Wednesday, 8 April - How do I say goodbye

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, 8 April. In your Squiz Today…

• Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has been arrested and charged with war crimes - murder

• Trump threatens Iran with destruction as his deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches

• And some TikTok users are grieving (checks notes) the dinosaurs…

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Squiz Sayings

Said McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski, explaining how his kids broke the news that his online taste test of the chain’s new Big Arch burger was in fact, buns… He still viewed it as a win though, because one way or another Maccas was on everyone’s lips…

From war hero to alleged war criminal

The Squiz

After a 5-year investigation, former Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, was arrested and charged yesterday with 5 counts of the war crime of murder, allegedly committed during his military service in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2012. The 47yo former Special Air Service soldier - who has always maintained his innocence - was taken into custody in front of passengers at Sydney’s domestic airport around 11am after getting off a flight from Brisbane. He was charged in the afternoon, and he spent last night in Silverwater jail. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says the charges against him were the result of a “complex” investigation, and they related to the alleged murder of unarmed Afghan nationals who “were not taking part in hostilities at the time”. 

Remind me about Ben Roberts-Smith…

He’s our most decorated living soldier - in 2011 he was presented with the Victoria Cross for Australia, our highest military honour, for his actions taking on Taliban machine gunners during the 2010 Battle of Tizak in Afghanistan. He’s also received the Medal for Gallantry and a commendation for distinguished service, but in 2017/2018 reports by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age brought allegations to light (paywall) that he was involved in unlawful killings of Afghan civilians and bullying within his unit. Roberts-Smith sued for defamation, but the claims were found to be substantially true. While those were civil proceedings (where the standard of proof is lower), this is the first time he’s faced criminal charges over the allegations.

What exactly is he accused of?

The AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator - an independent body set up to look into allegations of criminal conduct by ADF personnel in Afghanistan - have been investigating Roberts-Smith since 2021. You can read more about the crimes he’s accused of here - all of which carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Since the allegations first surfaced, there have been calls for Roberts-Smith’s military honours to be stripped, but PM Anthony Albanese refused to comment on that yesterday, saying he didn’t want to prejudice an upcoming court case. Coalition leader Angus Taylor wouldn’t be drawn on the charges either, but he said the case “should not detract from the respect we show for our special forces in this country”. As for what’s next, Roberts-Smith will face court today, where he’ll possibly apply for bail, so keep an ear out for the outcome…

The potential is real

AI is already making a difference in healthcare, especially in remote parts of Australia, where access to services can be limited. In Western Oz an AI-powered retinal scanner is helping detect eye disease early, while other tools are helping to diagnose heart conditions. But new research shows that without clear rules, trust in AI drops and support shifts towards stricter regulation, which risks slowing down the benefits. That's why Minderoo wants to get the balance right early, protecting people while allowing innovation to continue You can find out more here.

Squiz the Rest

Time’s ticking on Trump’s ultimatum

That’d be US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz - it expires at 10am (AEST) today and there’s been little sign that the 2 sides are any closer to a deal… Trump has threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran if the deadline passes and there’s no movement, saying this morning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”. That language has alarmed critics even more than they already were - some politicians have called for Trump’s immediate removal from office (but with his Republican party in power across the US Congress, that’s unlikely…). Iran’s United Nations envoy Amir-Saeid Iravani said Trump is threatening war crimes - and if he follows through, Iran will “take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures”.

Far North Queensland braces for more

It’s been less than a month since Tropical Cyclone Narelle tore across the Top End of Oz, and now forecasters are keeping an eye on another cyclone that’s formed off the coast of FNQ. This one’s named Tropical Cyclone Maila - as of last night, it’s a category 4 storm that’s been moving slowly over the Solomon Sea between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. But it’s about to get real for FNQ again, with forecasters predicting TC Maila will turn south-west today and begin barrelling towards the coast. The Bureau of Meteorology’s Helen Reid says it’s likely to make landfall in Cape York on the weekend in the same area battered by TC Narelle on 20 March - and she reckons it could keep strengthening as “there’s still plenty of energy in that warm water”.

Kanye West won’t go to the UK

The US rapper has now been officially blocked from entering the country, meaning his planned headlining of a UK music festival won’t go ahead. As we mentioned yesterday, West - who now goes by just Ye - was set to headline the Wireless Festival in the UK, which attracted criticism due to his history of antisemitic comments. Major sponsors of the festival have since pulled out, and after West’s travel authorisation was knocked back, the festival has now been cancelled. Phil Rosenberg, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the decision was the right one and “music festivals should be places where all communities feel welcome.” Organisers are now working on getting refunds to everyone who bought a ticket…

I would fly you to the moon and back

They’ve only gone and bloody done it - the crew of the Artemis II completed their 7-hour flyby of the moon yesterday morning, and are now on their way back to Earth. The crew - which includes 3 Americans and 1 Canadian - has given observers plenty of touching moments, including their decision to name a crater after Carroll, the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman. And there have been a few funny ones too, like this clip of them doing a sitcom-style credits video. They’re expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, at which point NASA will start gearing up for Artemis III - that’s the one where they’ll walk on the moon again…
*Keen to know more about the Artemis space program? We’ve got just the Shortcut for you…

Mourning glory

If you’ve ever been late to a funeral, spare a thought for a bunch of TikTokers who are just now grieving the dinosaurs - about 65 million years after their extinction. A recent online trend has involved dino-fans posting sombre videos of animated dinosaurs online, and waxing lyrical about their fate - with lines like “the world was supposed to be theirs” and “we found them and we love them with everything we have”. This newfound grief for the ancient creatures has seemingly been sparked by a Netflix docuseries released last month, narrated by Morgan Freeman. We suppose if any voice was going to spark a new generation to fall in love with dinosaurs, it was going to be him…

Apropos of Nothing

Some researchers at Adelaide Uni are getting in on the space act - they’ll be sending living cancer cells aboard a rocket to see how they react without the influence of gravity. It’s no 10-day Artemis II mission though - the whole thing will take 10-12 minutes… 

It’s been 50 years since the US action series Charlie’s Angels premiered on TV, and 3 of its stars - Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd - caught up yesterday to reminisce about the show, their late co-star Farrah Fawcett, and some of their favourite outfits… 

Testing the world’s most painful animal stings sounds like about the worst gig we can think of, but some brave people do take on the challenge… You can read their rankings of the worst of the worst here - including the ones even they don’t dare to try…

Squiz the Day

8.30am (AEST) - Protest groups Students for Palestine and Justice for Palestine will hold a free speech protest outside Brisbane Magistrate’s Court, ahead of a court appearance for a man arrested and charged with “prohibited expression” at a pro-Palestine rally in March - Brisbane

10:00am (AEST) - An emergency hearing will begin at the Fair Work Commission over the fuel crisis and its impact on road transport businesses and workers - Sydney

10.00am (AEST) - US President Donald Trump's deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz 

12.30pm (AEST) - Leader of the Nationals Matt Canavan will address the National Press Club - Canberra

2.00pm (AEST) - Committal mention for Bondi Beach terror accused Naveed Akram, Downing Centre Local Court - Sydney 

2.00pm (AEST) - Shortlist for the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards is to be announced 

ABS data release: Building activity, December 2025

🐘 Zoo lovers day 

National Library Workers Day (USA) 

Birthdays for actors Robin Wright (1966) and Patricia Arquette (1968)

Anniversary of:

• the discovery of the Venus de Milo on the Aegean island of Milos (1820)

• a new socialist constitution for East Germany taking effect (1968)

• the deaths of artist Pablo Picasso (1973) and former British PM Margaret Thatcher (2013)