Squiz Today – Tuesday, 1 November

THE SQUIZ
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been denied a 2nd term in office after he was beaten by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. It was a run-off election between the top 2 candidates after the first poll in early October saw neither man collect more than 50% of the votes – the required level to win the nation’s presidential ballot. Almost a month later, the man they call ‘Lula’ won it by a teeny-tiny margin claiming 50.9% of the vote. Bolsonaro is yet to concede – in recent times, his supporters have questioned the reliability of Brazil’s electronic voting system but have supplied no evidence to back their claims.

THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR…
Well, some do refer to Bolsonaro as the ‘Trump of the Tropics’… He’s a far-right politician who rolled back protections for the Amazon rainforest and dismissed COVID as “a little flu” – a state of mind that led to Brazil becoming one of the worst affected countries with almost 690,000 deaths. He’s also delivered significant financial support to those in poverty since 2020 – but his critics say he had the election in mind. “Maybe you have to give that one to him. But it was excessive, and it wasn’t well designed. It did help him boost his popularity,” said one political scientist. As for Lula, well, that is quite a story… As much as Bolsonaro is on the right, he’s on the left. Lula was a beloved national figure during his 2003-10 presidency for getting Brazil’s economy firing while also lifting millions out of poverty. And then came the corruption scandals that saw him imprisoned in 2018… Released in 2019 on a technicality, the 77yo’s been on the campaign trail pretty much since then.

WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME ALL THIS?
First of all, it’s a cracking yarn involving 2 huge figures. But there are also 3 reasons to call out as to why some say it was the most important election in Latin America for decades. Bolsonaro made moves to limit the free press and install military leaders into key government roles, so there were concerns about Brazil’s democracy under his ongoing leadership. The 2nd is that many said the Amazon’s future is at stake. It plays a vital role in the global climate as a huge store of carbon dioxide, and Bolsonaro was going to allow more land clearing while Lula promised protections. And finally, Lula’s election could see Brazil restore relations with Western nations after Bolsonaro was shunned by many. But that doesn’t mean it’s a cakewalk for Lula – as the election result shows, the country is divided. He’s vowed to “reestablish harmony”, but his specific plans to restore Brazil’s economy are vague. But for now, stay tuned to see if Bolsonaro goes easily or tries to hang on.

Aussie crush victim named

A young Sydney woman has been identified as the Australian killed in the crush in South Korea’s capital Seoul on Saturday night. Film production assistant Grace Rached was one of more than 150 people who died after the huge crowd began to bottleneck in a narrow alleyway. One of the 23yo’s friends who escaped, Sydney man Nathan Taverniti, said it was not due to a rush of drunken partygoers but a “lack of planning, police force and emergency services”. In an emotional video posted online, Taverniti said Rached was supposed to celebrate her 24th birthday in a couple of weeks, but he’s left with the memory of her distress as she found it impossible to breathe. It’s not yet known what led to the tragedy, but survivors say they were trapped for at least an hour. Most of the dead were 20-30yo – they came from South Korea, the other nations like the US, Iran, China, Norway, Thailand and Uzbekistan.

Rate rises haven’t stopped us from spending

The Reserve Bank will make its latest monthly interest rate announcement this afternoon. Currently sitting at 2.6%, the big 4 banks have made their predictions about how much of an increase we should expect… Westpac reckons it’ll be 0.5%, while CBA, ANZ and NAB suggested a more modest 0.25%. The Reserve Bank has increased rates every month since May, and coupled with a 32-year high inflation rate revealed last week, no one expects no movement given interest rates remain the primary weapon against inflation. If the rate is lifted to 3.1%, it would add about $30 more in monthly mortgage repayments for each $100,000 borrowed. Not that it’s deterred Aussies from spending at the shops – September’s retail sales were up 0.6% on August to a record $35.1 billion.

