duty Free locations or by shopping online - and learn more here.

Squiz the Rest

A close call

A truce between India and Pakistan is looking shaky as both sides accuse the other of violating the fledgling agreement. Airstrikes were traded last week after India took retaliatory action for an April militant attack in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir. And in a close call for some of our top cricketers, one of those strikes early Saturday morning was aimed at Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase, where their plane had departed hours earlier. Queensland batsman Max Bryant was onboard and said when they found out about the strike “the whole plane went ‘Holy crap’”... Both the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League cricket competitions have been postponed until the fighting dies down. If that doesn’t inspire a truce, we don’t know what will…

Speaking of ceasefires… 

As Pope Leo gave his first address overnight calling for “no more war”, European leaders tried to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to extend last week’s 3-day truce between Russia and Ukraine to 30 days, or face further sanctions. Putin wasn’t keen on that but said instead he’s prepared to hold direct talks with Ukraine this week in Turkey aimed at “moving towards a lasting, strong peace.”... Speaking of peace talks, there’s news from Gaza that Hamas is set to release the last known living US hostage Edan Alexander. It comes as US President Donald Trump is due to visit the Middle East this week. And while we’re on Trump, US and Chinese officials have struck a trade deal after meeting in Switzerland to walk back the sky-high tariffs on imports from both countries. Trump said they’d negotiated “a total reset” and made progress on “the opening up of China to American business.” The exact details are TBC so stay tuned…

Cracking into the egg shortage

Whatever way you like ‘em, eggs are a staple - so if you’re a fan, you might have been left scratching your head over the ongoing empty shelves in supermarkets… Initially, the finger was pointed at several outbreaks of bird flu in Oz over the past 12 months, and now, poultry industry expert Greg Mills reckons it’s also got to do with more people embracing free-range eggs and the phasing out of caged eggs by big supermarket chains (which Coles and Woolies have pledged to do this year). The connection is that chickens roaming in open areas are more susceptible to infection by bird flu spread by wild water birds - which in turn, leads to supply chain issues. That cycle, coupled with more people turning to eggs as a cheaper source of protein as the cost of living bites, means eggpensive googies could be here to stay.

*If you have more questions about bird flu, what it is and what’s being done about it, we have a Shortcut to get you across it…

A blast from the past

A piece of a Soviet-era spacecraft that’s been orbiting Earth for half a century has likely reentered the atmosphere on Saturday. Kosmos 482 was meant to be on a mission to Venus, but it malfunctioned shortly after launching in 1972, broke into 4 pieces, and it's been circling Earth ever since… Scientists aren't sure if it would've burned up on reentry, but it was built to withstand the extreme conditions on Venus, so the chances it's intact are higher than usual. That brings us to where it may've landed… Experts have ruled out WA, despite this compelling video, and an area in the Indian Ocean is their best guess. Weighing half a tonne, you’d be forgiven for thinking it might be a safety risk to us Earthlings, but scientists reckon the chance of being struck by lightning is 65,000 times more likely than being squashed by a piece of falling space junk, so we can breathe easy.

Save it for a nickname, Princess

Everyone’s got an opinion on baby names, and while you might think that some should be illegal, there’s a list of 89 names that actually are. Turns out, Australia’s got standards when it comes to monikers, and we draw the line at names that are offensive, too long, include symbols, or that aren’t in the public interest. Royalty, titles and ranks are off-limits, and in case you’re inspired by a higher calling to name your newborn after the new Pope - not Leo, just Pope - you can’t. On that note, God, Jesus Christ and Saint are also out, as is the flip side of the coin, Devil. Baby naming consultant Michelle Casey says she’s noticed an increase in unconventional names that “dance right on the edge” of acceptable - but if you’ve really got your heart set on Harry Potter or Ranga, she’s seen a few from the list sneak through.

Apropos of Nothing

In a case of divine timing, a real estate agent in Chicago is currently listing for sale the childhood home of the new Pope Leo XIV. Offers significantly above the asking price started flooding in as soon as the connection was made - something reports are calling a “papal price bump”.

New Zealand has famously always had more sheep than people, but new figures show the humans are catching up. There are now about 4.5 sheep for every one of our cuzzy bros across the ditch - down from 22 per person back in 1982. Farmers say it’s down to some baaaad wool prices which has meant the country’s moved into other industries.

In a bid to look “more masculine” members of the manosphere are trimming, and in some cases shaving off, their eyelashes. Videos on social media that bring a tear to our eye show men wielding blades and clippers close to their eyes to achieve the look - we hope it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kinda trend…

Squiz the Day

7.00pm (AEST) - Tennis: Alex de Minaur takes on Hugo Dellien from Bolivia in the Italian Open - Rome, and watch here 

The Philippines are heading to the polls for their general election 

Opening statements begin in the trial of Sean Combs (aka P Diddy) - New York

Start of Australian Fashion Week (on until 16 May) - Sydney

Kernewek Lowender Copper Coast Cornish Festival begins (until 18 May) - Moonta, SA

Vesak Day (Buddha Day) - the day of the full moon

International Day of Plant Health

Birthdays for Rami Malek (1981), Bill Shorten (1967), and Homer Simpson (1956)

Anniversary of:

  • the birthdays of Florence Nightingale (1820) and Katharine Hepburn (1907)

  • the wedding of Mick and Bianca Jagger (1971)

  • Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction premiering at the Cannes Film Festival (1994)