Monday, 20 January - It feels like home to me

Good morning, it’s Monday, 20 January. In your Squiz Today…

• The first 3 Israeli hostages are home

• More Aussie Open drama for Novak Djokovic

• And Triple J celebrates a big birthday… 🎂

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Squiz Sayings

Said French chef Marc Veyrat after banning Michelin Guide inspectors from his new establishment. Veyrat launched an unsuccessful lawsuit against the guide in 2019 for downgrading another of his restaurants from 3 to 2 stars, and he hasn't forgiven or forgotten…

A tentative truce begins

The Squiz

After a shaky start, the long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has begun, and the first 3 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for 15 months are back in Israel. They are 24yo Romi Gonen, 31yo Doron Steinbrecher, and 28yo British Israeli Emily Damari, who were all captured in the October 7 terror attacks. The women were released to the Red Cross, who then delivered them to the Israeli military early this morning. In a statement, Damari’s mother said “I want to thank everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal, and who never stopped saying her name”.

What about the rest?

Good question. It’s believed that nearly 100 hostages were still in Gaza at the time the deal was brokered. What isn’t clear is how many of them are alive or dead - leaving their families at home stuck in limbo. What we do know is that under the first phase of the deal, another 4 hostages will be freed on day 7, and the remaining 26 over the coming 5 weeks. The 3 women released this morning have been reunited with their mothers, who watched their handover by video - here’s what we know about them. In exchange for the hostages, at least 1,700 Palestinians detained by Israel will also be freed in phase one - reports say 90 of them will be exchanged today.

What happens now?

After 15 months of war, it’s still a tentative situation on the ground in Gaza, with lots of questions about whether the truce will hold… As it was, the ceasefire was delayed by nearly 3 hours yesterday, during which Israel continued to bomb Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu added to the uncertainty, saying the Israeli military is ready to resume fighting “if needed” and that Israel “will not tolerate violations of the agreement”. Many people in both Israel and Gaza took to the streets to celebrate the ceasefire, but residents in Gaza say it will be a long road to recovery… Gaza’s health ministry says more than 46,000 Palestinians have died in the war - but others say the real toll could be much higher. Adding to that is the fact that most of Gaza’s population - more than 2 million people - has been displaced, meaning there’s a big job ahead for aid organisations providing support.

Squiz the Rest

An indoor inauguration for Trump

A forecast of -6C in Washington DC ruled out the usual outdoor ceremony for the incoming President - it's now set for the Capitol Rotunda, which seats about 600. It's the first time in 40 years that's happened, and all ticketed events in the area have been shut down - so even the most dedicated supporters won't be able to gather outside for the event. Trump said it was his call and he didn't want "to see people hurt or injured in any way". As his presidency approaches, Trump's been the big hope for TikTok, which has been battling a federal government ban. He said he'd give it a reprieve over the weekend, but that didn’t meet the deadline, and the app disappeared from US app stores yesterday before the ban took effect - but the late mail is that it's already coming back online for users after Trump's announcement. 

A mental health exodus in NSW

Half of the psychiatrists in NSW’s public health service are set to resign tomorrow over a dispute with the government over pay and working conditions. Negotiations have been going on for 16 months - the doctors say the system is broken, they’re overworked and want a pay rise to bring them in line with the rest of the country, but the government says it can’t afford it. At least 205 psychiatrists will quit and reports say the NSW government is asking the private sector to take on some patients. And while the situation in NSW is at a tipping point, a recent report says it’s a nationwide issue - finding that patients who turn up to hospital emergency departments for mental health reasons face ‘far longer’ wait times for access to a ward, with not nearly enough beds available. 

Side-eyes on the prize

Channel Nine is investigating sports presenter Alex Cullen after he appeared to accept a $50,000 cash prize from billionaire Adrian Portelli live on air. The Aussie property investor had offered the prize to any “TV journalist who calls me McLaren Man” instead of “Lambo Guy” or “Mr Lambo” - he said he doesn’t like those nicknames, which stem from his appearance in a Lamborghini on The Block in 2022. On Friday, Cullen obliged by calling Portelli “McLaren Guy” during a live cross, and despite co-host Karl Stefanovic following suit to try and claim the cash himself, Portelli posted a screenshot on Instagram that appeared to show him having transferred the full $50,000 to Cullen. Nine says Cullen has agreed to stand down while it investigates and organises to have the money returned.

Novak says no to Nine

Some more Channel Nine trouble… The 10-time Australian Open champion says he won’t be doing post-match interviews with Nine unless sports journalist Tony Jones apologises for comments he made a few days ago. Djokovic beat #24 seed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets last night but didn’t take questions from a surprised Jim Courier after the match and walked straight off the court. Novak didn’t name Jones but reports say he’s referring to Friday night, when the journalist chanted ‘Novak’s a has-been’ and ‘Novak kick him out’ at Serbian fans during a live sports cross. The Open’s fourth round finishes tonight when Aussie #8 seed Alex De Minaur takes on USA’s Alex Michelsen - if the Demon wins, it’ll be the first time he’s made the quarter-finals at his home event.

A milestone day for the Js

Yesterday marked 50 years since Triple J - the ABC’s youth radio network - first blasted the sound of Skyhooks’ You Just Like Me Because I’m Good in Bed over the airwaves. Originally known as Double Jay, it clocked a few firsts over the journey - it was the first Oz station to have female DJs, for example - and the first to broadcast certain profanities. Becoming Triple J in 1981, it kickstarted the careers of lots of our famous musicians and comedians, and its Hottest 100 countdown - for which voting is currently underway - is an annual tradition for many. As it hits 50, broadcast ratings are struggling as young people move to streaming - but supporters say ratings aren’t the point of Triple J anyway, and its online impact and commitment to playing Aussie music is more important in the digital era.

Apropos of Nothing

Lemonade stands might be what first comes to mind when you think of summer side hustles for kids, but 6yo Otis and 8yo Frankie have other ideas. The siblings from Gympie are instead catching cane toads - an invasive pest - for 10 cents apiece. That’s enterprising…

One for the Bob Dylan fans - typewritten notes written by the then-22yo singer/songwriter for his 1965 hit Mr Tambourine Man have just gone under the hammer in Nashville, alongside a bunch of other memorabilia. The rumpled sheets of paper sold for a cool $820,000… 

An 84yo British man going about his business in a launderette has bested a would-be mugger in northern England. Despite being armed with only a pair of trousers, Ron Croker wasn’t giving up his wallet without a fight, saying “it was either me or him, and I won”...

Squiz the Day

7.15pm (AEDT) - Women's Cricket: First T20I - Australia v England - Sydney, and broadcast live on Kayo

8.10pm appx (AEDT) - Tennis: Australian Open, Fourth round, Alex de Minaur v Alex Michelsen - Melbourne, watch on 9Now

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (on until 24 January) - Davos, Switzerland

Penguin Awareness Day

World Religion Day 

A birthday for former astronaut Buzz Aldrin (1930) and muso Kevin Parker (1986)

Anniversary of:

• China ceding Hong Kong to the British during the first Opium War (1841)

• the premiere of High School Musical (2006) and Breaking Bad (2008)

• Donald Trump being inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States (2017)

• the car attack in Melbourne's CBD, which killed 6 people and injured 27 (2017)

• the death of singer/actor Meat Loaf (2022)

Tuesday
4.00am (AEDT) - Donald Trump's 2024 Presidential inauguration - Washington DC, US