Tuesday, 25 February - You're my best friend

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 25 February. In your Squiz Today…

• A rough day for WiseTech

• The conservatives have a win in Germany

• And war honours for our 4-legged heroes…🎖️

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Said actor Jane Fonda after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's SAGs. She told the room she'd made one of her most successful movies in her 80s and would probably be doing her own action stunts in her 90s…

Chaos at the top of WiseTech

The Squiz

Aussie supply chain software company WiseTech had a rough day yesterday with 4 board members, including the chairman, quitting over the ongoing presence of founder/adviser Richard White. WiseTech’s board has been investigating multiple allegations of inappropriate conduct against the billionaire/former CEO, and yesterday it said that “intractable” differences over his role led to the exodus. That development went down like a buggy systems update with a 20% fall in its share price, wiping nearly $10 billion off its value. 

Remind me what’s going on here…

This has been a bit of a saga, but here’s the short version… White founded WiseTech back in 1994 and has made a personal fortune as the company became a major success. It was last year when the trouble started - several allegations came out about his personal life, including extramarital relationships and reports of propositioning women online, which led to the nickname “the LinkedIn Lecher”. He resigned as CEO, but was given a consulting role worth $1 million a year and was cleared by a “preliminary” independent investigation. But new allegations have come out over the past fortnight, along with alarming claims about his troubled relationship with wife Zena Nasser. 

So why all the resignations?

After White was removed as the boss but not exiled completely, there has been an open question about whether there would be more scandal to come… Fast forward to now, and the new claims have put the board into a spin about how to move forward with White still involved. It's a tricky one because White owns a third of the business and is clearly the guy behind its commercial success. But reports say the board has been mulling over how much control he should continue to have, and those who thought he should have less control are heading for the exits. As for what's next, investors will have 2 things on their radar - what the investigations into White's behaviour found and the company's half-year earnings result, set to be released tomorrow. That's some timing…

A chopping board worthy of a chef’s kiss

Supper Supply is revolutionising the kitchen scene with their new chopping board, designed to be the only board you'll ever need. Great for home chefs seeking a thick and sturdy option, this board is crafted to handle all your chopping tasks with ease - and it's kind on knives, dishwasher safe, and large enough to accommodate any culinary challenge. Visit Supper Supply's website to discover this chopping board and explore its full range of innovative kitchen gear.

Squiz the Rest

Zelensky’s trade for NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he’s prepared to step down from leading his country in exchange for peace with Russia and Ukraine becoming a member of NATO. Despite being called a dictator by US President Donald Trump last week, Zelensky said he hopes to stay friendly with the US, but he pushed back on Trump’s plan for Ukraine to repay US funding by sharing its mineral wealth. Overnight, at a summit of European leaders in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Zelensky said it’s important “not to lose this unity between Europe and the United States.” That’s an issue because Vice President JD Vance and other American officials have expressed concerns about the relationship while also excluding Ukraine from talks with Russia on ending the war. 

A big night for the right in Germany

Germany's Conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union (aka the CDU, aka the party Angela Merkel used to lead), has won the lion's share of the vote in their general election, securing 28.6%, with far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) doubling its support on 4 years ago to come in second with 20.8%. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD had its worst performance in decades, holding 16.4% of the vote... CDU leader Friedrich Merz is poised to be the next chancellor, but finding coalition partners might not be easy. He’s ruled out partnering with AfD, and no other single party won enough votes to make joining forces viable on its own. AfD’s leader Alice Weidel reckons a coalition won’t happen - she says Germans will be heading back to the polls. Either way, get yourself a dunkelweizen and a Bratwurst in preparation for some talking… 

A bad breast cancer result 

If you’re a woman who has had their boobs pushed and prodded for a screen - well done because a new study that’s making headlines this morning shows Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of breast cancer in the world. The high rates of screening we have here have something to do with that - the more you look, the more you find… But along with Kiwiland, we topped the list of 185 nations reviewed because of our ageing population and high rates of comorbidities (a factor that adds to the risk) like obesity. One good thing to know - breast cancer death rates have come down over the past decade by 2.1% a year, which is nearing the 2.5% reduction set by the World Health Organization. 

