Tuesday, 3 June - We’ll be counting stars

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 3 June. In your Squiz Today…

• Ukrainian and Russian officials meet for round 2 of talks in Turkey

• Erin Patterson gives evidence in her mushroom murder trial

• And the Aussie sky puts on a show…

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said Aussie cricketer Glenn Maxwell, who yesterday announced his retirement from ODIs - that’s the 50-over version of the game. Maxwell played plenty of amazing innings, but his 2023 knock against Afghanistan put him down in cricket folklore - OK, we’ll watch it again…

A timely talk in Turkey

The Squiz

Russia and Ukraine held direct peace talks for the second time in under a month last night - and while they've agreed to swap more prisoners and casualties of war, there's still no movement on a ceasefire. The discussion in Istanbul lasted just over an hour, but neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky nor Russian President Vladimir Putin were there in person - and Ukraine says a face-to-face meeting between the 2 might be the only way their countries can reach any kind of lasting peace agreement. 

How far did they get this time?

Expectations were on the low side going in tbh... One reason was that, while Ukraine had sent their draft peace agreement in advance, Russia refused to share theirs ahead of time. But Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov says they've now got Russia’s list of demands and they'll review it over the coming days. What was achieved between the 2 sides was another prisoner swap - they'll exchange all prisoners of war that are severely injured, sick, or under the age of 25. But the 30-day full ceasefire that Ukraine and many of its Western allies are pushing for is still off the table for now. While Russia says it's looking for a more lasting agreement, Ukraine says the lack of a ceasefire so far means Putin isn't serious about peace. 

And what’s happening in the war itself?

The meeting came a day after Ukraine launched one of its most audacious attacks of the war, which it reckons took out 40 Russian bombers, about a third of Russia’s fleet. Here’s how it worked: Ukraine says it smuggled 117 first-person view (FPV) drones deep inside Russian territory, and stored them in mobile wooden houses. Once they were set, the roof of each house was opened remotely and the drones hit Russian air bases, causing billions of dollars of damage. At around the same time, Russia launched 472 drones into Ukraine - the highest number on a single day since the war began - and still controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory. As for what’s next in the peace process, Ukraine says it expects an official Russian response to its proposal by the end of the month.

Delivering in times of need

When emergencies happen, Australian Red Cross volunteers work tirelessly behind the scenes - but transportation challenges have always limited their reach. Now, Uber is changing that by providing essential rides and meals to these unsung heroes across Australia. It’s a partnership that goes beyond simple logistics - it's a force multiplier that will enable the Australian Red Cross to deliver faster, smarter emergency responses nationwide. We spoke to Emma Foley, Uber’s managing director in Australia, and Penny Harrison, deputy CEO of the Australian Red Cross, in today's Squiz Today podcast. And you can support the work of the Red Cross here.

Squiz the Rest

More grieving in the NT

The findings of Warlpiri-Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker’s 2019 shooting death in custody were due next week after the longest-running coronial inquest in the Northern Territory’s history - but they’ve been delayed again after the death of another Warlpiri man. Kumanjayi White, a 24yo with a disability, died after being restrained by plain-clothed police officers after he allegedly assaulted a security guard in an Alice Springs supermarket last week. The community in Yuendumu, where both men were from, has since entered a period of mourning. Samara Fernandez-Brown, Walker’s cousin, says the community was “looking forward to truly beginning our healing process” before White's death - and that she “can’t believe this has happened to another young Warlpiri man”. The coroner’s findings will now be handed down on 7 July.

Patterson gives evidence

In a surprise move yesterday, Erin Patterson - the Victorian woman accused of 3 murders over a beef Wellington meal containing toxic mushrooms - gave evidence for the first time in her Supreme Court trial. To recap: her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, all died. Heather’s husband Ian was the only survivor. You can dig into Patterson’s testimony here, but the 50yo - who has pleaded not guilty - spoke mostly about her relationship with her estranged husband Simon and his family. She said she had “concerns” that he didn’t want her involved with his family much anymore, but also spoke about how grateful she was for Gail’s support after the “traumatic” birth of her son in 2009. It was day 24 of her trial, and there’s been plenty happening to date. She’s expected to return to the witness box today.

