Monday, 17 February - Travelling at the speed of light

February 17, 2025

Good morning, it’s Monday, 17 February. In your Squiz Today…

  • Our immigration detainees are heading to Nauru

  • European leaders will hold emergency talks about Ukraine

  • And how mummies smell quite yummy…

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“We’ve all been there, girl.”

Said one Facebook user on a US wildlife rescue’s post about an opossum that got itself into trouble after devouring an entire chocolate cake left on a family home’s porch. The “cake bandit” was taken to the vet after being found panting on the porch. It didn’t cake it easy…

Negotiating with Nauru

The Squiz

The Albanese Government has struck a deal with Nauru to resettle foreign nationals released into the community after a 2023 High Court decision. At least 3 people - all of whom have a history of violent offending, including one with a murder conviction - have been offered long-term visas in the small Pacific island nation. The deal was done after the Nauruan officials approached Oz, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke saying he was “grateful to the government of Nauru” that “3 people, where previously the situation had seemed intractable, are now on a pathway to leave Australia”.

Who are they, again?

The trio are part of the so-called NZYQ cohort - a group of non-citizens detained after travelling to Oz. Many had criminal histories in their home countries and were at risk of extreme punishment if they returned - preventing their deportations. But in October 2023, the High Court found their indefinite detention illegal - leading to more than 200 people being freed. It's been a big issue for the Albanese Government, which has been criticised for its handling of the situation - particularly after some of the group went on to commit new crimes in Oz. Late last year, it struck a deal with the Coalition on new laws allowing for the deportation of those with no right to be in Oz - and here we are…

So they’re off…

Yep - reports say they’ve been detained by Border Force officials and will be flown to Nauru in the coming days. As for the other members of the NZYQ cohort, Burke expects more visas to be granted by Nauru - but didn’t get into more detail on that. Regardless, it’s a win for the Albanese Government as we head towards the next federal election… And just on that, a new poll had some good news for Coalition leader Peter Dutton yesterday. The YouGov survey of more than 40,000 Australians shows that if the election was held now, he’d likely be our new PM. He’s also hit the campaign trail, appearing on 60 Minutes for a sit-down interview last night. All we need now is a date…

Squiz the Rest

Allies at odds

There’s a bit happening on the Russia-Ukraine front, with high-level meetings on the calendar for this week. European leaders, including British PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, are holding emergency talks in Paris today about the war. Alarm bells rang following US President Donald Trump’s comments last week… After speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin about a possible ceasefire, Trump said Ukraine may need to give up territory to Russia. The US’s Western allies have flagged concerns about that, but it’s not stopping Trump administration officials from locking in a meeting with senior Kremlin officials. That’ll happen in Saudi Arabia in the coming days… 

The Jay-Z lawsuit is abandoned

The rapper criticised the US legal system after a lawsuit accusing him of rape was dropped by the accuser this weekend. In the suit, a woman known only as Jane Doe accused both Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs - who is currently in prison ahead of a trial on other charges of sex crimes - of assaulting her when she was 13. But now, a couple of months after inconsistencies in her story emerged, she and her lawyer have withdrawn the accusations. Jay-Z - who is Beyonce’s husband - said the allegations had been traumatic for his family and the courts had failed by allowing the victim to remain anonymous. There’s been no comment from Combs’ lawyers - his trial on the other charges he’s facing is due to start on 5 May. 

Taking stock of a wet weekend

Some West Aussies are waiting to come home after category-4 Cyclone Zelia hit the Pilbara on Friday, causing many people to evacuate their homes and farms. Around 75 people went to nearby Port Hedland from the towns of Warralong and Gooda Binya as the cyclone approached, and emergency services say the region was lucky to have avoided any major damage. And as we saw during the floods in Far North Queensland, the local community pitched in to help each other out - one Port Hedland resident said a tree was uprooted in his front garden by the heavy weather, and when he came home from work, his neighbours had cleaned it up for him. That’s the spirit…

Casting stones at Sinner

It’s not all love in the tennis world after world number one Jannik Sinner accepted a 3-month suspension for 2 positive drug tests. Sinner - who just won the Aussie Open last month - has always said the banned steroid clostebol only got into his system via a spray his physio used to treat a cut, and didn't affect his performance. The World Anti-Doping Agency agreed with that but said he's still responsible for his team - thus the short suspension. But critics of the call - including Aussie Nick Kyrgios - are cranky because the length and timing of the ban means Sinner will still get to play the French Open in May and they say there’s been a lack of transparency in the whole process. You could say it’s been court-ing controversy…

Pharaohs by any other name

Despite being trapped in a sarcophagus for thousands of years, scientists have discovered that mummies actually still smell pretty yummy. Researchers from Slovenia used tiny tubes to extract odours from within the ancient coffins without disturbing the mummies inside, an approach of which Brendan Fraser would no doubt approve. They were surprised by how pleasant the aromas were - describing them with adjectives like woody, spicy and sweet. And they're willing to share the love - reconstructing the smells for an exhibit at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo so visitors can experience the sensory pleasure of a millenia-old corpse for themselves. We're wondering if it's the original Old Spice…

Apropos of Nothing

One of Tassie’s favourite daughters, Queen Mary of Denmark, is back in town having a break with her husband King Frederick and 3 of their kids in the Apple Isle. They were spotted browsing in the popular Salamanca Markets, and we can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning in Hobart…

He’s no flash in the pan - Aussie dasher Gout Gout has clocked a time of 46.20 seconds over 400m at an event in Brisbane. That’s about a second faster than the current 100m Olympic gold medallist Noah Lyles over the same distance, and the fastest time by an Aussie in 35 years. Whoosh…

Researchers have worked out that loggerhead sea turtles ‘dance’ when they sense food is nearby, flapping their flippers and poking their head out of the water. It also has something to do with the Earth’s inner core and magnetic fields, but we were distracted by the cuteness, to be honest…

Squiz the Day

From 12.00am (AEDT) - Sydney commuters are in for more train pain, with industrial action planned by rail union members until at least Wednesday - Sydney

9.30am (AEDT) - The Reserve Bank Board will convene for its first meeting of 2025 - Sydney

9.30am (AWST) - AFL: Preseason series kicks off with West Coast Eagles v Richmond - Perth, and watch all the games on Kayo

9.45am (AEDT) - A decision is expected in the case of a woman charged in relation to the Hillcrest jumping castle tragedy in which 6 children died - Devonport, Tasmania

12.00pm (AEDT) - SNL's 50th anniversary show is screening live from New York, watch it on Binge

12.20pm (AEDT) - NBA All-Star tournament kicks off with Team Chuck v Team Kenny - San Francisco, and watch it on Kayo

Company half-year results for Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, BlueScope Steel, and Lendlease

The White Lotus Season 3 is out - stream it on Binge

Independence Day - Kosovo

Global Tourism Resilience Day

Birthdays for Michael Jordan (1963), Paris Hilton (1981), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (1982), and Ed Sheeran (1991)

Anniversary of:

  • the birthday of Banjo Patterson (1864)

  • the world's first superhero The Phantom making his first appearance in comics (1936)

  • General Motors announcing it will be retiring the Holden brand (2020)