Squiz Today / 11 January 2022

Squiz Today – Tuesday, 11 January

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Squiz Today Podcast

An achievable new year’s resolution. 

Today’s listen time: 9 minutes

SYD
22 / 29
MEL
19 / 29
BNE
23 / 29
ADL
25 / 39
PER
18 / 37
HBA
13 / 20
DRW
26 / 35
CBR
18 / 26

Squiz Sayings

“Mate, it was intense.”

Said Aussie golfing champ Cameron Smith yesterday after he won the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii with a record 34 under for his 4 rounds. That’s the lowest score ever recorded at a PGA event. Also intense: his commitment to the mullet

Djokovic’s fate still hangs in the balance

THE SQUIZ
Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic can remain in Oz after yesterday’s overturning of the Australian Government’s decision to cancel his visa because he is unvaccinated against COVID. Federal Court Judge Anthony Kelly found it was unreasonable for an Australian Border Force official to cancel Djokovic’s visa when he believed he had more time to consult with lawyers and his support team. What it boiled down to is Djokovic was detained after his arrival last Wednesday night and told he would have until 8.30am on Thursday to speak to his people and mount a defence. But as the transcript shows, the official cancelled his visa at 7.42am. That won out over the officials’ arguments that Djokovic should not be exempt from vaccination requirements for international travellers.

SO HE’S GOING TO PLAY IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN?
Hold your horses… Djokovic could be deported as early as today if Immigration Minister Alex Hawke uses his personal discretion under the Migration Act to cancel Djokovic’s visa. Hawke can do that if he believes someone is a risk to “health, safety or good order of the Australian community or a segment of the Australian community” or the “health or safety of an individual or individuals”. That decision was expected last night, but Hawke’s office says it’s coming happen today. Djokovic will be banned from entering Australia for 3 years if it does happen.

SO IT’S ANOTHER DAY OF WAITING?
Seems so. In the meantime, Djokovic has been released from immigration detention and did what you would expect the men’s world #1 tennis player to do – he headed to Rod Laver Arena and completed a training session. “I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete at the Australian Open,” he posted to social media early this morning. In Belgrade, his mother Dijana said “This is his biggest win in his career, it is bigger than any grand slam.” As for fellow tennis champ Rafael Nadal, he called the chapter a “circus” and said while they don’t agree on everything (like COVID vaccination…), it’s time to get on with it. “I wish him the best of luck,” he said last night. 

Sport

Squiz the Rest

Kids vaccination frustrations simmer

Parents of school-aged kids are being urged to try pharmacies or state vaccination hubs to secure their first COVID jab. Reports say many GPs are cancelling appointments because they didn’t receive the kid-sized doses in time for yesterday’s vaxx program kick-off for 5-11yos. On the defensive yesterday, health officials said there’s enough vaccine to get one dose down before a return to school. And for reassurance, they also said Omicron is less severe in children than other variants of the virus. Meanwhile, PM Scott Morrison said Omicron is spreading quicker than anticipated but has denied adopting a ‘let it rip’ approach – an accusation levelled by Labor. Instead, the PM says we’re going through a “gear change”, which involves pushing through rather than locking down.

Health

Tales of concern and survival from sodden Queensland

As Maryborough reels from a flood that has inundated the centre of town, police hold grave fears for 14yo Krystal Cain after her car was washed away in floodwaters near Gympie on Friday night. Her distraught family says the teenager and her father were on their way to visit grandparents when the car was inundated by water, and he was later found clinging to a tree. Also near Gympie, a father used a rope from his submerged car to tie himself and his primary school-aged daughter to the top of a 10m-high tree while they waited for floodwaters to recede. They were found and airlifted to safety two days later, suffering dehydration, exposure, and insect bites. Further north, Cyclone Tiffany has been downgraded to a tropical storm now that it’s crossed the coast of Cape York, but it’s expected to turn into a cyclone again in the Gulf of Carpentaria as it heads towards the Territory’s east coast. We’re not even 2 weeks in, but forecasters say we’re heading towards one of the wettest Januarys on record.

Australian News Weather

Apartment fire in New York the worst in years

A malfunctioning electric heater on the 3rd floor of a 19-story building in New York City’s Bronx borough has led to the deaths of 19 people, including 9 children. Forty-four people were injured, and 13 were hospitalised in critical condition. Officials say one apartment and the adjoining hallway were burnt, but thick smoke filled the building, and most victims died of severe smoke inhalation. Firefighters found victims on every floor, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. Reports say the block was built in the early 70s as affordable housing, and some residents of the 120 units initially ignored the smoke alarms because false alarms happened a lot. The high death toll makes it New York City’s deadliest blaze in 3 decades.

World News

The downside of a Western diet

As the prevalence of autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, continues to grow globally, scientists have pointed to diets rich in fast foods. It’s estimated that cases are rising by 3-9% a year worldwide, but the quickest spread is happening in the Middle East and Asia where the adoption of fast food-heavy Western diets is growing. Scientists at London’s Francis Crick Institute say that fibre-poor processed diets trigger autoimmune diseases by changing our gut microbiomes. But because genetic susceptibilities are also at play, the Institute hopes to tackle the trend with new DNA research that could pinpoint who is susceptible and how they could be treated.

Health

Aussies sweep the Golden Globes

There was no broadcast, guests, or red carpet for the 79th Golden Globe Awards after celebrities led a boycott against the organisation behind the ceremony over diversity and governance issues. Despite that drama, a “private” ceremony in Los Angeles yesterday saw a handful of Aussies claim a win, including Nicole Kidman for best actress in a drama for her turn as Lucille Ball in Being the Riccardos. Sarah Snook won best supporting actress for Succession, and Kodi Smit-McPhee won best supporting actor for his role in Netflix western The Power of the Dog. That film also won best drama film, and Kiwi Jane Campion picked up best director for her trouble. Also getting a few nods: West Side Story, Hacks,and (surprise…) Succession. This is where we’d usually point you to the red carpet looks from the event… On this occasion, you’ll have to make do with Vogue’s assessment of the best looks of all time.

Entertainment

Apropos of Nothing

This year is Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years since her accession to the throne. The nation’s citizens are encouraged to plant a tree for the occasion. And yesterday, plans for the June anniversary weekend were announced. But the event that has won our hearts: a pudding competition

Pudding makers will be using fresh milk, no doubt. For everyone else, UK supermarket Morrisons is ditching ‘use by’ dates on its moo juice to limit unnecessary waste and says customers should deploy the good ol’ sniff test.

Not passing our sniff test: a new hair trend called ‘instinctive cutting’. The last time we let our hairdresser do what they said they knew would suit us, they gave us side-flicks that required gel. The shame of it. Never again.

Quirky News

Squiz the Day

ABS Data Releases – International Trade in Goods and Services, November 2021; Retail Trade, November 2021

International Parity at Work Day and International Thank You Day

Birthdays for muso Daryl Braithwaite (1949) and singer/swimmer Cody Simpson (1997)

Anniversary of:
• the US Surgeon General Dr Luther Terry publishing a landmark report saying smoking caused lung cancer (1964)
• the death of New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary (2004)
• author JK Rowling completing the final Harry Potter book in an Edinburgh hotel room (2007)

Squiz the Day

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