Squiz Today – Friday, 10 August

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“You are contagious.”

Said singing megastar Celine Dion of Aussie icon John Farnham – and she means it in a good way… Dion included You’re the Voice on her Australian tour song list, and on Wednesday night Farnsie joined her on stage. "I will never forget this, the thrill of a lifetime,” she said channelling everyone who’s ever dreamed of performing the 80s anthem alongside the great man.

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LOMBOK HIT AGAIN

THE SQUIZ
A third earthquake has hit Lombok, this time of 5.9-magnitude. It follows Sunday's 6.9-magnitude quake and the 6.4-magnitude quake on July 29. Reports say more people have been put at risk of death and injury, and more buildings have collapsed, but it is unclear how this latest earthquake has impacted on an already terrible situation.

WHERE WERE THINGS UP TO?
There are conflicting reports, but more than 319 died in Sunday's quake according to a top minister. And 16 died in the first quake in late July. Rescuers were still finding casualties with help from Indonesian government agencies arriving on Lombok. Thousands have been seriously injured, and 150,000 people were left homeless with reports that up to 90% of homes and buildings have been destroyed or damaged. It’s expected that yesterday’s quake has inflicted further damage on the island’s population and infrastructure.

IS AUSTRALIA HELPING?
Not at this point. Indonesia hasn’t requested our help, but PM Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop say we stand ready to assist. One Aussie aid worker yesterday explained that because the Indonesian government has not declared the earthquakes a national disaster, foreign aid is not being accepted at this point in time.

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SQUIZ THE REST

CHILDREN KILLED IN YEMEN AIRSTRIKE
A school field trip in Yemen has turned deadly when their bus was hit by a Saudi-led Coalition airstrike at a market in Dahya, Yemen killing 43 people, including 29 kids, many under 10yo. Sixty-one people were injured, and half of those were children. Coalition forces have been accused of targeting civilians in its campaign against the Houthi rebels, a claim it rejects.

TRUMP TO SLIDE DOWN RUSSIA’S POPULARITY LADDER
The US will impose wide-ranging new sanctions on Russia as punishment for its use of the nerve agent Novichok against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia back in March. While US President Donald Trump has been keen to make a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, once America agreed that Russia was responsible for the attack it was required under US law to act. Russia continues to deny it was involved in the attack on the Skripals in Salisbury, England. The attack was an assassination attempt by Russia according to the UK, US and other western countries.

FRYDENBERG TO NEG-OTIATE WITH THE STATES TODAY
See what we did there? The day you’ve been waiting for has arrived: Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is sitting down with his state and territory counterparts in Sydney to discuss the National Energy Guarantee. Team Turnbill says the NEG plan will deliver a reliable supply of electricity, meet our emissions reduction commitments and lower prices for consumers. Frydenberg wanted to secure their support today, but Labor states Victoria and Queensland have said that ain’t gonna happen. The Feds need the state and territory governments’ approval so Frydenberg will have that on his to-do list. Business figures have again urged the pollies to sign up and get on with it while GetUp’s campaign against the plan is in full swing.

OSCAR CHANGES WITH THE TIMES
Who said Hollywood dinosaurs can’t move with the times? Next year’s ceremony will be shorter at three-hours-long (this year’s broadcast came in at more than four hours…), from 2020 it will be a held a couple of weeks earlier, and in news sure to warm the cockles of many blockbusting actors' hearts, a new category will recognise achievement in popular film. High-end film aficionados were horrified. Ryan Reynolds not so much.

VALE JARROD LYLE
The Aussie pro golfer died yesterday at just 36yo from acute myeloid leukaemia. Lyle was first diagnosed and treated with cancer when he was 17yo and suffered recurrences in 2012 and 2017. Since it was made public a couple of weeks ago that Lyle was receiving palliative care, golf’s good and great came forward to talk about their regard for him. His wife Briony delivered his last message; “Thanks for your support, it meant the world. My time was short, but if I've helped people think and act on behalf of those families who suffer through cancer, hopefully it wasn't wasted."

FRIDAY LITES – THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK
Ikea opened its first store in India yesterday. We enjoyed this read about how the Swedish retailer took six years to open in one of the world’s biggest emerging markets.

There is so much to like about this story – 100 goats ran amok in Boise (the capital of Idaho) last weekend. No one knew where they came from and they seemed to think it was a progressive dinner party. Good exercise for your smile muscles.

Confession time: August is peak dry skin month for us. TMI? This guide to the best super moisturisers made us want to get all hydrated and glowy.

SQUIZ THE DAY

Friday

ABS Data Release - Lending Finance, June

Company earnings announcement - News Corp

Saturday

Start of National Science Week

Partial Solar Eclipse - visable in parts of the northern hemisphere

Actor Chris Hemsworth's birthday (1983)

Anniversary of the death of actor/comedian Robin Williams (2014)

Sunday

International Youth Day

World Elephant Day

Anniversary of the birthday of Sir Keith Murdoch, war correspondent and newspaper owner (1885)

Anniversary of the release of the IBM Personal Computer (1981)