Squeeze Kids acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands on which we podcast the Turrbal and Combermeri people.
Squeeze Kids!
It's your daily news fix.
Fun, free, fresh.
Hello and welcome to Squeeze Kids today.
Your fresh take on what's happening in the world around you.
I'm Christy Kidgerina.
It's Wednesday, October 15th.
In Swiss Kids Today, tears and cheers.
In Israel and Gaza two fearless felines baseball goes bananas and royal conquers to the rescue.
That's what's making news, kids style.
What's the sound of a whole country exhaling?
In Israel and Gaza on Monday night, our time, families hugged loved ones that weren't sure they'd ever see each other again, after the final 20 living Israeli hostages and almost 2000 Palestinian prisoners were freed as part of a new ceasefire deal.
A ceasefire means the fighting pauses, so people can move safely, aid can reach those who need it and leaders can keep talking instead of shooting.
It doesn't fix everything, but it gives people a moment to breathe and to hope.
The ceasefire comes after more than two years of conflict between the country of Israel and the militant organisation Hamas.
The released hostages were taken to hospitals in Israel, while buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners rolled into Gaza and the West Bank, where crowds cheered, waved flags and reunited with family.
But as the celebrations continued, many others were still searching through rubble, mourning loved ones or trying to find food and shelter.
US President Donald Trump, who helped broker the deal, flew into Israel and declared the war is over.
It's a bold statement and one everyone's hoping might come true.
But for now, it's more of a wish than a promise.
The ceasefire brings a precious pause and maybe a chance to end the conflict permanently.
Spin the globe.
Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a new story from wherever it stops.
And today we've landed in England, where the World Conquer Championships have crowned a brand new king and queen conqueror.
So what on earth is a conqueror?
Well, it's a shiny brown nut, actually the seed of a horse chestnut tree.
And for generations, kids in Britain have played a game called Conkers.
Now you thread a shoelace through your conker, take turns swinging it at your opponents, and if you smash your opponent's conker, you are the winner.
Think of it like handball meets marbles, but with flying nuts instead of balls and marbles.
This year's tournament almost didn't happen because of a hot, dry summer, meaning that there weren't enough conquers.
Until a royal rescue arrived from Windsor Castle, of all places.
Organisers say a mystery helper sent over a batch of perfect, shiny chestnuts.
And they like to imagine King Charles picked them himself.
Over 200 Conquerors battled it out in fancy dress, with Margaret Blake and Matt Cross crowned this year's champions.
Long live the King and Queen of Conquers.
My two black cats love nothing better than curling up in the sun, but it turns out there are other cats that like clocking up the kilometres.
First up today is Ray Ray, a fearless feline from the US town of Kittading true, who hitched a 160 kilometre ride on the roof of his family's van.
His humans had packed up for a weekend away, but they forgot to pack the cat.
They only realised that Ray Ray was hanging onto the roof when they stopped for petrol and spotted him clinging to the luggage rack.
His whiskers had been flapping in the wind at 110 kilometres an hour.
Don't worry though, he was totally fine and spent the rest of the trip safely inside a cat backpack, sightseeing his way around New York City.
Hmm, must be nice.
Meanwhile, back in Australia, another adventurous moggy named Mango has become a bit of an outback legend.
Living on a cattle station near Stonehenge in Queensland.
Mango rides shotgun on his owner's motorbike during musters, joins the working dogs and has even helped lift the community's spirits after big floods earlier this year.
Links to pics of both the cats are in the episode notes.
Two cats, two wild rides.
And honestly, I can't even get mine to hop in the car without a lot of angry meowing.
Music Sport time.
What's yellow?
Has 30 million social media followers and choreographed dance routines.
Banana ball.
Never heard of it?
That, my friends, is about to change.
Banana ball or banana ball, is a wild, high-energy version of baseball, invented by a US team called the Savannah Bananas on a mission to make the sport more appealing, and i'd been trying so hard not to set off the mum joke buzzer.
