Squiz Today – Thursday, 20 September

THREE MINUTE SQUIZ

“Only 35% of women colour their hair in a hair salon.”

The things you learn... Amber Turnbull, keen Squizer and General Manager of Just Cuts knows a lot about the business of hair and managing a busy life. Please welcome her to this week’s Three Minute Squiz.

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THREE GLOBAL FLASHPOINTS AT A GLANCE

THE SQUIZ
Some significant developments in three hot spots – the Korean Peninsula, Myanmar and Yemen – are worth getting across. For different reasons, each represents some of the most complex and troubling issues in the world right now.

GIVE IT TO ME
Myanmar - The International Criminal Court (ICC) is looking at the alleged crimes against Rohingya Muslims by the Myanmar military. The United Nations last month reported that thousands were killed, 700,000 were forced to flee over the border to Bangladesh, and that senior Myanmar military figures should be investigated for genocide when the ethnic minority was targeted last year. The ICC investigation is a next step in holding Myanmar to account.

Yemen – The Save the Children charity says 5.2 million children in Yemen now face famine. That's an increase of a million kids with rising food prices and the terrible state of the Yemeni economy pushing more families into the danger zone. It's the result of a three-plus-years long war.

The Korean Peninsula - While North Korean leader Kim Jong Un didn’t make any firm commitments to dismantle his country’s nuclear arsenal, he and South Korean leader Moon Jae-in said they were making progress towards “a new era of peace and prosperity”. And the two have agreed to make a joint bid for the 2032 Olympics. So that’s something…

OBSERVATIONS?
Even in this day and age, no international body (eg the UN) or country (China, Russia or America) has been able to stop smaller/poorer nations descending into war, famine, ethnic cleansing or developing nuclear weapons. But progress is being made in some areas, long may it continue.

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SQUIZ THE REST

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE ‘BERRA?
It's the question on everyone's mind all the time:

GETTING TOUGH ON STRAWB SABOTEURS – With the number of strawberry/fruit needle-contamination cases exceeding 100, PM Scott Morrison yesterday deployed his best high school principal impression to announce new laws to give those responsible more jail time saying “It’s not a joke, it’s not funny.” So what is the PM’s family going to do about it? “This weekend, I’m making a curry, Jen’s making a pav.” We assume the strawberries are for the pav… unless the PM’s curries are on the experimental end of the scale?

DUTTON DENOUNCED - The Labor-dominated Senate inquiry looking into Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s intervention in a couple of au pairs’ visas has found he should be censured. That’s because they say Dutton misled the parliament when he said he had no personal connection to the men requesting his intervention. Coalition committee members say the inquiry was a farce. Situation normal.

LABOR’S SUPER PLAN – Taking advantage of the Coalition’s vulnerability on all things female, Bill Shorten’s team announced it would spend $400 million on topping up superannuation for low-income women and those on parental leave if Labor wins government. It’s in recognition that women retire with 40% less super on average than men. PM Morrison said the government has a similarish $500 million scheme for men and women.

CORRUPT AUSSIE DAY FINALIST
Former Australian of the Year finalist Eman Sharobeem was yesterday found to have acted corruptly when she misappropriated more than $750,000 from two publicly funded migrant services she led between 2007 and 2016. NSW’s Independent Commission Against Corruption heard Sharobeem used the money to buy jewellery, Botox and holidays, and to pay $34,000 worth of traffic fines. That’s a lot of parking tickets… She claims to have done nothing wrong. Next stop: prosecution in court.

AHOY IT’S THE ENDEAVOUR
HMB Endeavour, the ship James Cook sailed to Australia and beyond, may have been found on the seafloor off America's Newport, Rhode Island. Marine archaeologists could begin excavation next year solving the longstanding maritime mystery. How did it get there? The vessel was sold in 1775, renamed Lord Sandwich 2, used as a British troop transport during the American War of Independence, and was scuttled off the US east coast in 1778. It was an undignified end for the ship that was the first to reach the east coast of mainland Oz in 1770. We're going to have to fight for the scraps – the artefacts are owned by the Yanks.

FINISH YOUR BREAKFAST FIRST
Look, this is going to get some airplay, so it's better you hear it from us than someone else. Adult actress and thorn in US President Donald Trump’s side Stormy Daniels made a shocking claim yesterday. Brace for it… she could have cheated her way through The Apprentice. Oh, and something about his 'performance' during their alleged encounter. Warning: once known – it cannot be unknown. Daniels' book Full Disclosure is coming out soon and could be the first time political pundits wished the author kept some details to themselves.

THEY’RE “BEST FRIENDS”
And that’s the final word from the creators of Sesame Street on the relationship between Bert and Ernie. Which makes sense because Rubber Duckie is Ernie’s ‘one’.

SQUIZ THE DAY

ABS Data Release - Australian Demographic Statistics, March

Informal meeting of European Union leaders to discuss security and Brexit - Austria

First anniversary of Hurricane Maria that resulted in 2,975 deaths in Puerto Rico

Anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes tennis showdown between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs (1973)

Sophia Loren's birthday (1934)