Thursday, 30 April - On the cover of a magazine

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 30 April. In your Squiz Today…

• Inflation is on the rise as the global fuel supply crisis bites

• The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion’s first interim report is set to be handed down today

• And The Devil Wears Prada 2 is released in cinemas 😈😈

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said Aussie actor Nicole Kidman when asked what she would do if she was able to swap lives with rapper A$AP Rocky for a day. She has a good reason - A$AP Rocky’s wife is pop star and businesswoman Rihanna, so maybe Nicole just had Love on the Brain…

The cozzie livs problem grows

The Squiz

We had confirmation yesterday that things aren’t getting any cheaper… The latest figures from the Bureau of Stats show the consumer price index (which tracks changes in the cost of household goods and services) rose 4.6% in the 12 months to March - up from 3.7% in February and the highest it’s been since September 2023. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has put the blame on the US and Israel’s war with Iran - he says the conflict “could drive inflation up even higher before it comes down”.

What’s behind the rise?

Because the war has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz and throttled global fuel supply, it’s driven prices up. And how - automotive fuel was such a big factor in the CPI going up yesterday that the Bureau of Stats has given it its own page to illustrate the historic size of the increase. Chalmers did note that these March numbers reflect what happened before the government brought in a cut to fuel excise on 1 April to try and ease prices. But with that set to expire on 30 June - and peace talks between the US and Iran at a stalemate - extending that cut could be on the agenda. Coalition treasury spokesman Tim Wilson said yesterday that an extension might be an option - though he says the government’s level of spending is still a big problem.

So what comes next?

A few things - first up, on Tuesday the Reserve Bank will make its next decision on interest rates. The RBA primarily looks at the underlying inflation rate - which cuts out some of the volatile/temporary numbers at the margins - when it makes that decision. That rate is holding steady at 3.3%, but that’s still above the RBA’s target, so most predictions are leaning towards another rate rise. A week after, Chalmers will hand down the federal Budget on 12 May - reports say changes to the capital gains tax and negative gearing are on the agenda to address some of those cost of living issues. He has his work cut out for him…

Don’t forget this one…

It’s that time of year when Admin Professionals Day rolls around, and if there’s someone in your office keeping everything running smoothly, it's a good time to celebrate them. Research from GroupTogether shows that two-thirds of employees reckon their workplace would struggle without their admin colleagues... If your team wants to show a little appreciation to that person, GroupTogether makes it easy to get everyone pitching in on a digital gift they'll actually use.

Squiz the Rest

The search for Sharon Granites continues

Northern Territory police revealed yesterday they’ve found items belonging to both the 5yo and Jefferson Lewis, a recently released 47yo prisoner they suspect may have abducted her. In an update yesterday, police said a doona cover, a “distinct” yellow shirt Lewis was wearing and a pair of children’s underwear were found on the banks of the Todd River near Alice Springs’ Old Timers town camp where Sharon had been tucked into bed Saturday night - they’ve been sent for forensic analysis. Police believe Lewis is still “local” and that members of the community may be sheltering him. Sharon’s great-uncle Rob Roy says that she’s a “very energetic” young girl - and he’s asking anyone with more info to come forward.
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A report is on the way…

…from the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion today, which will deliver its first findings into the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December last year. It’s not the full report - that’s due on 14 December this year - but this is an interim version based on the work the Commission’s been doing since it officially began on 24 February. As for what we can expect, the Commission hasn’t begun public hearings yet (they’ll start on 4 May), but it says this report will “identify issues requiring urgent or immediate action” and Commissioner Virginia Bell “will make recommendations relevant to these issues” - mainly focused on the actions of our security services leading up to the attack. We’ll find out soon…

