Wednesday, 16 April - We’re halfway there

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, 16 April. In your Squiz Today…

• Russia enters the election campaign

• Trump doubles down on deportations

• And a large show of maternal instinct… 🐘

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said PM Anthony Albanese when defending an Aussie/Canadian cafe owner who’s in a spat with Canada’s food authority over importing our national spread - they say it contains vitamins that aren’t allowed. What on earth could be wrong with the vitamin B-rich dregs from beer barrels?

A nervous glance north

The Squiz

We’re now past the halfway point of the election campaign, and though yesterday started out with the 2 major party leaders talking about housing and cost of living, Russia soon became the big talking point. A report came out that the country was interested in using a military airport in Indonesia for its long-range aircraft - and both Aussie leaders drew a thick line of Texta through that idea. PM Anthony Albanese said while our officials are getting more details, “we obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region” and Coalition leader Peter Dutton said it was a “very troubling development”. 

Where did this come from?

The original report (paywall) came from a website called Janes that covers military issues - it said Indonesia had received an official request from Russia to base some of its long range aircraft in the Manuhua Air Force Base. That’s in the Biak Numfor region in West Papua - 1300 kilometres from our mainland. Russia and Indonesia have been cosying up since new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto came to power in October last year, so the news had the government chasing to verify it - but late yesterday, Deputy PM Richard Marles said he’d been told by the Indonesian Defence Minister that “reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true”.

So what happens next?

We’ll see if any more info comes out on what led to the initial report, but for now the 2 leaders will be focused on tonight’s second election debate, which will be hosted by the ABC at its new Parramatta studios in Sydney’s west. And you may well be wondering, now we’re around the halfway mark, who’s looking most likely to get the choccies come polling day. Most polls point to Labor gaining steam in recent weeks, with enough momentum to be a chance of an outright majority in the lower house, which would mean they wouldn’t need to do deals with independents and minor parties to form government. But, as is always worth remembering, polls can be wrong, and a week (or 2 and a half) is a long time in politics…

Searching high and low for childcare

If you know what we’re talking about when we say “childcare desert”, you might be one of the 25% of Aussies who are living in parts of the country where it’s impossible to secure a place… If you want to know where the major parties stand on that issue, The Parenthood’s Early Learning Scorecard sheds some light. It’s also the focus of episode 2 of At What Cost? - a podcast by The Parenthood exploring our childcare crisis and offering up solutions. You can listen here.

Squiz the Rest

Passing the buck

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, who calls himself “the world’s coolest dictator”, has visited US President Donald Trump in the White House as the 2 face questions over their handling of deportations. To recap - the US is deporting migrants suspected, but not necessarily proven, of criminal activity to El Salvador, where they’re being jailed. One controversial case involves a Maryland father who was wrongfully deported in what the Trump administration called an “administrative error”. But despite a Supreme Court order, the 2 leaders have made no moves to bring him back to the US - and Trump says he’s now looking into the legality of deporting natural US citizens convicted of violent crimes to Bukele’s country. And while that plays out, the US is facing a drop in international travellers… We’ve just notched the biggest decline in Aussie visitors to the US since the pandemic. 

Facing the music

The criminal trial for South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol has begun, with prosecutors arguing he didn’t have the legal grounds to declare martial law over the country when he made the announcement back in December. Yoon’s facing charges of leading an insurrection by making that declaration, which only lasted for about 6 hours before it was overturned but still threw the country into political turmoil. He denies any wrongdoing - he says he was protecting the country from North Korean aggression. He’s already been punished over the move, having been officially removed from office last week - and depending on how the trial pans out, he could face life imprisonment or, on the more extreme end, the death penalty.

