Squiz Today – Monday, 4 June

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“Koinonia”

America’s National Spelling Bee winner Karthik Nemmani not only knows what it means (it’s an intimate spiritual or Christian communion), he also spelt it correctly to become this year's victor. The 14yo had it in the bag when his 12yo competitor missed the double ‘s’ in ‘bewusstseinslage’. We can’t even pronounce it…

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SNAIL MAIL DIPLOMACY

THE SQUIZ
Today’s America/North Korea Summit status: it’s on. US President Donald Trump’s mood was described as buoyant after the disappointment of cancelling the summit just a week before because of hostility coming from Kim Jong Un and the North Koreans. And it was an old-fashioned letter from Kim to Trump that seems to have done the trick.

WHY THE CHANGE OF HEART? 
Trump met with Kim Yong Chol in the Oval Office on Friday. He’s the envoy sent by his leader to meet/schmooze with senior American officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. During the meeting with Trump, Chol delivered a large envelope. We don’t know what was in it but the big moment generated an image for the ages. We reckon it looks like one of those big cards you get when you leave a job. Maybe Kim passed it around his team sending their best wishes?

IT’S ALL SMOOTH SAILING THEN?
You’d be disappointed if we said yes… Defence Secretary James Mattis brought things back to earth on the weekend. He said that North Korea will not get sanctions relief until the US gets "verifiable and irreversible" evidence that steps towards denuclearisation have been taken. And Russia’s getting nosey. Its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Kim late last week. Pundits say the visit was to make sure North Korea keeps it in the loop. So it’s full steam ahead for 12 June in Singapore. What could possibly go wrong?

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SQUIZ THE REST

WE CLOSE OUR EYES…
Not just a thumping Go West tune with a truly terrible video clip, it was also the theme for last night’s viewing of Seven’s edition of Sunday Night featuring former Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, partner Vikki Campion and baby son Sebastian. It’s worth a look if you dig politics and media despite the limited new news. Of note, Joyce says he knew he’d lose his job as soon as he found out Campion was pregnant. Campion also detailed how close she was to having her a termination. Off limits were Joyce's family and questions surrounding her employment in his office. Reports yesterday said the exercise might not be as lucrative as first thought after tax is taken from the speculated $150,000 fee. Maybe taxpayers have had a win after all....

QUICK WORLD NEWS WRAP
SPAIN HAS A NEW PM - Pedro Sánchez from the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party was sworn in yesterday after ousting Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party. Rajoy had been in office since 2011 and has been plagued by corruption allegations. The turmoil comes as Catalonia’s regional parliament was sworn-in after seven months of direct rule by Madrid. Its independence drive last year plunged Spain into political crisis.

MYANMAR WOULD TAKE BACK ROHINGYA - That’s what Myanmar’s National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said on Saturday. “If you can send back 700,000 on a voluntary basis, we are willing to receive them. Can this be called ethnic cleansing?” he asked in response to the UN’s characterisation of the events that prompted the huge numbers of Rohingya to flee last year.

MALAYSIA CROWD FUNDS ITS DEBT - Which is a less compulsory version of Australia’s debt levy. The ‘Malaysia Hope Fund’ has raised almost US$2 million, leaving just US$249.98 billion to go…

REVLON BACKS A WOMAN
For the first time in its 86 year history, cosmetics giant Revlon has a female CEO. Debra Perelman, daughter of owner Ronald Perelman, is in the big chair after working at the company for 20 years. Revlon pressed that it was not nepotism that won her the job. Its brands include Elizabeth Arden and Almay.

SOCCEROOS GET GAME READY
The Socceroos World Cup 23-player squad has been picked for their Russian campaign. Daniel Arzani, Dimitri Petratos and Josh Risdon are the only three Aussie A-League players to make the cut, and Arzani will become the youngest Aussie to play in a World Cup at 19yo. At the other end of the ledger, Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan will go to their fourth. Here’s hoping the Aussies really have broken the curse placed on it by an African witch doctor… The World Cup kicks off on 14 June.

WILLIAMS V SHARAPOVA
It’s impossible not to be impressed by tennis queen Serena Williams. She’s ranked 451 in the world and is making her first big tournament comeback at the French Open since having her first child last year. In her way is longtime rival Maria Sharapova. She was banned from the game for two years after failing a drugs test at the Aussie Open in 2016. Both have something to prove, President Trump is caught up in the weirdness, and there's a book involved.  But look, the main thing is their showdown is on tonight at 7pm (AEST) on SBS (we think…) and fingers crossed for a cracking good game.

SQUIZ THE DAY

Public holiday in WA for Western Australia Day

PM Malcolm Turnbull and Deputy PM Michael McCormack kick off a three-day drought tour in Dubbo, NSW

ABS Data Releases - Business Indicators, March 2018; Retail Trade, April; Livestock and Meat, April; Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, March

UN International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

Anniversary of the bloody end to the Tiananmen Square protests (1989)