Wednesday, 18 December - Birds of a feather

December 18, 2024

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, 18 December. In your Squiz Today…

  • A deadly earthquake has struck Vanuatu

  • Ukraine targets a high-profile Russian general

  • And Bluey’s ready for her close-up…🌟

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“I’m calling it now, Bluey for an Oscar win.”

Said an excited fan online after the announcement that everyone’s favourite heeler, Bluey, will be made into a movie. It'll be written by series creator Joe Brumm with voices by the regulars David McCormack and Melanie Zanetti, and it's due for release in 2027. For real life, don’t even try to stop the singing in those cinema sessions…

A deadly quake in the Pacific

The Squiz

At least 6 people have died after a major earthquake hit the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu yesterday afternoon - and there are fears the death toll could rise… Locals have reported mass casualties, with medical staff saying more than 50 people were injured. And given the significant damage caused by the earthquake, it's likely to take rescue teams a while to search through debris for more injured/survivors. Our Foreign Minister Penny Wong says we're sending "immediate" assistance - including urban search and rescue teams.

What happened?

The 7.3 magnitude earthquake (the second-highest on the scale) hit about 30km west of the capital, Port Vila, just after 12.45pm yesterday. Those on the ground have described it as the strongest they’ve felt for more than 20 years. And given its proximity to the capital, that means a lot of damage… Vanuatu Business Resilience Council Chair Glen Craig says at least 10 buildings in the Port Vila area appear to have collapsed, with retail buildings close to the airport, wharf area and downtown destroyed. That includes the building housing the US, UK, French and Kiwi embassies… Landslides are also causing problems, with one blocking a route to Vanuatu’s major shipping port. But it’s been tricky to get a full picture of the scale of what’s happened because communication channels are down and power is patchy. 

Who’s coming to help?

World Vision Vanuatu's Clement Chipokolo says the severity of the damage is likely to mean more people are pulled from the debris in the coming hours, with an "active search and rescue mission" ongoing. He said medical facilities are overwhelmed with casualties already and that "we understand that Port Vila hospital is quite full … they are struggling to cope". As for international support, New Zealand's PM Christopher Luxon has said his country stands ready to help as well. Aside from the search crews we're sending today, Wong says officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are in the process of confirming if any Aussies are impacted. She’s encouraged anyone who’s worried about loved ones to contact the 24-hour Consular Assistance Line.

Squiz the Rest

Ukraine claims a big target

The country’s security service says it’s responsible for the deaths of a senior Russian general and his assistant in Moscow last night. Lt Gen Igor Kirillov and Ilya Polikarpov died as they left a residential apartment building for work when a remotely operated bomb in an electric scooter went off. Kirillov was a regular spokesperson for the Russian military and had been accused of using banned chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. He was personally sanctioned by the UK in October for using chloropicrin - a gas that causes irritation and choking to drive troops out of hiding and into danger. Reports say Russia is treating the deaths as a terrorist attack, and it denies possessing any chemical weapons. 

All eyes on Trump and Trudeau

The 2 North American leaders are in the spotlight for 2 very different reasons… In US President-elect Donald Trump’s case, a judge has rejected his attempt to dismiss his hush money felony conviction. That’s the one where he was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump hasn’t been sentenced yet - his legal team has been arguing the case should be dismissed because of presidential immunity protections. But the judge reckons that won’t fly… In Canada, PM Justin Trudeau is under pressure after Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland quit. Reports say they’d clashed over how to handle Trump’s planned tariffs on Canadian imports. Trudeau’s popularity has taken a nosedive over concerns about inflation/immigration in recent months, and political experts say Freeland’s resignation isn’t going to help…

A crackdown on protests in Victoria

Premier Jacinta Allan says the proposed laws are aimed at preventing antisemitism and other acts of extremism at protests and in society more broadly - particularly around places of worship. You can read up on them here, but the laws would see face masks/balaclavas and certain flags banned from protests, along with more safe access zones - aka areas where protests are outlawed. Side note: there are calls for similar laws to be introduced nationally… As for why, Allan pointed to the terror attack at the Adass Israel Synagogue earlier this month. She says “whoever you are, whoever you pray to, you are safe and welcome in this state”. Some Jewish groups say they’re “cautiously optimistic” about the reforms, but legal experts have warned against “kneejerk reactions”. It isn’t locked in yet - it still needs to pass through parliament.

