Squiz Today – Thursday, 17 November

THE SQUIZ
Investigations continue after a missile landed in Poland, killing 2 people across the border from Ukraine. Who fired the missile and where it came from hasn’t been confirmed, but Jens Stoltenberg, the boss of NATO (aka the mega political and military alliance of 30 countries in Europe and North America), says it was “likely” caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile. He says Russia is still “ultimately responsible” because it was a “direct result” of the ongoing war. For their part, Russian officials have strongly denied involvement in the blast. Poland’s PM Mateusz Morawiecki says they are not expecting any more missiles. 

WHAT’S THE RESPONSE FROM BALI?
As the big-name world leaders were wrapping up the G20 summit yesterday, they made a declaration condemning Russia’s aggression in the “strongest terms”. US President Joe Biden was an early one to call for calm, saying it was “unlikely” the missile was fired from Russia due to its trajectory. An emergency meeting of G7 nations – the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK – was quickly arranged. They condemned the “barbaric missile attacks” on Ukraine and offered their “full support” for Poland’s investigation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke out more strongly, calling the situation “a very significant escalation” and says he has “no doubt” the rocket wasn’t Ukrainian. Aussie PM Anthony Albanese used his G20 platform to criticise the Russian Government’s “reckless and dangerous use of force”, which he says could destabilise the whole of Eastern Europe. 

SO WHERE IS THIS GOING?
At first, there were concerns that the explosion could escalate the Ukraine conflict because, as a member of NATO, Poland could call upon the alliance to protect its territory. But PM Morawiecki now says they may not need to invoke the treaty, which allows members to call for urgent consultations whenever the “security of any of the parties is threatened”. He is also not talking about invoking Article 5, which allows for a military response if a member country is attacked. Watch this space… 

Trump’s taking another run at it

It was long anticipated, and now it’s official: Donald Trump has thrown his hat in the ring as a contender to be the Republican candidate in the 2024 US presidential election. He filed the paperwork yesterday before delivering a lengthy speech from his Florida home. He touched on many topics, but the crux of his pitch is “America’s comeback starts now”. Sure, Trump was impeached twice while president between 2017-21. And yes, he’s currently involved in several criminal investigations linked to his time in office. But his unprecedented 3rd presidential run could lead to another Trump v Biden showdown in 2024. His likely competition is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a former Trump ally who now wants the top job for himself. Republicans – several of whom blame Trump for their worse-than-expected midterm election results – are divided over who they want as their leader… Asked if he had any reaction to Trump’s announcement, President Biden said: “No, not really.”

More unseasonal weather as NSW floods turn deadly

A body believed to be that of a missing 60yo woman was found in floodwaters in Eugowra in NSW’s Central West town, police confirmed yesterday. Authorities are also concerned for the wellbeing of a missing 85yo resident. In nearby Forbes, floodwaters are expected to peak today at 10.8 metres – which would be the highest level in 70 years. And residents of Hay in the western Riverina region are also bracing for floodwaters after nearby villages were cut off yesterday. Many Aussies who have driven to Adelaide will know the Hay Plains are famously flat and have now been likened to a sea. More than a dozen flood and evacuation warnings are in place across the state. Elsewhere in Oz, a cold snap has hit the east coast, with snow falling in Tassie and the ACT and Sydney being hit by a hail storm. Who would have thought that summer is 2 weeks away…

Deliveroo hops out of Oz

Food delivery company Deliveroo said it is leaving Oz immediately after it entered voluntary administration yesterday. The UK-based firm has operated here since 2015 – and started out a year ahead of current market leader Uber Eats. Since then, it’s fallen into 4th place in a crowded market, including Menulog and Doordash. Deliveroo says it made the “difficult” decision after concluding that improving its position in the market would require “a disproportionate level of investment which would have highly uncertain returns”. The company added its 15,000 local delivery riders, and “certain restaurant partners” will be offered compensation. Ours isn’t the first market Deliveroo has exited thanks to growing competition – the platform left Germany in 2019 and Spain and the Netherlands this year. 

Wage hikes lag behind inflation

Wages have grown at their fastest rate since 2012, jumping 3.1% between July-September – but the latest Bureau of Stats data shows it fell short of the 7.3% inflation rate during the same quarter. That means real wages continue to go backwards… Private sector industries, including retail, construction and real estate, led the charge as the scramble for workers bit employers, and workers on minimum wages got a mandatory pay bump that kicked in during July. And in a new report yesterday, the International Monetary Fund urged the Reserve Bank to keep lifting interest rates to bring down inflation and said it’s likely Oz will avoid a recession. So with a bit more money in pay packets and some pep in macroeconomic steps, expect the designer handbags and champagne to flow… The luxury brands say they’ve seen an “unprecedented increase” in profits in 2021. Hey, big spenders…

Queen Bey reigns supreme at the Grammys

The 2023 Grammys nominations are in, and front of the pack (as always…) is Beyoncé, who received a massive 9 nods. Her hit song Break My Soul is up for song and record of the year. It takes her lifetime noms total to 88, tying her with hubby Jay-Z as the most nominated artists ever. Kendrick Lamar is also riding high with 8 nominations, while Adele picked up 7 and fellow Brit Harry Styles scored 6. Not everyone’s happy, though… Nicki Minaj (who won big at the MTV EMAs this week) was snubbed entirely after protesting against her hit Super Freaky Girl being moved from rap to pop. And the woman who seems to win everything – aka Taylor Swift – only got one nod for her song All Too Well – her latest album Midnights came out too late to be considered. She’ll have to console herself with her legions of loyal Swifties who have broken the Ticketmaster website…

“We rise together, back to the moon and beyond” were the words of a NASA controller as Artemis 1 finally blasted off on its long-delayed 25-day uncrewed mission to the moon… The most powerful rocket ever assembled is testing some new systems that it’s hoped will eventually take humans to Mars.

In 2018, actor/producer Mark Wahlberg revealed that his rise and shine time was 2.30am to fit in prayer and a long workout before starting his day. But he’s mellowed since then – he’s now up between 3.30-4am… More sleep and 18 hours of fasting have worked great, he says. You read that right… 

Travel is definitely back on the agenda for many, and Lonely Planet has released its annual ‘best in travel’ list. Split into the categories of eat, learn, journey, unwind and connect – Sydney has been named a place to connect, and Western Australia is a journey. Seems right… 

12.30pm (AEDT) – Retired US Army Major General John Davis delivers an address to the National Press Club titled ‘Russia & Ukraine: Lessons Learned for Future (Cyber) Warfare’ – Canberra

1.00pm (AEDT) – State memorial service held for former cabinet minister Peter Reith – Melbourne

11.30pm (AEDT) – Verdict due into MH17 inquiry – The Hague

APEC Ministerial Meeting – Bangkok

ABS Data Release – Labour Force, October

International Students’ Day

World Prematurity Day

World Pancreatic Cancer Day

The Australian Writers’ Guild industry awards – Sydney

Birthdays for director Martin Scorsese (1942) and actor Danny Devito (1944), drag queen and TV personality RuPaul (1960), singer Kate Ceberano (1966) and actor Rachel McAdams (1978)

Anniversary of:
• Elizabeth I ascending the throne at 25yo following the death of her half-sister Mary (1558)
• the opening of the Suez Canal, linking the Mediterranean and Red seas (1869)
• the anniversary of the first ship sailing through the Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans (1913)
• Douglas Engelbart receiving a patent for the first computer mouse (1970)
• the premiere of the film Twilight (2008)