*There’s a bit to wrap your head around with this case, so if you want to catch up on what happened, we have a Squiz Shortcut for you. You’re welcome…

The Taco Bell tolls for thee

Apologies in advance if you’re a Taco Bell lover - the local parent company of the Mexican-themed chain says it will sell or close its 27 Aussie stores because of the “challenging economic environment”, after falling sales. If you’re not up to date on your Taco Bell lore, the fast food brand has tried to break into the Australian market a couple of times - most recently in 2017, when parent company Collins Foods announced plans to open 50 stores by 2021. That hasn’t worked out, with those in the know pointing out that Guzman y Gomez has carved out the top spot for quick Mexican feeds in Oz. Collins Foods says it’ll look for a buyer this year - but if one isn’t found, it will close the doors. Time’s a taco-ing…

An Aussie basketballer hits the big time

Georgia Amoore is a 24yo from Ballarat who was drafted at pick 6 by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA. That makes her the highest Aussie pick since Liz Cambage was drafted at pick 2 all the way back in 2011 (Lauren Jackson was pick 1 in 2001). But where Cambage stood at a towering 6 foot 9, Amoore is 5 foot 6 - she says being dismissed for her height over her career so far has driven her to get better and now the rewards are flowing in. And the WNBA is having a bit of a moment - since the emergence of superstar Caitlin Clark last year, ratings and interest in the league are well up. The season tips off in mid-May - here’s some of Amoore’s highlights if you’d like to keep Georgia on your mind… 

A bit of herd community

As a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Monday, a herd of African elephants took their safety into their own trunks when they huddled together in an “alert circle” to protect their 7yo calves. In a video shared by the zoo, the 3 older female elephants surrounded the 2 youngsters - Mkhaya, a timid female, and Zuli, who was all macho as the only male in the group. The danger soon passed, and the zoo says they're all safe and accounted for. Like many other animals, elephants often sense the "first wave" of an earthquake, as experts say they can feel the ground's vibrations through their feet. Though you’d think their ears would do the job… 

Apropos of Nothing - Movie magic edition

Just in case anyone was in danger of forgetting about them, all five core cast members from The Breakfast Club have appeared together for the first time in 40 years. The teen classic was released in 1985, and the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess and the criminal reminisced at a pop culture convention about how it changed all of their lives… 

Unexpected blockbuster A Minecraft Movie has seen kids (and maybe a reluctant parent or two) turn out in their droves to see the video game adaptation, and one crowd got a nice surprise when star Jack Black turned up to (jokingly) ask them to stay quiet and reserved during the screening. Because that’s his vibe… 

And while it probably won’t do Minecraft numbers at the box office, Saltburn director Emerald Fennell’s new adaptation of Wuthering Heights starring Aussies Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi has released new behind-the-scenes photos, and they’ve got fans comparing Elordi to, ah, Joe Pesci from Home Alone, thanks to a prominent gold tooth…

Squiz the Day

11.30am (AEST) - Minister for Housing Clare O’Neil and her shadow counterpart Michael Sukkar will debate the housing crisis at the National Press Club - Canberra, and watch on ABC24

3.30pm (AEST) - A National Domestic Violence Election Forum will be hosted by No to Violence, Australia's domestic violence peak body, and attended by Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth, Liberal MP Kerryne Liddle, Independent Zoe Daniel and Greens MP Larissa Waters - Canberra 

6.30pm (AEST) - A flood recovery webinar will be hosted by AgForce Queensland for landowners needing support, with representatives from Queensland government agencies, the Royal Flying Doctors, local councils and others - online here

8.00pm (AEST) - The second election debate kicks off between PM Anthony Albanese and Coalition Leader Peter Dutton, hosted by the ABC - Sydney, and watch on ABC iView

ABS data release on Building Activity, Australia, December 2024

The winner of the Gallipoli Art Prize will be announced.

🍌 Banana Day 

Birthdays for former Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II (1940), actor Claire Foy (1984), rapper Chance the Rapper (1993), and AFL player Tayla Harris (1997)

Anniversary of:

• the birthdays of Charlie Chaplin (1889), Spike Milligan (1918), Henry Mancini (1924), and Dusty Springfield (1939)

• the Virginia Tech massacre (2007)