A winless start for the Matildas

The Tillies fell short in their second match of the SheBelieves Cup yesterday, losing 2-1 to the US after getting belted 4-0 by Japan in the opener on Friday. The Japan game was so bad the players held a special meeting about it, and while they improved against the US, it still wasn’t enough for a win - especially after conceding the first goal in the opening 42 seconds... If you haven’t heard of the SheBelieves Cup before, it’s an annual 4-team tournament in the US aimed at inspiring young women - it was originally played by the same 4 countries every year, but it’s rotated since 2019. Australia’s last chance for a win in the tournament comes on Thursday with a game against Colombia. Fingers crossed… 

Very, very good dogs

We’re used to seeing distinguished service medals awarded to 2-legged service men and women, but for the first time, medals of valour have been bestowed on Aussie animals who’ve served in war zones or helped out in communities. The honours for the inaugural Australian Animal Distinguished Service Awards went to Manic, a Belgian Malinois "who served with distinction over several deployments", including to the Middle East, and Aslan, who was assigned to special ops in the US - and wouldn't he have some stories... The ceremony at the Australian War Memorial was part of a broader tribute to war animals known as Purple Poppy Day, and organisers, the Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation, said the medals recognised the special bond animals shared with their handlers.

Apropos of Nothing

There’s another Aussie on their way to the NBA - former Cairns Taipan, Taran Armstrong, has signed a deal with the Golden State Warriors, which is home to basketball superstar Steph Curry. Born in Burnie, Armstrong is the first-ever Tasmanian to sign an NBA deal - and hopefully not the last. 

The 50th season of the US reality show Survivor is just a year away, and host Jeff Probst has announced that they’re going to get the audience involved... Survivor: In the Hands of the Fans will feature fan voting on everything from immunity idols to where the finale takes place. That’s a brave bunch of contestants… 

And the team of Egyptologists that made the first discovery of a pharaoh’s tomb in a century last week might have done it again - they reckon they’ve found a second tomb that contains the mummified body of King Thutmose II. One was impressive, but 2 is just showing off a bit…

Squiz the Day

6.00am (AEDT) - Fruit and veg sellers at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market will strike for the first time in 147 years over construction work around the site - Melbourne

7.00am (AEDT) - Cardinals in Rome will lead prayers for Pope Francis outside St Peter’s Basilica, and they’ll continue to gather nightly until he recovers from double pneumonia - Rome

8.30am (AEDT) - British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell will deliver a keynote address at this year’s Universities Australia Solutions Summit (until 26 February) - Canberra

9.00am (AEDT) - Communications and the Arts Senate Estimates hearing, in which Creative Australia CEO Adrian Collette may appear to discuss the decision to drop next year’s Venice Biennale artist pick - Canberra

9.30am (ACDT) - A search for the remains of the missing Beaumont children will continue at a the former Castalloy factory site - Adelaide

10.00am (AEST) - The trial of Rajwinder Singh, accused of murdering Toyah Cordingley on a beach in Cairns in 2018, is set to begin - Cairns

7.20pm (AEDT) - AFL: AAMI Community Series pre-season games kick off with Geelong Cats v Essendon Bombers - Geelong, and watch all the games on Kayo (until 2 March)

Company half-year results for Nine Entertainment and Woodside Energy

Birthdays for comedian Chelsea Handler (1975), actor Rashida Jones (1976) and actor/writer Jameela Jamil (1986)

Anniversary of:

• the birthdays of painter Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841) and Beatle George Harrison (1943)

• the deaths of playwright Tennessee Williams (1983) and legendary Aussie cricketer Don Bradman (2001)