Today, instead of long, slow innings like traditional baseball, there's a two hour time limit, no bunting, no walking to first base and if a fan in the crowd catches a foul ball, the batter is out.
Players even bust out dance moves between the plays.
The bananas tour across america playing to sold-out crowds with fireworks, music and plenty of monkey business.
They even played the Aussie Drop Bears a few years back.
And if they ever swing our way again, I'm bringing the smoothies.
Let's kick this school term off with a Squiz Kids Q&A with a difference.
This is question time, not sledge time.
Order.
Order.
Sit down.
Prime Minister, resume your seat.
Members will cease interjecting.
I'm issuing a general warning.
There's no point in me repeating myself over and over again.
I have asked for silence.
I've asked for silence.
It applies to you.
Order.
Our next guest in the Q&A hot seat is a man called Milton Dick.
He's what's called the House Speaker in Federal Parliament in Canberra.
He's the guy that you see on the TV news at night sitting in that big chair in the middle of all those shouty politicians.
And he's doing his level best to make sure everyone plays nicely.
But here's the thing.
He's finding it harder to get our politicians to play by the rules.
He's all for disagreement, but only if it's done respectfully.
And this is where he needs your help.
He's looking for new things to say to our federal politicians to keep them in line, and he reckons that there's no one better than Aussie kids to help him out.
Send us your suggestions of what Milton should say, or do think hands on your head or fingers on lips to our politicians when things get heated in the House of Reps.
He's going to choose the best ones and read them out in an upcoming session of federal parliament.
And read out your name too.
It might be something that your parents say to stop you from fighting with your siblings, or something your teacher says to turn your classroom from chaos into calm.
Send us your suggestions via email to squizkids at thesquiz.com.au.
Time for the Squiz.
This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you've been listening.
Question number one.
In Spin the Globe today...
Which shiny brown seed did players use in the World Conquers Championships?
Well done to you if you said horse chestnuts.
Question number two.
What's the name of the outback cat who rides a motorbike with his owner?
That would be the magnificent mango.
Question number three.
Which Aussie team once played a game of banana ball against the Savannah Bananas?
I reckon you might have got this one.
It is the Aussie Drop Bears.
Shout out.
It's Wednesday, October 15, World Students Day.
There's a day for mums, dads, grandparents, teachers, even dogs and cats.
Finally, a day for you.
Happy World Students Day, people.
I hope it comes with cake.
Today is a very special day for these quiz kids celebrating a birthday.
Zoe and Tilly from Vermont South.
Lana from Ivanhoe, Eliza from West Albury, Meredith from Kepra, Lucy from Ulverston, Mackenzie from Narrenburn and Ruby from Currie Currie.
And because so many of you had birthdays over the school holidays and we do not want anyone to miss out, we're going to be catching up on all those belated shoutouts this week.
So I think we might need the help of the birthday reggae tune.
It's a very happy birthday to Finn from Clayfield.
Thomas from Albany Creek.
Aya from Woodcroft.
Maruva from Forest Lake.
Skylar from Indooroopilly.
Billy from Heathcote.
Bryce from Wagga Wagga.
Anira from Glen Waverley.
Cormac from Canning Vale.
Clarissa from Devonport.
Quill from Eden Hill.
Anna from Carignup.
David from Springvale.
Oh my goodness, so many of you.
Gusirit from Oran Park.
Jessie from Adelaide.
Margaret from Canberra.
Xander from Eglinton.
Chloe from Springvale.
Lawrence from Exeter.
Frankie from Newtown.
Josie from Arana Hill.
Charlie from Strathkeller.
And Sam, who's listening all the way over there in Taranga, New Zealand.
And classroom shout-outs will be back next week.
Don't forget.
If you have a birthday coming up and you want a shout-out, or if you're after a classroom shout-out, drop us a line at squizkids at thesquizcomau, or you can fill out the form on our website.
Well, Squiz Kids, that's all we have time for.
Thanks for listening to Squiz Kids today.
We'll be back again tomorrow.
But in the meantime, get out there and have a most excellent day.
Over and out.
Thank you.
