Tuesday, 15 April - Livin' a teenage dream

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 15 April. In your Squiz Today…

• The first all-female crew in 6 decades blasts into space

• Russia launches another deadly missile attack on Ukraine

• And the surprise silhouetto of a rock legend at Coachella…

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Squiz Sayings

Said football writer Vince Rugari after Matildas star Mary Fowler hurt her knee while playing for Manchester City. There’s no official diagnosis yet, but a long-term injury could mean Fowler would miss next year’s Asian Cup, which starts in March. Fingers crossed… 

Up, up and away

The Squiz

History was made overnight with the first all-female crew being sent into space in more than 6 decades - and there were some big names onboard… Pop star Katy Perry, TV host Gayle King, civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyễn, film producer Kerianne Flynn, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, and the partner of billionaire Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez. FYI - Bezos is the founder of Blue Origin, the space company running the mission. It was a quick trip - the crew blasted off in the West Texas desert at 11.30pm and were in orbit for just 10 minutes… Cue a lot of excitement and some singing from Perry, but Sanchez summed it up best, saying the trip gave her a feeling of “joy and camaraderie.” She said “we're all … more connected than you realise”.

How did it come about?

You’re probably not alone in wondering that… While some reports have pointed out that it’s the first time a crew has been to space with their hair and makeup done, it wasn’t just a joyride. Bezos (also the co-founder of Amazon…) is in a ‘space tourism’ race with fellow billionaire Elon Musk and his company, SpaceX. So, it was part legitimate trip and part PR exercise… As for the flight itself, the New Shepard rocket launched from a ranch in Texas and carried the crew to the Kármán line - aka the internationally recognised boundary of space, about 100km above Earth. They spent a couple of minutes up there before returning. If you were tucked up in bed while it all happened, here’s the replay.

So we’ll be seeing more private space flights?

Yep - it's full steam ahead for the commercial space industry. This was Blue Origin's 11th crewed flight and the 31st flight for the New Shepard rocket. Musk and SpaceX are further along in their cosmic journey -  his Falcon 9 rockets have been launched 469 times. Both companies have been working closely with US space agency NASA in recent years, which contracts them to carry out scientific jobs. But they’re not without criticism - some experts say space tourism is too exclusive (with tickets reportedly north of $1 million…) and damaging to the environment. The Blue Origin mission also had some calling it "gluttonous", but the crew pushed back - notably King, who said "most people are really excited and cheering us on and realise what this mission means to young women, young girls and boys, too".

They say knowledge is power…

If you’re a business leader with growth on your mind in 2025, HubSpot’s GROW conference will get you networking with and learning alongside the best in the biz... And when we say the best, headlining the event’s incredible group of speakers is creator of the hit series Bluey, Joe Brumm. He’ll be talking all things creativity, leadership and scaling Australian brands - something he’s well-versed in, with Bluey becoming the most streamed show in America last year… To find out more about his session and the other speakers who will get you across what’s moving the needle in business growth today, you can read up and buy your ticket here.

Squiz the Rest

A deadly missile attack in Ukraine

Russia has been heavily criticised by Ukrainian allies after launching a missile strike on the city of Sumy in Ukraine’s northeast. Two ballistic missiles hit the centre of the city on Sunday afternoon and killed at least 35 people - including 2 children. US President Donald Trump suggested the missile strike might have been “a mistake” - though he didn't elaborate, and also described it as "a horrible thing". Germany's next Chancellor Friedrich Merz went a step further, calling it a war crime. As it stands, Ukraine is still in negotiations with the US on a permanent end to the war  - and this latest strike has prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ask the US President to visit the country so he can see the damage for himself. 

An awkward day on the campaign trail

Coalition leader Peter Dutton was joined in Brisbane by his son Harry, who talked about how far away owning a home seemed as a 20yo apprentice carpenter. When Dutton was asked if he’d chip in with a bit of ‘bank of Mum and Dad’ help, he didn’t respond - continuing to talk generally about housing affordability instead. Also playing a straight bat were PM Anthony Albanese and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek after this awkward blocked hug thing at the government's campaign launch. Despite recent reports of tension between the 2, they insist they're good mates, and the PM was just doing a bit of the ol’ social distancing to avoid any unnecessary germs. Speaking of awks - it appears we've entered the diss track phase of the election...

Meta things to do

A big antitrust case that's been in the works since 2020 got underway yesterday, with the first hearing of the US Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) case against Facebook owners Meta beginning in Washington DC. If you’re not full bottle on antitrust laws, they’re meant to prevent companies from stamping out competition or building a monopoly in a certain market, like social media. That’s what the FTC is claiming Meta did when it bought Instagram and WhatsApp in 2012 and 2014, though CEO Mark Zuckerberg argues it’s being “punished” for its success. And the stakes are high - if the FTC is successful, Meta will have to sell off both Instagram and WhatsApp, which would shatter its USD$1.4 trillion ad business across its platforms. 

Rory McIlroy finishes the story

The 35yo golfer fell to his knees and wept after winning a tense playoff hole yesterday with England’s Justin Rose to claim victory in the Masters tournament for the first time. McIlroy is one of the best golfers in the world, and has won just about everything going - but in nearly 2 decades of trying, he’d never claimed the green jacket that the Masters champ gets to wear. Now he has, he’s completed the golfing Grand Slam - winning all four major championships (the Open, the US Open and the PGA Championship are the others). That’s something only 5 other male players have done - all-time greats like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan among them. McIlroy said the win “makes all the years and all the close calls worth it”. 

Coachella enchanted

The popular Californian festival has completed its first weekend of entertainment, headlined by a typically extravagant Lady Gaga performance. Gaga - who is coming our way in December - performed songs from her Mayhem album surrounded by dancing skeletons, as one does… Another highlight was Beautiful Things singer Benson Boone doing his best Freddie Mercury impression by performing Bohemian Rhapsody with no less than Queen guitarist Brian May backing him up. You can see the full lineup for the 2nd weekend of the festival here, and given it takes place in the Californian desert, there are always some interesting looks - check out some of the celeb outfit choices…

Apropos of Nothing

The sketch show Saturday Night Live might be celebrating its 50th year on air in the States, but that’s not stopping other countries from jumping on the bandwagon - the UK has announced its own version, exec produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels. No cast members yet, but they’re promising a star-studded lineup of hosts… Prince Harry, maybe?

PSA for Potterheads: the first casting announcement for the TV adaptation of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series is out, with John Lithgow stepping into the robes of Dumbledore. And while the film franchise’s cast will be a tough act to follow, we’ll get used to the new faces - the series is set to run for a decade.

A pet tortoise called Myrtle has found its way back to its family in Kokomo (a rural area of Mississippi, not the fictional island from the Beach Boys song) after going missing during a tornado. Despite being on his own for weeks, Myrtle survived - and is now being nursed back to health by his delighted owner. Slow and steady…  

Squiz the Day

10.00am (AEST) - Greens leader Adam Bandt will announce the Greens’ policy for free breakfasts for primary school students - Brisbane

Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year) 

🎨 World Art Day

Birthdays for novelist and former UK MP Jeffrey Archer (1940), and actors Emma Thompson (1959), Seth Rogen (1982), Emma Watson (1990), and Maisie Williams (1997)

Anniversary of:

• the birthdays of Leonardo da Vinci (1452), Henry James (1843) and North Korea founder Kim II-sung (1912)

• the death of Abraham Lincoln (1865)

• the sinking of the RMS Titanic (1912)

• the Boston Marathon bombings (2013)

• the Notre Dame Cathedral fire, which destroyed its spire and roof (2019)