Squiz Today – Friday, 8 October

THE SQUIZ
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold their first formal talks before the end of the year. The summit won’t be in person – the leaders of the world’s 2 largest economies will do it via a secure video call. Xi has not left China in nearly 2 years and will not make in-person appearances at the G20 leaders’ summit in Rome at the end of this month or at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in early November. The relationship between the nations is at its lowest point in decades, experts say. But during a call last month –  the pair’s second conversation since Biden was inaugurated – they agreed that there was too little communication between their governments.

SO THINGS ARE BACK ON TRACK?
Whoa, Nelly… There’s a reason the nations hit the skids big time when former President Donald Trump was in office. And Biden lined up with him on a lot of those issues, so many remain unresolved. As the White House said yesterday, its list of things to address with China includes “human rights, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, the South China Sea, and Taiwan.” For China’s part, it sees itself as an equal of the US and does not appreciate being told how to manage its affairs. Note: Taiwan is a major focus at the moment – and not just because former PM Tony Abbott is there and speaking in support of the breakaway Chinese territory. There are growing concerns that China could use force to achieve unification as Taiwan’s government edges towards a formal declaration of independence.

I’M HEARING PROBLEMS, NOT SOLUTIONS…
Soz but there’s been no end to the tension caused by China’s rise. And it’s changed the dynamic in our Indo-Pacific region dramatically. The US, Australia, and the UK’s answer is AUKUS, which defence analysts say is a huge strategic move. And the reason why the new deal to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Oz is such a big deal is that they are “capable of popping up anywhere along the Chinese coast or running through disputed areas of the South China Sea.” No doubt it’s something our government will talk through with the returning French Ambassador… With all of that baggage, advisers will need to work hard to formulate some icebreakers for Biden and Xi to kick things off when they finally meet in the coming weeks.

That’s a lot of injections…

Thirty million doses of COVID vaccine will have been administered to Aussies by the end of the week, PM Scott Morrison said yesterday. With significant progress on the vaccination front, he praised Aussies and said NSW’s emergence from lockdown should be “a sign of hope” to the rest of the country. As restrictions ease and the risk of hospitalisations fall as more people get vaccinated, he warned COVID-avoiding states and territories to “prepare” their health systems for the Delta strain. This is aimed at Queensland’s Olympics Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk’s call for more hospital funding to deal with the cases that will result from open borders. “We’re not going to respond to shakedowns in a pandemic,” Morrison said in response.

Prince Andrew to review Epstein settlement

The royal’s lawyers have had a win – they will be allowed to review a 2009 agreement between late billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein and his accuser Virginia Giuffre. The document is important to Prince Andrew’s defence against Giuffre’s claims that he sexually assaulted her on 3 occasions while underage. The 61yo has “categorically” denied the allegations, though he was initially tricky for Guiffre’s lawyers to get in touch with… Andrew’s lawyers argue that Giuffre signed away her right to sue anyone connected to Epstein in the settlement with the billionaire, who died in prison in 2019. But until now, the specific wording of the agreement has been kept confidential and sealed by the court. Giuffre’s lawyers believe it will be “irrelevant” to the civil case but say Andrew’s team has a right to review the document and argue their case. 

Nutting out food bans

It’s time to put away the mung bean butter… In a world-first move, new Aussie guidelines recommend that blanket bans on problematic foods from schools and childcare centres be replaced by other measures. With food allergies affecting one in 20 Aussie school kids, the National Allergy Strategy has emerged from a 2-year effort between health experts, teaching staff, parents and guardians. The guidelines recommend that instead of blanket bans, there should be education about allergies and strategies to reduce the risk of life-threatening reactions. That could be achieved by things like having special zones where certain foods are eaten. Allergy specialist Dr Preeti Joshi said the guidelines are a national guide to managing allergies – which is a bit of a “grey area”.

You can’t flush this

COVID can take credit for many things, and the rush on toilet paper should have been a hint. And sorry if you’re circa brekkie time, but there’s a rise in fatbergs – the outrageously gross sewage blockers. With many of us spending more time at home, authorities report a spike in drain blockages caused by wet wipes, nappies, sanitary products clumping together with oils, grease and fats. During Sydney’s soon-to-end lockdown, crews have had to fix more than 7,000 blockages in the system, with people flushing items including jewellery, watches, money and even a brick down the toilet. That’s why Sydney Water has launched an ad campaign reminding people that it’s just the 3 p’s when using the toot – paper, pee and poo. A brick, for goodness sake…

Confession time: we were a bit excited that the new season of Grantchester popped up on ABC last Saturday night. A British police/clerical sleuth drama set in the 1950s, we’ve watched all 5 seasons during the pandemic. The first 2 seasons are on Binge.

Now that warm days are here, it’s time to refresh the t-shirt pile, and this is our favourite all-rounder*. The fabric’s good, it washes well, and while there’s room and length, it doesn’t swamp you. You’re welcome…

We’re really into DIY flatbreads/pizza ATM, and this delighted last weekend. French and seemingly fancy, it’s totes easy. And who doesn’t like serving up something that looks hard but isn’t?

*If you buy using this link, The Squiz might get a little commission.

This morning – Former PM Tony Abbott delivers a keynote speech at the Yushan forum – an Asian regional dialogue conference organised by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation – Taiwan

8.00pm (AEDT) – Nobel Peace Prize announced

ABS Data Release – Building Approvals, August (Additional Information)

Independence day in Croatia

World Octopus Day

World Egg Day

Birthdays for Paul Hogan (1939), Matt Damon (1970) and Bruno Mars (1980)

Anniversary of:
• the deadliest ever wildfire that claimed more than 1,200 lives in Peshtigo, Wisconsin (1871)
• the Second Opium War begins pitting the British and French Empires against the Qing dynasty of China (1856)
• the patenting of the microwave oven (1945)
• the release of John Lennon’s mega-hit Imagine (1971)