Wednesday, 5 February - Baby you can drive my car

February 05, 2025

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, 5 February. In your Squiz Today…

  • Netanyahu visits Trump in the White House

  • Far North Queensland faces a huge clean up

  • And the model train set to beat all others… 🚂

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“People will probably be taking pictures with it, people will probably get around it.”

Said a staff member of Melbourne nightclub Studio 185 after ‘Pam the Bird’ graffiti was painted on its wall - despite the fact original culprit Jack Gibson-Burrell is in police custody - leading to theories the style is taking off among copycats and tribute artists.

More truce talks

The Squiz

US President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu have a big meeting in their diaries today… Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to visit Trump in his second term in the White House, and reports say he’s there to discuss phase 2 of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The first 6-week phase - which was spearheaded by former US President Joe Biden - is almost halfway done, and talks have begun between Hamas and international mediators for phase 2, but the details still need to be hashed out…

What else will they discuss?

[Insert shrugging emoji]. Netanyahu and Trump have pencilled in a press conference after their pow-wow, so stay tuned… What we do know is that Biden’s plan for phase 2 involved the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. Israel estimates nearly 80 hostages are still being held, but only 45 of them are alive. In exchange, Israel would continue releasing more Palestinian prisoners - although a number was never specified - and its military would withdraw fully from Gaza, which Biden called “a permanent end to the war”. TBC if that happens… The ceasefire to date has been rocky, with Israel and Hamas still at odds - so it remains to be seen if Trump can smooth things over…

Anything else to know?

When it comes to US politics, there’s plenty… Of particular note to us here in Oz is that Defence Minister Richard Marles has locked in a visit to Washington next week. He’ll meet with his US counterpart - the newly-minted Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth - to talk (you guessed it…) defence. They’ve already had a phone call last week - touching on the AUKUS defence pact and security in the Indo-Pacific region - and reports say they’ll get into that in more detail. As for the US Commander-in-Chief, he’s busy with his crackdown on government agencies, his deportation plan, and international tariff negotiations. He hit pause on a couple of those tariffs yesterday, but China has come out swinging. It’s all happening…

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Squiz the Rest

Facing a big mop-up

Thousands of residents in flood-affected parts of Far North Queensland have begun to return home after the waters peaked yesterday. Given the scale of the flooding, they’re not going it alone - extra rescue crews have touched down in Townsville to help with the clean-up efforts. It’s a different story in Ingham, where floodwaters claimed a second life. The town is cut off due to damage to a crucial bridge along the Bruce Highway. Reports say hundreds of homes are submerged, with locals getting around in tinnies and rationing food. Ingham is Premier David Crisafulli’s hometown - he says the “devastation is quite frankly incredible”. And it’s not over yet - the BOM says more rain is on the way…

A ride to the exit

The NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen has quit after using a government driver to take her and some friends on a 13-hour round trip to a Hunter Valley winery. If you haven't seen this, Haylen's been under media pressure since the 445km journey over the Oz Day long weekend came to light. While NSW Premier Chris Minns said on Monday he wouldn't sack Haylen despite the "major error", she made the call for him yesterday after some more trips she'd taken raised questions in the media. Haylen said she didn’t break any rules and that most of the trips were work-related, but she had “let the public down” regardless. While she’s no longer a Minister, she is sticking around in the NSW parliament.

Bad air in the crosshairs

Researchers reckon air pollution - more so than tobacco - might be responsible for an increase in lung cancer in people who have never touched a ciggie. Lung cancer causes the most deaths of any cancer, and it's one specific type - called adenocarcinoma - that researchers identified in the Lancet medical journal because it's responsible for up to 70% of cases of the disease in people who don't touch tobacco. Of those who had it, nearly 200,000 had been exposed to high air pollution - and that's causing some concern amongst the medicos. With tobacco use going down, scientists say they need more info, and studies into air pollution are a must to confirm their suspicions. 

It Ends With Us in court

It was lawyers at 10 paces as the battle between the 2 Hollywood stars kicked off with a pre-trial hearing in New York. To catch you up, Blake Lively - she of Gossip Girl - and Justin Baldoni - he of Jane the Virgin - were both in the film It Ends With Us last year, which was a financial hit but a disaster behind the scenes, with accusations of sexual harassment, smear campaigns and creative differences making headlines ever since. The actors themselves weren’t there, but their legal teams didn’t hold back, accusing each other of playing things out in the media. While the judge didn’t officially gag them, he did warn he’d speed things up if they couldn’t keep their noggins out of the news.

If you'd like a bit more background on Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and the whole It Ends With Us saga, we've got a Shortcut for that…

Talk about a one-track mind

If you’ve ever lost your patience after an hour of putting together Ikea furniture, spare a thought for this Long Island model train club, which has spent a year building a 600 square metre display open to the locals this weekend. And we haven't even told you the best parts yet - first, they're called the Train Masters of Babylon… And second, part of the display is the same set that pops up in The Sopranos’ final season - it’s a spoiler to say how, but it’s The Sopranos, and there’s blood on it, so… The 70-person team worked multiple days a week to make the display, which includes a fully operational mini subway system. They aren’t charging a cent, either - those are some model citizens…

Apropos of Nothing

That sound you can hear is millions of 90s kids crying with joy, as a reboot of TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in the works, with star Sarah Michelle Gellar and executive producer Dolly Parton - yep, that one - returning. Hopefully it doesn’t suck…

She’s baaa-aack… Manchester City star Mary Fowler returns to the 23-woman Matildas squad for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup. Fowler took a break from international football late last year but has been in great form for City - fingers crossed she can back that up in the green and gold…

Yesterday it was stags - today we’re all about the huskies in the Sedivackuv long sled race near the Czech-Polish border. This is where 700 dogs and 100 mushers compete over 4 days, camping in freezing temps using supplies they have to bring along themselves, which is a bit ruff - but the pics are great…

Squiz the Day

7.15am (AEDT) - PM Anthony Albanese and Coalition leader Peter Dutton are on co-hosting duties at the UN Women Australia’s Annual Parliamentary Breakfast - Canberra

8.00am (AEDT) - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet with Donald Trump at the White House before holding a joint press conference - Washington DC

10.15am (AEDT) - ABC Managing director David Anderson is due to give evidence in the unfair dismissal case journalist Antoinette Lattouf has brought against Aunty - Sydney

11.30am (AEDT) - Independent MP Zoe Daniel will speak at the National Press Club on Australian Politics: The future in independence - Canberra 

5.00pm (AEDT) - Trade Minister Don Farrell will launch the inaugural National Wine Festival - Canberra

5.30pm (AEDT) - Hockey: the Kookaburras and the Hockeyroos take on Spain in their first Pro League matches - Sydney Olympic Park, and broadcast on 7Plus

ABS Data Release - Selected Living Cost Indexes, Dec

WA schoolkids return for Term 1

National Weatherperson’s Day

International Girls and Women in Sports Day

Birthdays for Michael Sheen (1969), Mary Crown Queen of Denmark (1972) and Cristiano Ronaldo (1985)

Anniversary of:

  • the discovery of the world's largest alluvial gold nugget - the Welcome Stranger weighing 97.14kg - in Moliagul, Australia (1869)

  • the US Senate acquitting US President Donald Trump of charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress (2020)

  • the launch of family fight starter boardgame Monopoly (1935)

  • HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin arriving in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) (1836)