Squiz Today / 18 December 2019
Squiz Today – Wednesday, 18 December
SQUIZ SAYINGS
“WARNING: This man is presently in charge of the country.”
Tweeted comedian/satirist Shaun Micallef with a picture of Deputy PM Michael McCormack resplendent in an Elvis outfit. And yes, he is.
NETFLIX GETS READY TO FIGHT
THE SQUIZ
As more streaming services come online, incumbent service Netflix has revealed where in the world its growth is coming from. It's the first time the company has revealed its subscriber numbers by region for its operations outside of the US since 2017.
WHY IS THAT NOTABLE?
Well, Netflix says 90% of its subscriber growth is coming from its international operations. Which is a not too subtle message to investors that as the American market matures and becomes more competitive, it’s got other bases covered. In total, Netflix has about 160 million subscribers. Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa are its most significant growth markets. And kudos to the Asia-Pacific region (put your hands in the air, Australia…) - it is delivering Netflix its largest percentage increase, but the customer base is small compared to other regions. So suck on that Disney+ and Apple TV+ (is what Netflix is essentially saying… we’d never be that rude.)
SO WHAT?
The disruptors are being disrupted. Yes, Netflix has innovated the billy-o out of how we watch the telly and movies. And it’s produced some of the best content of the last few years. For example, according to one survey of the 20 most-streamed TV shows of 2019 worldwide, all but one are on Netflix (the outlier was Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale). But with other big players getting in on the action, and concern about the pace at which Netflix has added new subscribers this year, let the streaming wars begin. How that plays out for broadcasters and streaming services here in Oz (ahem Foxtel…) is a docudrama that’s yet to air.
SQUIZ THE REST
VIOLENT PROTESTS ESCALATE IN INDIA
Controversial new citizenship laws in India have sparked days of protests across the country, leading to at least six deaths. And critics are concerned the Hindu-majority nation is abandoning its secular roots. The laws speed up the citizenship process for migrants from neighbouring countries if they are they are Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsee or Jain - but not Muslim. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has responded to demonstrations by sending out troops, shutting down the internet and imposing curfews. It comes just months after India revoked Kashmir’s autonomy (a majority-Muslim region), and enforced a citizenship test which left almost two million people (mainly Muslims) stateless.
For a quick look at Modi’s leadership style (including his commitment to the Hindu cause), we have a Squiz Shortcut on him along with other world leaders, Brazil’s Bolsonaro and Turkey’s Erdogan.
PAKISTAN’S FORMER PREZ SENTENCED TO DEATH
Pakistan has sentenced its former president Pervez Musharraf to death. Although he is currently in Dubai and is unlikely to return home, General Musharraf was sentenced in absentia for treason over his suspension of the constitution in 2007, when he declared emergency rule in a move intended to extend his time in the top job. The military leader seized power in a 1999 coup and was President of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. The military, which still has a strong hand, criticised the decision. Musharraf had previously called the case against him "baseless".
BROTHERS IN ARMS SENTENCED
Two brothers who plotted to smuggle a bomb hidden inside a meat grinder onto an international flight have been given lengthy sentences. Khaled (51yo) and Mahmoud Khayat (34yo), who planned to target an Etihad Airways flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi in July 2017, were handed jail terms of 40 and 36 years respectively. They placed the bomb in the luggage of a third brother, Amer, who spent more than two years in a Lebanese prison over the failed bomb plot despite being unaware of the plan.
GENDER PAY EQUITY SOME WAY OFF
About 99 years off, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Out of 153 countries, Iceland topped the world rankings followed by Norway, Sweden, Finland and Nicaragua. New Zealand is in sixth place, while Australia ranked 44th - down from 39th place last year. This year, the global gender pay gap reduced by 1% to 31%, thanks to a growing number of women in politics. WEF founder Klaus Schwab said; "At the dawn of the 2020s, building fairer and more inclusive economies must be the goal of global, national and industry leaders,” he said.
AUSSIE WOMEN DOMINATE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET HONOURS
The International Cricket Council has named Australia’s Ellyse Perry as the women’s player of the year. Also named one-day international player of the year, Perry said "It's an amazing honour and I'm a little bit shocked”. She’s a dab hand with a bat and ball (meaning she can bat and bowl…), and she was instrumental to our cricketing success this year, including our retention of the Ashes. Meanwhile, Alyssa Healy was named the T20 international player of the year. She’s a name to remember as the Aussies gear up for a home T20 World Cup next year.
CAN YOU BELIEVE...
…that in the 25 years it’s been out there, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas has never hit the #1 position on America’s Billboard charts? Well, for the first time since its release in 1994, she’s done it. “It is just, like, mind-boggling," she said yesterday. To non-fans of the pervasive Chrissy tune, indeed it is…
SQUIZ THE DAY
Annual General Meeting - National Australia Bank
A gift for stats lovers with today’s ABS Data Release - Information Paper: Introduction of the Consumer Price Index Weight Update, 2019
Qatar’s National Day
Brad Pitt’s birthday (1963)
Anniversary of the premiere of Peter Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite” in St. Petersburg, Russia (1892)
The Squiz Archive
Want to check out Squiz Today from the archive?
Get the Squiz Today newsletter
It's a quick read and doesn't take itself too seriously. Get on it.