Squiz Today – Tuesday, 3 April

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“Prince Charles would just want to do his duty and he shouldn’t be verballed by an ex-PM.”

Ex-PM Tony Abbott verbals Prince Charles while castigating ex-PM Paul Keating. For verballing Prince Charles. It's got something to do with Australia becoming a republic. Got it? Good.

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LET THE GAMES BEGIN

THE SQUIZ
India has been cleared of doping after syringes were found on the weekend at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Village in breach of a strict ‘no needles’ policy. Reports say Indian team officials will meet Commonwealth Games Federation bosses this morning to discuss the breach and sanctions. In the understatement of Easter Monday, Games chairman/former premier Peter Beattie said the discovery was “very unhelpful”.

SO ARE THERE CHEATS AT THE GAMES?
Games officials have promised a zero-tolerance approach to doping. And clean athletes are speaking up. Swimmer Mack Horton, who previously called out Chinese rival Sun Yang for doping, said he would take a similarly strong stance against anyone he believed to be a cheat.

ANY OTHER NEWS?
• Australia’s flag bearer was announced last night – it’s Aussie men’s hockey team captain Mark Knowles. He pipped Gold Coaster, hurdler and crowd favourite Sally Pearson to the post.

• Channel Nine last night had its media credentials put on ice after it aired footage from an opening ceremony rehearsal in breach of their access agreement.

• Three people in the Village have been isolated after they were diagnosed with the flu.

• Aussie Rugby Sevens captain James Stannard is lucky to be alive after a one-punch attack in Sydney in the early hours of Friday morning. He sustained a skull fracture and will miss his third Commonwealth Games.

• There are still 150,000 tickets for sale (lawn bowls, anyone?) but organisers said they’re happy with reaching the million ticket sales target. All up the Gold Coast will host 670,000 visitors during the Games, but reports say hotel accommodation is still available. Maybe everyone’s staying with their Aunty Bev. (Doesn’t everyone have an Aunty Bev on the Goldie?)

It all kicks off with the opening ceremony at 7pm (AEST) tomorrow night and continues until Sunday, 15 April.

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SQUIZ THE REST

COALITION MPs PUT POWER BEHIND COAL
A group of about 20 Coalition MPs have come together to lobby PM Malcolm Turnbull and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg in support of the construction of new coal-fired power stations, according to reports this morning. Members of the ‘Monash Forum’ are said to be in support of the government’s National Energy Guarantee, the new energy framework that is being pitched to the states. But they’d like to see coal-fired power better supported under the ‘technology-neutral’ plan. Conservative MPs including Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz, Kevin Andrews, George Christensen and Craig Kelly are said to be involved. So another easy day ahead for Team Turnbull then…

CHINA STRIKES BACK
China yesterday announced new tariffs on $3 billion worth of American food imports in response the US President Donald Trump’s recent hit on steel and aluminium. More than 120 US products like fruits, nuts, pork and wine will attract tariffs of 15-25%.  Trade war = escalated.

TRUMP FIRES OFF AT MEXICO
President Trump has taken to the tweets to say there would be no deal for the group of undocumented immigrants known as ‘The Dreamers’ and that the US would pull out of the US-Canada-Mexico trade agreement unless Mexico did more on border security. Trump had previously promised to show compassion for the group of immigrants, many from Mexico, who had been protected under the Obama administration. The Twitter tirade was thought to have been sparked by a Fox News story that aired Sunday morning about a “caravan of illegal immigrants” coming to the US from Central America.

ISRAEL REJECTS INQUIRY INTO GAZA CLASH
Fifteen Palestinians were killed and hundreds were injured when Israeli troops fired on a large protest in Gaza on Friday. Israel yesterday rejected calls from the UN and European Union for an independent investigation. It was the bloodiest clash in years and Israel’s defence minister yesterday said troops “did what had to be done.” Hamas has been accused by Israel of using “violent riots to camouflage terror” on the Gaza frontier.

VALE TO NOTABLE PEOPLE
Winnie Mandela, the anti-apartheid campaigner and former wife of the late Nelson Mandela, has died at 81yo. She campaigned relentlessly during the 27 years her husband was in jail. But later in life she was caught up in corruption charges and was found guilty of kidnapping and assault. Retired archbishop Desmond Tutu said; "Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists."

Howard Government minister Jocelyn Newman died on Sunday at 80yo after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was a barrister before entering parliament and oversaw big changes to the welfare system. Her husband Kevin was a minister in the Fraser Government, and her son Campbell was premier of Queensland.

Johan van Hulst, the Dutch schoolteacher credited with saving more than 600 children from the Nazis in WWII, has died at an impressive 107yo. His is an incredible story.

Steve Bochco, creator of the TV hits that dominated our screens from the 80s (think Hill Street Blues, LA Law, NYPD Blue and Doogie Howser, MD) has died at 76yo from leukaemia. He was remembered as a pioneer and a gentleman.

ROSEANNE’S BACK
Speaking of former US television shows… Roseanne has been rebooted and who would have thought it would be at the forefront of a culture war? Roseanne Barr, the star, is a Trump supporter in real life and on the show, so some critics say her political views make it hard for them to support the show. But viewers have lapped it up - the first episode attracted a US audience of 21.9 million viewers last week, which is big. You’ll be able to hear Barr screech “Darleeeene” when Channel 10 airs it here soon.

AND IF YOU'RE SUPER KEEN...
Here's a quick rundown on some other bits and pieces from over the Easter break.

SQUIZ THE DAY

2.30pm (AEST) - Reserve Bank Board Meeting Monetary Policy Decision

ABS Data Release - Internet Activity, December

iPad's birthday (2010)