Shutting the G8

One of the biggest childcare companies in Oz, G8 Education, has announced it’s closing 40 of its 395 centres across the country. The provider, which is listed on the ASX, says the decision was made due to a steep drop in enrolments following the arrest of former worker Joshua Brown last year, who is accused of more than 150 child sexual abuse offences. The fallout saw the share price drop by 80% in a year, and CEO Pejman Okhovat yesterday said the incident “had impacted family confidence and trust”. It’s not known yet which centres are earmarked for closure, but Okhovat said families and staffers will be offered places at its other locations nearby.
*If you want to know more about the federal government’s long term goals for childcare in Oz, check out our Squiz Shortcut to the universal childcare promise…

It’s Origin season

We’re kicking off with the women’s representative rugby league series, which begins tonight in Newcastle. Like last year, it’s a 3-game series played over consecutive fortnights - this year, Game 2 will be in Brisbane and Game 3 on the Gold Coast. After winning last year’s series 2-1, NSW will be hoping to go back-to-back, and they’ll go into both tonight and the series as a whole as strong favourites. Last year’s series MVP Olivia Kernick is back for the Blues, but the Maroons have the 2025 NRLW player of the year Tamika Upton on their list, so they’re no slouches... You can watch all the action beginning at 7.45pm AEST on Channel 9 and 9Now - and for your diaries, the men’s series begins Wednesday, 27 May. It’s a great time for league fans…

Better the devil you know

Almost 20 years after the original, The Devil Wears Prada 2 arrives in wide release today. It’s a sequel to the much-loved comedy-drama from 2006, which starred Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, an aspiring journalist who runs into the editor from hell, Anna Wintour Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep. The sequel is said to tackle how publishing has changed in the digital age, and both Hathaway and Streep are back, along with co-stars Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci - plus Aussie Patrick Brammall as Hathaway’s love interest. Early reactions have been pretty good, and it’s also shaping up to be a huge hit at the box office - maybe even a groundbreaking one…

Apropos of Nothing

Ultra-swimmer Andy Donaldson has set a world record for swimming 55km in under 12 hours in the Ord River in Western Oz. The river is home to plenty of freshwater crocs, but luckily he said the only crocs he saw were on his coach’s feet…

Amyl and the Sniffers were the big winners at yesterday’s APRA Awards - winning Song of the Year for Jerkin’ - their second win on the trot. The way they’re going, we think they might be sniffing a hat-trick… 

And the drama has already started in Season 4 of HBO’s The White Lotus, with Laura Dern replacing Helena Bonham Carter after her sudden exit from the show. It’s being filmed in the south of France - nice work if you can get it…

Squiz the Day

8.20am (AEST) - The Climate and Energy summit hosted by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) is on - Melbourne 

9.00am (AEST) - The interim report for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is due

9.30am (AEST) - Coleen Lamarre, the mother of accused double-murderer and former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, will appear in court. She’s been charged with trying to pervert the course of justice after allegedly trying to influence a key witness - Sydney

9.30am (AEST) - A judgment is due in corporate regulator ASIC’s case against Telstra Super, which it alleges failed to respond to complaints in an appropriate timeframe - Melbourne

9.45am (AEST) - Federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neil is set to speak at the National Housing Solutions Summit - Melbourne

7.45pm (AEST) - Rugby League: Women's State of Origin, Newcastle International Sports Centre - Newcastle, watch on 9now 

Woolworths to deliver its third-quarter results 

The Devil Wears Prada 2 will be released in Oz cinemas

The Packing Room Prize will be announced ahead of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize finalists at the Art Gallery of NSW - Sydney

ABS date release: International trade price indexes, March 2026; Federal defendants, 2024-2025 financial year

International Jazz Day

Birthdays for actors Kirsten Dunst (1982) and Gal Gadot (1985), and singer Nikki Webster (1987)

Anniversary of:

• the inauguration of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America (1789)

• Mr Potato Head becoming the first toy to be advertised on television (1952)

• Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson getting hitched (1988)

• the World Wide Web (WWW) being launched in the public domain (1993)

• the death of chef and Masterchef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo (2023)