Wednesday, 29 April - Come and see the real thing

April 29, 2026

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, 29 April. In your Squiz Today…

  • A major search is underway for a missing girl in the Northern Territory

  • King Charles has just wrapped up a speech to the US Congress - you can follow that live here…

  • And the PNG Chiefs land some big names…

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“My kids think I’m a celebrity now, it’s brilliant.”

Said English geography teacher Sam, who finished sixth in the European Seagull Screeching Championship on Sunday. Competitors don’t just try and sound like gulls, though - they also dress up like them, with mixed results…

Holding out hope

The Squiz

A major search for missing 5yo Sharon Granites - who police believe was abducted in the Northern Territory - is now into its fourth day. The little girl vanished from her bed in Alice Springs’ Old Timers town camp between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Reports say she was seen holding hands late on Saturday night with 47yo Jefferson Lewis - a man released from prison 6 days earlier. The Territory’s Acting Police Commissioner Peter Malley says Lewis has also disappeared and he’s calling for anyone with information to come forward. He says officers believe Sharon is still alive and they’re treating the search as their “number one priority”.

What do police know?

Reports say Sharon was last seen when she was tucked into bed in the camp - which is around 5km south of the Alice Springs town centre - at around 11.30pm on Saturday. When her mother went to check on her later, she found the bed empty and raised the alarm with police. Acting Commissioner Malley says Lewis has “a loose connection” to Sharon’s family and “just happened to be present” in the same camp that night. He said police suspect Lewis “led the little girl away” and was “probably under the influence of alcohol” at the time. Reports say Lewis has a criminal history which includes assault and domestic violence charges, but he has no known prior offences involving children, and police aren’t sure of a motive.

Where to from here?

Dozens of police officers and volunteers have joined the search for Sharon, and Malley says specialist units including the Territory Response Group and a fugitive taskforce, have been called in to help. That includes motorbikes, horses, helicopters, and drones. Along with that, Aboriginal trackers are also lending assistance. The police’s cultural reform expert Leanne Liddle says Sharon’s mother was “distraught” and going through “every parent’s worst nightmare”. The search effort is continuing today, and Malley has reiterated calls for the public to report “any sightings” of Sharon or Lewis, and anyone with information to come forward.

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Squiz the Rest

UAExit

After nearly 60 years of membership, the United Arab Emirates has confirmed it will leave the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries as of Friday, saying it will give the country greater flexibility. OPEC is a group of 12 nations (soon to be 11) that have banded together to set production quotas and influence oil prices around the world, increasing profits for members. It includes Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, but as the group’s third-biggest producer of oil, losing the UAE is a big blow to OPEC’s influence. Given the Strait of Hormuz is still closed (and there’s no movement on a long-term peace deal in the Iran war at this point), the UAE’s exit won’t have an immediate effect on oil prices - but analysts say it could boost supply (and lower prices) once a deal does happen…

Choppy waters ahead

That’s the outlook for AUKUS, our security partnership with the UK and US, after a British parliamentary report cast doubt on the country’s ability to deliver new submarines as promised in the deal. The report says “cracks are already beginning to show when it comes to funding” and there might not be enough in the UK’s coffers for the subs while also paying for their own weapons. Another concern raised was a shortage of skilled workers/engineers to build the nuclear-powered subs, and a backlog of existing orders. As we mentioned, King Charles is in the US this week to smooth relations between the allies after rocky patches caused by tariffs and the Iran war, so expect AUKUS - and the UK’s commitment to the partnership - to surface as an issue…

Show us the money

The Albanese Government unveiled its News Bargaining Incentive yesterday, which would force Meta, Google and TikTok to pay for Australian journalism. The companies can either strike commercial deals directly with news outlets - or be forced to pay a 2.25% levy on their Aussie revenue, raising around $250 million a year to be distributed to publishers based on their journalist headcount. After the previous go at this - the News Media Bargaining Code - fizzled when Meta walked away, there’s been a lot of talk about how to make it work, particularly with AI platforms on the rise. Note: they’re not included in the NBI, but could be added down the line. Meta called it “nothing more than a digital services tax”, but Assistant Treasurer Dan Mulino said it’s needed to get news “with an Australian perspective.” Which is why we get out of bed (very early) each day…

The PNG Chiefs land some big fish

The new NRL franchise now has some big names on its books, with Alex Johnston and Jarome Luai both signing up. Current Wests Tigers co-captain Luai is expected to make things official today - and as 4-time premiership player with the Penrith Panthers, he’ll be the team’s marquee player - the one it builds its team around from here. And he’ll have some big talent with him out on the wing, with current all-time leading tryscorer Alex Johnston set to join him from the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The new Papua New Guinea franchise doesn’t enter the comp until 2028 - one year after the Perth Bears, who still haven’t announced their marquee signing. The clock's ticking…

Tay-tay says nay to AI

US singer Taylor Swift is trying to get ahead of the artificial intelligence curve, filing 3 trademarks to protect her voice and likeness in the US this week. Swift has filed an onstage photo of herself, and 2 clips of her voice as a way to protect her likeness from being imitated by AI programs. That’s been an issue for Swift recently, like in 2024 when AI social media posts falsely claimed she was endorsing US President Donald Trump - and legal experts say this is a way she could protect herself from that sort of thing. She’s not the first to do this - actor Matthew McConaughey got the ball rolling on the idea in January - but as one of the world’s most famous people, she’s the biggest so far…

Apropos of Nothing

The Guinness World Record for the longest ever tiramisu has been broken (finally), with chefs in London serving up a 440.6 metre portion of the dessert. It contained 19,000 eggs and took 5 hours to make - and no doubt a lot less to eat…

And coolest couple contenders Harry Styles and Zoë Kravitz have confirmed their engagement… Famous for their coffee walk dates over the last year, they shared the news with “a small circle of friends” after Zoë was spotted wearing this sparkler… 

And feel-good Apple TV football comedy Ted Lasso is on its way back to our screens - after a long break (Season 3 aired in 2023), Season 4 will premiere on 5 August. This one features the titular coach taking charge of a women’s side at AFC Richmond - you can watch the trailer here…

Squiz the Day

12.00 midday (AEST) - G8 Education - the largest childcare provider on the ASX - will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders - Brisbane

12.30pm (AEST) - President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Hugh de Kretser will address the National Press Club on the Australian Human Rights Assessment 2026 - Canberra

12.30pm (AEST) - Opera Australia will give a free lunchtime performance on the steps of the Regent Theatre to celebrate its 70th anniversary - Melbourne

4.00pm (AEST) -The APRA Music Awards, with INXS to receive the Ted Albert Award for outstanding service to Australian music - Sydney

ABS data release: Consumer Price Index, March 2026; Criminal courts, 2024-2025 financial year; Australia's population by country of birth, June 2025

Denim Day - A day to protest misconceptions about sexual violence

International Guide Dog Day

Birthdays for comedian Jerry Seinfeld (1954), actor Daniel Day-Lewis (1957), actor Michelle Pfeiffer (1958), and actor Uma Thurman (1970)

Anniversary of:

  • the death of Alfred Hitchcock (1980)

  • LA police officers acquitted of beating Rodney King, which led to deadly riots (1992)

  • the Chemical Weapons Convention coming into force, which outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories (1997)

  • the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton (2011)