Tuesday, 17 June - You like tomato and I like tomato

June 17, 2025

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 17 June. In your Squiz Today…

  • Hundreds of Aussies are stranded in Israel and Iran

  • A big decision is ahead for Santos

  • And a Logies for the ladies…

🎧 Listen to the podcast

🤓 This email will take you 5 minutes to read

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“Borderline unplayable.”

Said Aussie golfer Adam Scott about the course at Oakmont after a promising start at US Open golf major went south on the final day to see him fall out of contention. American JJ Spaun ended up in the top spot - and his 20m winning putt is worth a gander…

Aussie evacuation plans stall…

The Squiz

As Israel and Iran continue to trade air strikes, more than 650 Australians across both countries have requested help to get out. Foreign Minister Penny Wong last night said that at least 300 Aussies in Israel and 350 in Iran have been told by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to shelter in place - with the 2 countries’ airspaces closed, preventing any civilian flights. The number of evacuation requests is likely to rise, with thousands of Australians - including diplomatic staff - currently in Israel and Iran. Wong says the government is working “on a range of plans, including a plan for assisted departures when airspace is open” to get them out safely. 

What’s the latest in the conflict?

Iran’s health ministry says more than 220 people have been killed since Friday, while Israel says its death toll currently stands at 24. Overnight, the Israeli military (IDF) issued evacuation warnings for parts of Iran’s capital, Tehran, and struck a military base in the city’s west. Shortly after that, Iranian state media - which has also been targeted by the IDF - reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had warned residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate. And after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian doubled down on claims Iran has no interest in nuclear weapons - a key part of what kicked off this latest round of fighting - US President Donald Trump has confirmed reports that Iranian officials “would like to talk” about a ceasefire. 

And what else is happening?

A bit of fallout over Australian talks, for one… Wong earlier reached out to her Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, and her Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, calling for “de-escalation and restraint”. But it didn’t go down well with Israel’s Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon… He released a statement after Wong’s call with Tehran, and although he didn’t name names, his words saying “some still urge diplomacy, as if words can stop warheads” have been taken as a barb towards her. The Coalition agrees - Dave Sharma, the Chair of the Senate's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, said Israel and Iran don't have a great track record on diplomacy, so he doesn't see "much prospect for dialogue". Expect more to come today…

Sweet dreams are made of this

Sleep is the best, right? If you’re tossing and turning over picking a new mattress, Sleep Republic is a top choice for comfort and support. Recommended by CHOICE and backed by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, their award-winning 'mattress-in-a-box' is all about comfort. Experience the Sleep Republic difference with a 100-night trial, and get ready to dream.

Squiz the Rest

Lots to talk about at the G7

The summit is underway in Canada, with the country’s PM Mark Carney meeting each leader in front of cameras before heading indoors for a fairly high-stakes chat. G7 stands for “Group of 7”, which is made up of, deep breath… the UK, France, Italy, Canada, the US, Germany and Japan, with the European Union as a bonus member. You used to need a deeper breath… It was the G8 before Russia was turfed out in 2014 over its attempt to annex Crimea. But it will still be front and centre; given the country's ongoing war with Ukraine and what's happening in the Middle East, global security will be a hot topic. Our PM Anthony Albanese is in town too, and he's locked in a chat with Trump which is due to take place overnight or tomorrow morning, speaking of hot topics…

An arrest is made in Minnesota

After a 2-day search, the FBI and local police have made an arrest after the shootings of 2 Democratic politicians and their spouses in Minnesota. Vance Boelter - who had earlier been named as the primary suspect - was taken into custody Sunday evening local time, after Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed and John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot - but survived. The FBI says they eventually found 57yo Boelter in a field outside the city of Minneapolis after the “largest manhunt in the state’s history”. He appeared in court this morning and has been charged with 6 offences including first-degree murder and stalking - the maximum sentence in Minnesota is life in prison without parole. 

A major deal is in the works for Santos…

The Aussie oil company is at the centre of what could be the biggest ever cash deal for an energy company, with a takeover bid of $30 billion tabled yesterday from a state-owned Abu Dhabi oil company. If you’re not full bottle on Santos, it’s an oil and gas company based in Adelaide, and since it was founded in 1954 it’s become the biggest natural gas supplier in Oz. But its takeover is far from a done deal… it would have to be ticked off by our Foreign Investment Review Board, which gives advice on such things - and then by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. That’s because such a large/valuable chunk of Australian resources in the hands of a foreign country might raise concerns… The South Oz government is wary - it says any deal must be “in the interests of South Australians” to get the green light. 

