Squiz Today – Thursday, 2 May

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“18 May”

Something big is happening on that date. No not the federal election, silly… The Aldi Snow Gear Sale.

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POLICE OFFICER GUILTY OF KILLING AUSSIE IN MINNEAPOLIS

THE SQUIZ
Police officer Mohamed Noor has been found guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Australian woman Justine Ruszczyk Damond. He was acquited of the most serious count - second-degree murder with intent. To recap: Justine made a 911 call in July 2017 about a possible assault in the alley behind her home. She met the patrol car, and Noor fired from the passenger seat hitting her in the abdomen, and she died at the scene. The jury took just a day to agree on a verdict following a three-week trial. He will remain in custody until his sentencing on 7 June when it's expected he will receive less than the 25-year maximum jail term. It's the first time a police officer in Minnesota has been convicted of murder for shooting someone while on duty, and it's a case that continues to garner international coverage.

WHAT DID PEOPLE SAY?
Don Damond, Justine’s fiancé - “Ironically, the Minneapolis Police Department emblem on the squad door reads, ‘To protect with courage and to serve with compassion’. But that night there was a tragic lapse of care and complete disregard for the sanctity of life.”

John Ruszczyk, her father - “The jury’s decision reflects the community’s commitment to three important pillars of a civil society: the rule of law, the respect for the sanctity of life and the obligation of the police force to serve and protect.”

Goth Ali, Noor’s cousin - “I’m crying because of how the case was handled. What happened was injustice. This is shocking. My cousin didn’t get a fair trial.”

TELL ME ABOUT HER…
A 40yo from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Justine was a life-coach/meditation teacher who was “rooted by her work in helping people come to better understand themselves and their potential,” a friend said. Taking her fiancé Don Damond’s name before her wedding, they were to marry just a few weeks after she was killed. The couple met at a meditation retreat in 2012, and it was a connection that she said was strong enough "to move from the beach in Sydney to here." ‘Here' being freezing Minneapolis. "She was a living example of compassion. In her life she committed to transform humanity, and her legacy is continuing that work today,” Damond said yesterday.

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ASSANGE JAILED OVER BAIL BREACH

Aussie WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be holed up in a UK prison for 50 weeks for jumping bail to hole up in Ecuador's London embassy back in 2012. He did that because the assault charges he was trying to escape in Sweden could have seen him extradited to the US - something he greatly fears - to face charges over the leaking of a massive trove of sensitive military documents. America is now pursuing that, and the first of what could be many extradition hearings is on Thursday UK time. Assange faces up to five years in US prison if convicted.

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UK DEFENCE SECRETARY DUMPED OVER HUAWEI LEAK

You’ll remember a couple of weeks ago (or was it yesterday - it’s hard to keep track…) it was revealed the UK’s top security council had decided to allow the Chinese tech giant to participate in the building of ‘non-core’ parts of their new 5G mobile network - a leak that still has not been officially confirmed. That put the UK at odds with America, Australia and NZ who have barred Huawei over Chinese spying concerns, and put the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network between the countries (and Canada) at risk, reports say. After an investigation into the leak, PM Theresa May says it came from senior Tory Gavin Williamson. He denies the claim and would not resign, so May’s sacked him. Meanwhile, Huawei announced yesterday it'd appointed a new CEO for its Aussie business - longtime company man Haosheng Hudson Liu.

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MEAT GRINDER BOMB PLOTTER GUILTY

Khaled Khayat was yesterday found guilty of conspiring to bring down an Etihad Airways flight with an explosive device hidden in a meat grinder. He was charged along with his brother Mahmoud for the mid-2017 terror plot. The jury found Khaled guilty, but no verdict has so far been reached concerning Mahmoud. The jury was sent back to continue its deliberations on his case. The men allegedly aborted their plan to board the plane with the device in Sydney when the bag was deemed too heavy to be checked in. Khaled faces a maximum life term in prison.

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ERRANT CANDIDATES CALLED OUT AND MOVED ON

The Victorian Liberal Party yesterday dumped two candidates over racist and homophobic social media posts from the past. Jeremy Hearn was disendorsed as the Libs candidate for Isaacs after a series of anti-Muslim comments were unearthed. And Peter Killin, candidate for Wills resigned for attacking fellow Liberal Tim Wilson for being gay. And there are others from other parties with a cloud over their heads. There are always issues with candidates heading into an election. But many commentators were left shaking their heads at the major parties’ inability to do basic social media and online checks on those they are looking to endorse.

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NARUHITO BECOMES EMPEROR OF JAPAN

“Midnight countdowns, marriage registrations and celebratory events: People welcomed the dawning of the new imperial era, Reiwa, at various locations in Tokyo on Wednesday with a festive mood,” said the Japan Times of the ascendancy of Crown Prince Naruhito to become the Emperor of Japan. In his first public address as the top chrysanthemum, he pledged to fulfil his role as a "symbol of the state and unity". Paying tribute to his father Akihito, who will now be known as Emperor Emeritus, Naruhito and his wife Masako Owada, a former diplomat who has shunned the spotlight, are expected to be a bit more modern in their approach. Some pictures of proceedings are here.

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BAZ X ELVIS

That sound you can hear is the intersect of Elvis and Baz Luhrmann/Catherine Martin’s fans hyperventilating at the prospect of the Aussie director and producer bringing The King’s life to the screen. It will be the creative team’s first film centred on a real person, and it will be filmed in Queensland. Reports say there’s speculation about only one actor’s involvement to date, and that’s Tom Hanks in the role of Colonel Parker. Can’t hardly wait…

SQUIZ THE DAY

12.30pm (AEST) - National Press Club Health Debate with Health Minister Greg Hunt and Labor spokeswoman Catherine King - Canberra

4.30pm (AEST) - Sky News/Manly Daily Warringah Debate with former PM and sitting MP Tony Abbott and Independent candidate Zali Steggall

WikiLeaker Julian Assange returns to court for a hearing on a US extradition request

National Australia Bank Half Year Results Announcement