Squiz Today / 20 November 2017
Squiz Today – Monday, 20 November
SQUIZ SAYINGS
"It's the secret of a happy marriage to have different interests."
Said known romantic Prince Philip. Today he and The Queen celebrate 70 years of marriage. Wonder what platinum trinket he got HRH to mark the occasion?
ARGENTINE SUB CREW STILL MISSING
THE SQUIZ
An Argentine Navy submarine and its 44 crew remain missing after four days of searching. The San Juan, a 30yo+ diesel-electric-propelled vessel and just one of three Argentine Navy subs, last made radio contact on Wednesday morning. It was patrolling 430km off the Patagonia coast and was returning to its base south of Buenos Aires when it went silent. Argentina’s Defence Ministry yesterday said it believes seven failed satellite calls were made from the sub on Saturday giving hope the crew are alive. US experts have been called in to track the calls and support from the governments of US, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil and the UK is being utilised in the search.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF FINDING THEM?
Officials are being positive, particularly after the satellite calls. It’s Navy protocol for a submarine that has lost communications to come to the surface, so that's the expectation for the San Juan. Accordingly, a big air search is taking place but conditions have been rough with strong winds and 6-metre waves making it difficult. The US is also helping out with deep-sea search equipment in case the sub is submerged. Reports say the crew have ample food and water onboard, so that’s something. The families and loved ones of the crew are waiting for news at the Buenos Aires base. Pope Francis, himself an Argentinian, sent his “fervent prayers”.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF SUBMARINES?
We get asked that all the time. Satellite images show North Korea is advanced in building a submarine capable of launching a long-range ballistic missile. Why is that important? It gives leader Kim Jong Un a “second-strike capacity” that can be deployed away from home. Let’s hope Kim has someone overseeing his nuclear strike approvals just like US President Donald Trump does. Phew!
SQUIZ THE REST
WORLD LEADERS NEWS UPDATE
MUGABE TO BE REMOVED – Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has until noon today (9pm AEDT) to resign as Zanu-PF leader or impeachment proceedings will commence. His wife Grace has also been expelled from the party. Moves are afoot to appoint former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the interim national leader. Thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets over the weekend to celebrate the end of Mugabe’s reign. Mediation, led by a Catholic priest, had started between the leader and the military. Mugabe is expected to make a public statement today.
GERRY ADAMS TO STAND DOWN AS SINN FÉIN LEADER – He’s announced he won’t contest next year’s elections. At 69yo, Adams has been at the centre of Irish politics for 50 years. While denying he was a member, he was the face of the Irish Republican Army during its campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland. About 3,600 died in The Troubles. He was recast during the 1990’s peace process and was praised for his role in bringing hardline IRA elements to the table.
HARIRI TO RETURN TO BEIRUT - Lebanon’s former PM Saad Hariri will return to Lebanon this week. He dramatically announced his resignation a couple of weeks ago from Saudi Arabia saying he feared for his safety in Lebanon. Since then, there have been rumours he was being held in Saudi against his will. Hariri and family made it to France on the weekend and met with President Emmanuel Macron, who has offered to act as a broker in the crisis. Hariri says he will explain his situation once he is back in Beirut.
BANKING ON A WEEK OF ARGY-BARGY
Talk of a Royal Commission into the big banks is back on the agenda. The current turmoil created by the citizenship cluster disaster has made it a possibility with the Turnbull Government probably short of the numbers to prevent it. Nationals Barry O’Sullivan and George Christensen are agitating for it and reports this morning say the banks have lawyered up. Parliament doesn’t sit again until next week so expect a bit of jostling on it this week.
OZ MAINTAINS ITS TOP TEN ‘NATIONAL BRAND’
Australia has maintained 9th place on a prestigious Nation Brands Index in a big year that saw Germany knock the US from top place to 6th (which the authors say is purely down to Trump's leadership) and France jumping from 5th to 2nd place. The index takes into account a number of reputation measures including culture, governance, immigration and exports.
GLITTER – THE LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT
Just as the nation’s wedding planners placed their bulk orders following last week’s same-sex marriage vote, glitter could be on its way to being banned. Concerns have been raised in the UK about the damage glitter can do to the water system given it’s a micro-plastic that’s difficult to remove from the environment. One large childcare provider has banned glitter from their centres and now the issue has gained international attention. There's no word yet on where our policy-makers stand on the issue.
MIXED SUCCESS FOR THE AUSSIES
Australia’s brilliant women’s cricket side has retained the Ashes after winning their Twenty20 match in Sydney on Friday night. Organisers say the series, which isn't over yet, has been a huge success made even sweeter by the Aussie win.
It wasn’t such a sweet weekend for the Wallabies, however. They suffered a 30-6 loss against the English making it the fifth successive defeat against the Poms. Coach Michael Cheika was not happy…
TWO AUSSIE LEGENDS TAKEN TOO SOON
Malcolm Young – The guitarist and co-founder of AC/DC died on Saturday at just 64yo. He had been suffering from dementia. Malcolm and band member/brother Angus Young were Acca-Dacca’s driving creative force. They were also brothers of George Young, a member of the iconic Easybeats, who died just a few weeks ago. This from Rolling Stone mag; “As rhythm guitarist for the legendary rock band, Malcolm Young served as an indispensable foil to Angus Young's arena-stuffing riffs.” It’s an incredible legacy he leaves.
Gillian Rolton – She was the first Aussie woman to win an Olympic equestrian eventing medal (you know, where they do dressage, cross-country and showjumping) – and it was a gold in Barcelona, no less. But it was at the 1996 Atlanta Games when she wrote herself into Olympic folklore. Rolton fell during the cross-country, got back on, fell again at the next jump into the water, got back on again and finished the course with a broken collarbone and ribs. That effort earned her a second gold medal. Rolton, just 61yo, had been fighting endometrial cancer. Her family has been offered a state funeral.
AND AFTER ALL THAT HEAVY NEWS...
One glittering celebration that won’t need the embellishment - Frances Abbott and former Olympic rower Sam Weir are engaged after meeting a just a couple of weeks ago. They say that when you know, you know.
SQUIZ THE DAY
8.00pm (AEDT) - ABC TV's Australian Story - Don Damond, fiance of Australian woman Justin Ruszczyk who was allegedly killed by a police officer in Minneapolis earlier this year, is interviewed for the first time
Annual General Meeting - Ardent Leisure
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