Aunty recruits a new face

Hugh Marks, the former CEO of Nine Entertainment, has been tapped to take over the Managing Director role at our national broadcaster. He'll start his 5-year term in March, taking over from current MD David Anderson, who's leaving after 6 years at the helm. If you're not familiar with Marks, he's best known for spending 5 years in charge of Nine - during which he oversaw its $4 billion merger with Fairfax/Macquarie Media. He resigned in 2020 amid scrutiny over his relationship with a staff member - and later faced allegations of workplace misconduct at Nine under his leadership. That came up a few times yesterday, but ABC Chair Kim Williams stood by Marks, saying he’s “uniquely qualified” for the role. For Marks’ part, he says his priority for the broadcaster is all about quality over quantity…

Get ready for Popeye: Uncut 

If you’ve ever wanted to see Tintin and Popeye fight, you might get your chance next year… They’re set to enter the public domain in 2025, meaning artists and writers can use the characters without permission. Mickey Mouse had the honour last year, and Winnie the Pooh in 2022 - which led to last year’s horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (not a critical darling…). It's not an absolute free-for-all, though… Popeye didn't eat spinach to get extra buff when he was first created, so writers will need to wait to use that bit or risk getting sued. Some more classics on next year's list: Ernest Hemingway's book A Farewell to Arms and the Cole Porter song Tiptoe through the Tulips. So, if you've got a great Tintin novel in mind, get writing…

🎄Some Christmas picks…

We’re here to help this Squiz’mas with Christmas Day and gifting ideas for those you love - or maybe a cold treat just for you. Make sure you check out these hot brands:

🍷Taylors Wines - Your go-to for a crowd-pleasing drop. Their Sparkling stole the show at our Squiz event.

🍦Sundae Whipped Shower Foam - It might be the most fun you’ll have in the shower.

🥭No’sh Seltzers - These light and fruity sips are on our summer Christmas drink list. Think: refreshing with hints of summer fruits...yum.

🍻Yenda Beer - The MVP of backyard catch-ups. Their Session Ale is a standout – crisp and refreshing, it's ideal as the weather heats up.

*Our thanks go to these brands for supporting our recent event.

Apropos of Nothing

Roo-ver, our first lunar robot, is set to head to the moon to collect lunar soil samples later this decade after the ELO2 Consortium was chosen to design, build and operate it. That’s one small step for Oz…

There’s another season of highly dysfunctional resort guests on the way - the trailer for Season 3 of The White Lotus dropped yesterday. It’s set in Thailand this time, and it looks like the standard mix of wealthy people, bitter people and, maybe, criminal people…

Here’s a fun fact - the bald eagle is a national symbol of the US, but it’s not actually the country’s official bird - yet. A bill is on its way to President Biden to make things official and it might be one of the last things he does this year  - so it won’t be a soar point anymore…

Squiz the Day

9.30am (AEDT) - Alan Jones is due to appear in court over charges of alleged historical sexual offences - Sydney

9.30am (AEDT) - NAB AGM - Melbourne

10.30am (AEDT) - State funeral for tennis legend Neale Fraser - St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne

11.00am (AEDT) - Treasurer Jim Chalmers is expected to release the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) - Canberra

2024 HSC results released

ABS Data Release - Quarterly Tourism Satellite Accounts, September

Qatar’s National Day

Republic Day in Niger

A birthday for Keith Richards (1943), Steven Spielberg (1946), Brad Pitt (1963) and Billie Eilish (2001)

Anniversary of:

  • the premiere of Peter Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite in St. Petersburg, Russia (1892)

  • the premiere of Avatar (2009)

  • the US House of Representatives voting to impeach President Donald Trump (2019)