Victorian Government’s here if you need…

And Netball Australia does need some support… It’s landed a fresh $15 million sponsor deal with the Victorian Government’s tourism body picking up where former partner Hancock Prospecting left off. The new deal lasts until 2027 and provides much-needed financial support to the debt-heavy organisation. It’ll see Diamonds players wear Visit Victoria branding on their uniforms and front tourism campaigns for the state – and the state is set to host the team a lot in the coming 4 years… To recap, the partnership with Hancock Prospecting went south when the team backed Indigenous player Donnell Wallam over her concerns about racist comments made by the mining company’s founder – and Gina Rinehart’s father – Lang Hancock back in the 80s. Netball Australia says it ended its partnership with Hancock “as best we can”. Onwards…

Off to the races…

It’s a big day for racing lovers – the 2022 Melbourne Cup is on today, marking the 162nd year of the ‘race that stops a nation’. It’ll be the first time since 2019 that a capacity crowd will be allowed back at the event, with about 80,000 expected to trot through the gates at Flemington ahead of the big race at 3pm. There are a few fancied in the 23-horse race – England’s Deauville Legend is the favourite – he’s drawn a great barrier and has 3-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy onboard. Irish-bred Without A Fight is rated highly, along with Australian mare Montefilia. Fashions on the field will also be back for those who prefer fancy frocks over the equine action. And not to be outdone, the east coast’s recent wet weather might dampen celebrations, with cold winds, rain and hail set to strike Melbourne throughout the day. Champagne and brollies, anyone?

Why we love tacky souvenirs…

Aussies are travelling at every opportunity, making up for lost time during the pandemic. That means our tacky fridge magnet/ugly keyring consumption is also on the rise… But why do we love this kind of tourist tat? According to a new book by Lucy Lethbridge, it’s something people have done since the ancient Greeks. Meanwhile, a report by travel company Club Med has picked out the favourite buys from each country. Some are obvious, like maple syrup from Canada – but others less so, like an umbrella from the UK. Ahem, that’s not a souvenir – it’s a necessity… Whatever we choose, Lethbridge says the objects reveal how we see people from other cultures – and that we want others to consider us well-travelled. And apparently, the tackier, the better… So now you know why you’re inexplicably drawn to that hideous bottle opener – and why you can’t part with it. You’re welcome…

British woman Lanson Moore has secured public funding in the UK to transform the ashes of 10 people into art after turning her father’s remains into a Dali-inspired painting… Says she wants to help others “immortalise their loved ones in art.”

The little-known pīwauwau rock wren has taken out the 2022 NZ bird of the year in a narrow win… PM Jacinda Ardern hasn’t endorsed the winner, saying she remains loyal to the black petrel, which she described as “the bogan of the birds”.

An Aussie who hit a trick golf shot outside a pub onto the 18th green of Scotland’s infamous St Andrews course has qualified for the US Masters and the British Open. It wasn’t that viral moment to put 21yo Harrison Crowe into contention – he won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship on Sunday.

Melbourne Cup public holiday in Victoria

2.30pm (AEDT) – An announcement on interest rates following the Reserve Bank’s board meeting

3.00pm (AEDT) – And they’re racing in the Melbourne Cup

7.20pm (AEDT) – Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe to speak at the board’s dinner with the business community – Hobart

NSW’s ban on single-use plastics kicks in

Let your lip hair run free… It’s the start of Movember

All Saints’ Day

National Days for Algeria, and Antigua and Barbuda

World Vegan Day

Birthdays for Apple CEO Tim Cook (1960), rocker Anthony Kiedis (1962), singer Tina Arena (1967) and actor Toni Collette (1972)

Anniversary of:
• the premiere of William Shakespeare’s play Othello (1604) and blockbuster film Titanic (1997)
• John Adams becoming the first US President to live in the White House (1800)
• the deployment of the first aerial bomb during the Italo-Turkish War (1911)
• the first use of the Motion Picture Association film rating system G, M, R, X (1968)