Roses are red, tomatoes are purple 

Aussie shoppers may soon be faced with a new option in the fruit ‘n’ veg section - purple tomatoes. Yep, you read right - they’re a genetically modified (GM) variety with the genes of snapdragon flowers to boost the fruit’s antioxidants - the same ones that give blueberries and eggplants their purple hue. Professor Cathie Martin developed the plant 18 years ago to enhance the humble tomato’s nutritional value, before her biotech company, Norfolk Healthy Produce, launched them in the US 2 years ago. As for Oz, farmers are keen to get planting them in south-east Queensland, but we’re pretty strict on GM products, so there are a few regulatory hoops to jump through before that happens. Also (possibly) coming to a shelf near you - orange and purple bananas. That’s b-a-n-a-n-a-s…

The Ladies’ Logies

Of the 7 nominees for the Gold Logie this year - the award for the most popular personality on Aussie telly - 6 of them are women. The ABC’s Lisa Millar, Home and Away actor Lynne McGranger, TODAY’s Ally Langdon and Masterchef presenter Poh Ling Yeow all scored a nom for the first time yesterday - joining returning nominees Sonia Kruger, Julia Morris and the lone bloke in the field, Hamish Blake. There will also be a new award at this year’s ceremony - the Ray Martin Award. Named after the 5-time Gold Logie winner and former presenter of A Current Affair and 60 Minutes, it’ll go to the most popular news or public affairs presenter in the country. Sam Pang will return as host for the third year on the trot - it all goes down in Sydney on Sunday, 3 August.

Apropos of Nothing

The UK has its first-ever female chief of MI6, the country’s foreign intelligence agency. Thirty years after Judi Dench took over the role of M in the James Bond movies, Blaise Metreweli - aka C - will take on the real-life equivalent after being the agency’s director of technology and innovation (read: the Q) until now. That’s quite the career path… 

The Tasmanian festival Dark Mofo wrapped things up on the weekend, and did so in its usual spectacular style, burning the Ogoh-Ogoh effigy. Each year, the festival picks a different shape for the effigy, and this year it’s gone for the timely form of the endangered Maugean skate.

And the animation studio Pixar has announced a brand new movie coming out in 2027 - Gatto (not that one) will be set in Venice and will tell the story of a music-loving black cat called Nero who starts having an existential crisis. So far, so Pixar… 

Squiz the Day

8.00am (AEST) - The World Bank will deliver its economic update for the 11 Pacific Island member countries - join the online seminar here

8.40am (AEST) - The Environmental Social and Governance Summit (ESG) gets underway, hosted by AFR Live - Sydney

9.00am (AEST) - Queensland Housing Minister Sam O’Connell will open the National Homelessness Conference (until 18 June) - Gold Coast

🐒 9.00am (AEST) - Dr Deus Mjungu, a director of the Gombe Stream Research Centre in Tanzania, will visit Taronga Zoo to mark 65 years since Dr Jane Goodall began her pioneering research on chimpanzees - Sydney 

12.15pm (AEST) - Australian journalist Cheng Lei who was detained by China will speak at the launch of her new book A Memoir of Freedom - Sydney

7.00pm (AEST) - The 40th Anniversary Australian tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical CATS premieres at Theatre Royal - Sydney 

8.00pm (AEST) - Hockey: Australia play England in the Women’s FIH Pro League tournament - London, UK, watch it on 7+ 

11.30pm (AEST) - Hockey: Australia v Ireland in the Men’s FIH Pro League - Antwerp, Belgium, also on 7+ 

Queensland’s Out of the Box Festival gets underway at the State Library - Brisbane

Iceland’s National Day

🥕Eat Your Vegetables Day

Birthdays for former tennis star Venus Williams (1980), rapper Kendrick Lamar (1987), and former Aussie swimmer/Olympian Stephanie Rice (1988)

Anniversary of:

  • Charles Goodyear obtaining his first rubber patent (1837)

  • The Statue of Liberty arriving in New York aboard French ship Isère (1885)

  • The last public guillotining in France (1939)

  • An ISIS-linked rebel group called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killing 41 people in a school massacre in Uganda (2023)

Wednesday
PM Anthony Albanese is set to meet with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit - Alberta, Canada