Squiz Today – Friday, 13 September

SQUIZ SAYINGS

"There is probably more effort that has been put into this than most people would think initially."

Said marketing strategist Harrison Cox of IKEA’s Slow TV channel showing 14 days of vision from a freight ship packed with the Swedish retail giant's goods making its way to Oz. Oh, and there are people continuously reading the 2020 catalogue as the soundtrack. That's a lot of Lack tables…

---

FIRES NEAR AND FAR

THE SQUIZ
Firefighters in NSW and Queensland are bracing for a difficult weekend with temperatures and winds expected to pick up where this week’s fires wreaked havoc. NSW’s Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said they were in a "race against time to try and get as much containment as we can" around the 40-plus fires burning in the state. And in Queensland where there are still more than 70 fires burning, authorities said there is no immediate threat, but severe to extreme fire conditions could return in the coming days.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE FIRE FRONT FURTHER AFIELD?
Big forest fires are burning in Indonesia, and the smoke is so bad it's impacting the air quality in Singapore and Malaysia. The fires, suspected to have been started by farmers and palm oil companies to clear land, have been raging for weeks in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Malaysian authorities distributed 500,000 face masks to residents this week. More than 400 schools were closed there, as well as schools in Indonesia. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said he felt "embarrassed" by the fires, and criminal charges have been laid against 175 people, but the government this week wouldn’t accept total responsibility for the cross-border smog.

AND WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE AMAZON FIRES?
The situation is not improving… The number of fires this year has gone past 110,000 (a 45% increase on last year) burning more than 1 million hectares this year so far. Brazil's Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo yesterday told a gathering in Washington DC that there was nothing different about the Amazon fires this year adding: "there is no climate change catastrophe." Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro meanwhile has labelled as 'interference' the international outrage at the burning of the 'world's lungs'.

---

SQUIZ THE REST

---

AUSTRALIAN COUPLE DETAINED IN IRAN NAMED

The travel bloggers detained in Iran 10 weeks ago have been named - they are Perth couple Mark Firkin and Jolie King. Reports say they attracted the attention of Iranian authorities’ after flying a drone near a military installation. Social media posts outlining the couple’s determination to visit “countries which get a bad wrap [sic] in the media” also came to light. The couple’s family released a limited statement yesterday; "Our families hope to see Mark and Jolie safely home as soon as possible. We have no further comment to make at this stage." The other detained woman - an academic who has lectured at a Melbourne uni - has not been publicly named.

---

TRIAL STALLED BY CONJUNCTIVITIS

It can happen to anyone, even former prime ministers… In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the 1MDB trial of disgraced national leader Najib Razak ground to a halt this week. It was a case of pinkeye that laid him low, exacerbated by the smog caused by the fires in Indonesia, reports say. Proceedings reached a crescendo earlier in the week with a former adviser to Najib testifying that the then PM had been briefed to say fugitive businessman Jho Low had nothing to do with the scandal. Both Najib and Low have been accused of embezzling billions of dollars from 1MDB - a government fund set up for Malaysia’s development - to support their lavish lifestyles.

The 1MDB scandal - it’s a political thriller… Want to know more? Check out our latest Squiz Shortcut.

---

TONGA’S PM AND FORMER INDONESIAN PRESIDENT DEAD

Akilisi Pohiva, the PM of Tonga, died yesterday at 78yo from complications arising from pneumonia. Pohiva had been the Pacific nation's leader since 2014 and he was the first commoner (ie not royalty or nobility) to hold the office. PM Scott Morrison tweeted his condolences. Once described as 'the Nelson Mandela of the Pacific', Pohiva was known for his pro-democracy values.

And in Indonesia, former president BJ Habibie died in Jakarta at 83yo on Wednesday. Habibie took the country’s reins when longtime strongman President Soeharto resigned in 1998 - a time of economic and political crises. Although he was president for not even 18 months, he is credited with significantly progressing democracy in Indonesia and for allowing East Timor to hold a referendum that ultimately led to its independence.

---

FRIDAY LITES - THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK

It’s hard to explain this one, but it’s a vignette of these modern times. We stumbled across this piece and then wanted to know more about the curious case of Caroline Calloway. That Instagram celebrity game is a parallel universe…

On to firmer ground of talent and accomplishment - this profile on Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman is a good read. It’s not long until her turn as QEII in season three of The Crown goes to air (squeal…) - which is your reminder to put 4 November in your diary.

Back by popular demand - our favourite edamame dip. We’ve had, like, two emails about it asking for the link ahead of the netball grand final/footy finals/outdoor entertaining season. So here it is, and it’s a ripper.

---

UNSW MOST IMPROVED IN UNI RANKINGS

When it comes to ranking the best tertiary institutions in the world, it’s the annual Times Higher Education that gets academic types excited. And in the latest edition, Oxford University ranked first for the fourth year in a row. The top 10 are all British and American institutions. The University of Melbourne remained Oz's highest-ranking uni at number 32, followed by the Australian National University in 49th place and the University of Sydney at number 60. The Uni of Queensland was 69th, and Monash 84th. The University of NSW jumped 25 places to number 71 - the biggest improvement of any institution in the top 100. Thirty-five Aussie universities made the top 500.

---

DODGY DRUG TEST ROCKS WEST COAST

AFL team the West Coast Eagles' finals plan hit a snag with revelations yesterday that rising star Willie Rioli substituted a urine sample when he was drug-tested last month. And when we say 'substituted a urine sample', it's been reported this morning that the sample was, in fact, a sports drink... Rioli has been stood down from the weekend's do-or-die match against Geelong with the doping authority accusing him of an offence that carries a maximum ban of four years. The team's manager Craig Vozzo said it was a blow to their finals campaign, but they were more concerned about Rioli's wellbeing. “He is very, very flat and the club and staff are really worried about his welfare. He is not in a great space,” he said.

SQUIZ THE DAY

Friday
6.00pm (AEST) - FIBA World Cup Semi Final - Australia v Spain

Birthdays for former cricketer Shane Warne (1969) and designer Stella McCartney (1971)

Saturday
Anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s birthday (1983)

Anniversary of the death of Princess Grace of Monaco of injuries suffered in a car crash (1982)

Friday

6.00pm (AEST) - FIBA World Cup Semi Final - Australia v Spain

Birthdays for former cricketer Shane Warne (1969) and designer Stella McCartney (1971)

Saturday
Anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s birthday (1983)

Anniversary of the death of Princess Grace of Monaco of injuries suffered in a car crash (1982)

Sunday
7.00am (AEST) - Start of the Sydney Marathon

1:00pm (AEST) - Super Netball Grand Final - Sunshine Coast Lightning v NSW Swifts

International Day of Democracy

Independence Days for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua

Prince Harry’s birthday (1984)

Congrats to Hamish Antill from Lake Albert in NSW for his win of last week's prize. Take a cue from Hamish - to be in the running to get your hands on a $100 gift card from Woolworths, all you need to do is read every email from this week.