Squiz Today – Wednesday, 24 April

THREE MINUTE SQUIZ

“I tell you what, I love getting a Send Hope Mother’s Day card more than any other gift. Because flowers die. And women giving birth should not.”

Said journalist Emma Macdonald, a driving force behind Send Hope Not Flowers, which aims to help mothers survive childbirth in the developing world. Emma is someone we’ve always admired. And the two Walkley Awards, Telstra Business Award and fabulous sense of style are just the tip of the iceberg… With Mother's Day coming up (12 May), it's a great time to hear about the incredible things Send Hope Not Flowers do. Please welcome Emma to this week’s Three Minute Squiz.

---

SRI LANKAN ATTACKS PAYBACK FOR CHRISTCHURCH

THE SQUIZ
“Investigations have revealed that the attacks were carried out by Islamic extremists in retaliation to the mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand,” said Sri Lanka’s Minister for Defence Ruwan Wijewardene yesterday. He made the statement to the country’s parliament but did not offer any evidence for the connection. The death toll was yesterday revised upward to 321, and the first mass funeral for more than 30 victims was held as Sri Lanka marked an official day of mourning.

SO THEY KNOW WHO CARRIED OUT THE ATTACKS?
Islamic State has now claimed responsibility for the attacks. Forty people have been arrested (all Sri Lankan nationals), with the government saying the attacks were the work of NTJ (National Thowheed Jamaath), a local Islamist militant group, with assistance from an international terror network. Police have been given emergency powers to detain and question suspects without a court order. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that intelligence was not acted on to prevent the attacks, and those responsible for the failure would be fired as a consequence. Investigators from the Australian Federal Police and American FBI agents are travelling to Sri Lanka to assist.

IS ANYTHING MORE KNOWN ABOUT THE AUSTRALIANS WHO DIED?
Sudesh Kolonne, husband of Manik Suriaaratchi and father of Alexendria, yesterday spoke to Australia’s media about the loss of his family. Kolonne had walked outside after an Easter Sunday church service in Negombo, north of the capital Colombo, when an explosion detonated inside the church claiming the Australians’ lives. It was at this church where the most deaths occurred - more than 100 one report says. When he got to the pair, they were already dead. It’s a heartbreaking account. They were buried yesterday. There are also reports that a British couple who had lived in Perth for several years were also killed on Sunday. Dr Sally Bradley and Bill Harrop died in the attack on the Cinnamon Grand hotel.

---

SQUIZ THE REST

---

WATER AND ADANI TAKE LEADERS’ CAMPAIGNS OFF TRACK

It wasn’t PM Scott Morrison’s big plan to grow small businesses that got headlines yesterday. Nor was it Labor leader Bill Shorten’s big plan to pipe gas from Queensland’s Galilee Basin. And, sadly, it also wasn’t Morrison’s meeting with a crotch-curious Husky named Kesha either. For the Coalition, questions about an $80 million water buyback dominated leaving the caretaker Ag Minister David Littleproud to call in the auditors. Still, Morrison and Co deny any wrongdoing. And for Shorten, it’s his straddle on Adanithat’s absorbing his time. (Now there’s a visual…) That’s because he’s been in the part of Queensland that like the idea of the coal mine's development, and he's keen not to back it or bag it. And on it goes…

---

SS IRON CROWN DISCOVERED

Archaeologists have found a long-lost shipwreck in the Bass Strait off the coast of Victoria. It's the wreckage of the SS Iron Crown - a freight ship that was sunk by a Japanese submarine in June 1942 during WWII. Reports say the ship sunk in 60 seconds after it was hit by a torpedo killing 38 of the 43 people onboard. It was being used by BHP to transport ore from Whyalla in South Australia to Newcastle in New South Wales at the time. Researchers said the wreck was in a good state of preservation and they hoped the discovery would help the families of those who perished.

---

28 DEMERIT POINTS LOST IN ONE GO

Look, on a typical day it would have been 14 points (still enough to blow her licence out of the water…), but because it happened over Easter with double demerits in place, the driver lost enough points to lose her ticket to drive more than two times over. The mum was clocked by police allegedly with a mobile phone in her hand while driving on the Pacific Highway on the NSW Central Coast. But it was the allegations her three young children weren’t properly strapped in that pushed her way over the line. Reports say NSW Police issued 10,177 infringement notices over the busy Easter period, and Victorian Police issued 11,674.

---

FIRST MALARIA VACCINE FOR KIDS STARTS TESTING

Malawi is the location that’s been chosen by the World Health Organisation for a big trial of the world’s first vaccine for malaria that could protect kids. Africa is home to 90% of the malaria cases, and in 2017 435,000 people died, mostly children. The incidence of malaria was decreasing, but it’s recently been on the rise again concerning researchers and health advocates. The vaccine was created by drug giant GSK in 1987, and scientists have been working on it ever since.

---

WHAT A WHOPPER

It’s what our grandmother would have called “crass” - a 28.84-carat rare white diamond discovered in the Argyle mine (owned by Rio Tinto) in the east Kimberley region of Western Australia. The huge stone is being lauded for its shape, clarity and colour, and with the mine set to shut next year, operations manager Andrew Wilson said the team were thrilled to find it. A tender process will now start via the world's diamond market in Antwerp, Belgium. One estimate of its value doing the rounds yesterday was $500,000. Cheap…

---

APROPOS OF NOTHING

Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, has released some snaps she took of Prince Louis to mark the cutie’s first birthday.

These fine ladies were also happy to have their picture taken with the blokes who look after them.

Platform sandals are trending in Spring/Summer fashion overseas. This podiatrist says if you don’t like sprained ankles, stay off them.

SQUIZ THE DAY

Wednesday
ABS Data Release - Consumer Price Index, March

International Guide Dog Day

Barbra Streisand’s birthday (1942)

Thursday
Anzac Day - Lest We Forget

And we’re pausing tomorrow to mark the day. We’ll talk to you again on Friday morning.