Squiz Today – Friday, 24 November

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“Coffee drinking seems safe within usual patterns of consumption.”

Sorry for the turgid quote but this is great news for anyone sending out a news email at 6am every weekday… Oh, and anyone who loves/needs three-to-four coffees a day, we suppose (except for the pregnant ladies, soz). At that level, experts think it could even be good for you. We'll have a long black with half a sugar please!

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POLICE MOVE ON MANUS PROCESSING CENTRE

THE SQUIZ
Papua New Guinean police yesterday moved on the 370 men who have remained at the Manus Island processing centre. The Australian government closed the centre at the end of October under an agreement with the PNG government and the remaining men were to move to a new $10 million reception centre across the island in East Lorengau. Since then, several hundred men have stayed despite there being no food, running water or sanitation. They are staying, they say, because they fear for their safety at the new centre.

WHAT WENT DOWN?
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said a “small number” of men were arrested, including Iranian refugee and journalist Behrouz Boochani. He took to Twitter during the raid and said police had been heavy-handed. About 35 non-refugees left the centre voluntarily. A PNG Police spokesman said; "Immigration officials went in and explained to them that they really had no legal standing... voluntarily they packed their bags and moved across," he said. Dutton said the operation to get the remaining men to leave is ongoing and is under the direction of the PNG government.

WHAT’S THE REACTION BEEN?
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the men were behaving “like the tenant that won’t move out of the house when you’ve built a new house for them to move into.”

Labor leader Bill Shorten: "The Government has allowed this pressure-cooker to build over four years. And I just ask Malcolm Turnbull, please do the deal with New Zealand (to take 150 refugees)."

Tim Costello, World Vision Chief Advocate: “We call on the Australian government to immediately evacuate the men on Manus Island, to ensure they are supported and assisted to recover and offer them the future they deserve.”

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SQUIZ THE REST

FEDERAL AND STATE ENERGY LEADERS MEET TODAY
They’re in Hobart for a big meeting on the Turnbull Government’s plan for a national energy guarantee. NSW are sounding supportive but Queensland, Victoria and SA are not fans (oscillating or otherwise). PM Malcolm Turnbull and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg came under fire when the proposal was launched a few weeks ago for not having any modelling to back up their claim that consumers would save about $110 a year on their power bills, which they now have. The states have to agree with the approach for the plan to go ahead and reports this morning say Frydenberg will give them until April to do that.

QUEENSLAND GOES TO THE POLLS
Our banana-bending cane toad friends from the Sunshine State (yes, we could have just said 'Queensland' but where’s the fun in that?) are going to the polls tomorrow. The incumbent Labor Party under Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and the Tim Nicholls-led Liberal National Party go head to head in what’s looking like a tight race. The wildcard is Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, which is expected to draw a lot of votes and be kingmaker in a lot of seats. We’ll be watching with a fruity cocktail and a Weiss bar.

AGREEMENT FOR ROHINGYA TO RETURN
The Myanmar government has agreed to take back the 600,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh after a military crackdown that the UN and US say constitutes ethnic cleansing. The agreement between the two countries will come into force in a couple of months. The stateless Rohingya have poured into Bangladesh putting pressure on Myanmar leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi to do more to resolve the crisis. Aid agencies are sceptical about the Rohingya return unless their safety can be guaranteed.

STILL NO SIGN OF ARGENTINE SUB
It’s now thought there was an explosion not long after the San Juan and its 44 crew went missing. Argentina’s Navy said it was picked up by an anti-nuclear testing group and the info has helped them narrow down a search area. Reports say many of the families were angry and devastated by the news. Russia has joined the search for the sub that has been missing since Wednesday last week. The world continues to watch closely with their fingers crossed for the crew.

BLACK FRIDAY = CLICKETY CLICK
Get your online shopping on! It’s become a bit of a tradition with US retailers slashing prices from the Friday through to the following Monday after Thanksgiving. And now that shipping to Australia is easier (and in a lot of cases cheaper) than ever before, many Australian retailers are getting in on the action so they don't miss out. US sales should start at about 4pm AEDT tomorrow, and here’s a list of discounts (including Aussie retailers) you might like. It would all be Christmas shopping and nothing for you, right?

HOUSEKEEPING!
Thank you for letting us know that golfer Jordan Speith is American, not Australian as we posited yesterday. Your emails were lovely and very supportive. What a well brought up bunch you are – your parents would be proud.

FRIDAY LITES – THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK
We’ve wasted more hours than we’d care to remember clicking through Etsy. It’s an online marketplace for vintage, handmade and crafty things. If this is the first time you’ve been on the site please don’t judge it by this link, they have some cool stuff. But… crochet owl toilet covers… Seeing is believing.

Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal – are we the only people in the world who hadn’t seen this? So funny.

And one for those who believe in something no matter what - this man is about to launch himself in his homemade rocket to prove the Earth is flat.

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SQUIZ EXTRAS

SQUIZ TIPS - PRESENTED BY COMMONWEALTH BANK
If you’re anything like us you have a list a mile long of personal admin to do before the end of the year. One chore will be to make sure we have enough life insurance. Seriously. We’re going to start here to find out how much we need and get some tips on what to do if we don’t have enough. Easy and helpful. 

PERFECT PRAWN DUMPLINGS
We made these little numbers the other night for some pre-dinner nibbles when we had guests over and they were a hit, even if we do say so ourselves. And we're hopeless at wrapping them which means they're basically fail-proof.

SPEAKING OF BLACK FRIDAY DEALS...
Booktopia are joining in and there are some great deals to be had. If you buy something after clicking through to the site using this link between now and Sunday we get a little commission. Nice!

SQUIZ THE DAY

Friday

8.00pm (AEDT) - Rugby League World Cup Semi Final - Australia v Fiji - Brisbane

Council of Australian Governments Energy Ministers Meeting - Hobart

Annual General Meeting - Myer

Former A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack to be sentenced today

White Ribbon Day

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Saturday

Queensland Election

While you're waiting for the result, why not make sure you've opened the week's Squiz so you're in the running for a $100 iTunes card?

Sunday

1.30am (AEDT) - Rugby Union - Australia v Scotland

4.00pm (AEDT) - Women's Rugby League World Cup Semi Final - Australia v Canada - Sydney