Mt Etna goes off

Tourists on Italy’s Mt Etna - Europe’s largest active volcano - got more of an up-close experience than they bargained for overnight, when a sudden huge eruption sent them scurrying for safety. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said activity began in the early hours of yesterday morning local time on the Sicilian volcano, including “strombolian explosions of increasing intensity”. They include burning chunks of lava - known as “lava bombs” being spewed out, so not surprisingly, there were warnings for people to steer clear. But there were still tour groups operating when this happened… Italian authorities say all tourists are accounted for, but footage on social media shows the explosion - the first of this magnitude in more than 10 years - sending a huge cloud of ash and rock 5kms into the air as people run downhill, presumably for a stiff limoncello. 

The Tillies score a new coach

It took almost a year, but our national women’s football side has a new full-time coach: Melbourne-born Joe Montemurro. Montemurro comes to the Matildas on a 3-year deal after a career where he’s had winning seasons with powerful European clubs like Juventus and Arsenal. His most recent gig was at French club Lyon, who won a title in its first (and now only) season under his leadership. He says the Matildas are one of the “most exciting teams in the world”, and he’ll get rolling with less than a year to go until its next big challenge: the 2026 Asian Cup on Australian soil, which starts in March. Last night, he watched the Tillies play their final game under interim coach Tom Sermanni, and it was a good one - a 4-1 win over Argentina. Good luck, Joe…  

Aussie skies put on a show

When it comes to the sort of green light you want to see while waiting in Sydney traffic, a basketball-sized meteor flashing across the sky doesn’t immediately come to mind, but that’s the sight motorists were treated to on Sunday night. It was one of 2 lightshows to dazzle Aussies that night - with Tassie and South Oz residents catching the brilliant colours of an Aurora Australis. Auroras are caused when material from the sun's surface is shot out into space, causing geomagnetic storms, which emit colourful light. Over the past 2 years, there’s been a heap of Aurora action, but PSA: experts say it’s likely to decrease as we head into 2026. The best chance of spotting one is between March and September from 10pm to 2am, so set those alarms…

Apropos of Nothing

Teenage world chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju beat 34yo world #1 Magnus Carlsen for the first time yesterday in 'classical' chess. Carlsen didn't take it too well - he punched the table and stormed out. It’s usually family Monopoly that pushes our buttons…

There are few delays to public transport described as a delight - but a pod of humpback whales that brought Sydney ferries to a halt yesterday fell into that rare category… The whales frolicked in Sydney Harbour for about 5 minutes in front of thrilled passengers before making their way out to sea - that's a ticket well spent…

And Doctor Who fans are in a bit of a tizzy this week after the show’s most recent season finished on a dramatic cliffhanger involving some significant cast changes, including the return of a fan favourite. We won’t spoil it for you here, but here’s a link to all the details - click at your own risk… 

Squiz the Day

10.00am (AEST) - The Fair Work Commission will reveal the next annual pay rise that will impact 2.9 million award workers from 1 July - Melbourne

10.15am (AEST) - Mention with possible trial dates being set for Patrick Orren Stephenson, accused of murdering Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy - Melbourne

4.00pm (AEST) - The OECD Ministerial Council Meeting will be held at its headquarters in France to launch the OECD Economic Outlook, with Australia serving as one of the Vice Chairs (until 4 June) - Paris, France

AFR Live: AI Summit 2025 - Sydney

South Korea will vote in a snap presidential election to replace President Yoon Suk Yeol after he was removed from office in April - and if you want the whole backstory, we’ve got a Shortcut on that here…

ABS Data Release - Business indicators, March 2025; Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, March 2025; Government Finance Statistics, March 2025; Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, March 2025

Reconciliation Day in the ACT

Mabo Day

🚴 World Bicycle Day

World Cider Day

A birthday for retired tennis legend Rafael Nadal (1986)

Anniversary of:

• the first bikini bathing suit displayed in Paris (1946)

• Aretha Franklin’s Respect reaching #1 (1967)

• the London Bridge terror attack (2017)

• the death of ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali (2016)