2025-26 Squiz the Break

January 04, 2026

The news didn’t let up over the last couple of weeks, so we’re here to make the transition from lazy mornings and a devil-may-care attitude to your general appearance (or maybe that’s just us…) to regular programming a little bit easier.

Squiz the Break

Shockwaves on Bondi Beach - The aftermath of the antisemitic terror attack of 14 December continued to dominate our news... There’s been a bit, so to break it down:

  • There’s been an investigation into why the 2 gunmen in the shooting visited the Philippines in the weeks leading up to the event - new Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says there was no evidence they ended up training for the attack there, and they believe the father and son duo acted alone.

  • Just before Christmas, Premier Chris Minns recalled NSW Parliament for a vote on new laws regarding guns, hate speech and protests. He also confirmed there will be a NSW-led Royal Commission into the attacks.

  • There will also be a federal review into our intelligence/law enforcement agencies - but PM Anthony Albanese is under pressure over his reluctance to call a federal Royal Commission. Families of the victims, business leaders and other groups are urging one…

  • Also during the break, Ahmed Al Ahmed - the heroic father of 2 who wrestled a gun off one of the shooters - gave his first interview about the day. When he was asked why he intervened, he said “my soul asked me to do that”. 

Tragedy at a ski chalet - Switzerland continues to mourn after a deadly blaze killed 40 people and injured 119 others - mostly young partygoers - at a ski resort bar on New Year’s Eve. Police have pointed to sparklers setting the ceiling of the basement venue alight, and the victims were trapped with one stairway out… Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the bar’s managers as President Guy Parmelin said it’s one of Switzerland’s most traumatic events.

Slow progress towards peace in the Middle East - US President Donald Trump said he hopes the second phase of his peace plan in Gaza will happen “very quickly”, as the ceasefire continues to hold despite ongoing fighting, and humanitarian issues continue to get worse. The President says that Hamas’s disarmament is crucial...

And in Ukraine… - Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and said the 2 countries were getting “pretty close” to a new peace deal, but the debate over territory - particularly in Donbas - continues to be stickier than your Christmas sellotape…

And in Sudan… - There’s been even less progress in the Sudan, where fighting in the country’s civil war crossed the thousand-day mark. The United Nations says the country’s health system is on the brink of collapse. 

And tensions simmer between Thailand and Cambodia - The long-running border dispute flared up again in early December, and the 2 countries reached (another) ceasefire over the break. Nearly one million people were displaced from their homes in this latest round of fighting, but the Christmas ceasefire saw Thailand release 18 Cambodian prisoners of war and there are hopes for peace in 2026.

An uprising in Iran - There have been massive protests for the last week, with Iranians furious about economic mismanagement and political corruption. It all kicked off when merchants in Iran’s capital of Tehran shut up shop after the local currency hit a record low against the US dollar. Then protests went nationwide with calls for the theocratic rulers of Iran to hold free elections. President Masoud Pezeshkian says he’s listening to the “legitimate demands” of the protestors.

Queen Camilla opens up - On New Year’s Eve, the 78yo spoke to the BBC about the time she was attacked as a teenager, during a discussion about violence against women. The Queen said she remembered “being so angry” about it... It’s confirmation the incident took place after years of speculation - she said she decided to talk about it in the hope of removing the stigma from discussing violence against women.

Shipwrecked… - If your holiday travel was a bit bumpy, spare a thought for the dozens of passengers aboard cruise ship the Coral Adventurer, who didn’t have a great time of it when the ship unexpectedly lived up to its name by hitting a reef off the coast of Papua New Guinea. This is the same ship that left a passenger behind off Far North Queensland in October, and on this occasion, passengers made their unhappiness very clear…

A whirlwind couple of weeks in the cricket - Before we get to the on-field stuff - the cricket community’s thoughts are with former star batter Damien Martyn, who has meningitis and is in a fight for his life. You can relive his crucial innings in the 2003 World Cup Final here to see what made him a special player. As for the on-field action - Australia wrapped up the series with a win in the third Test in Adelaide, but then Melbourne - the famous Boxing Day Test - turned up one of the shortest Ashes matches ever… England's victory in well under 2 days was their first on Australian soil since 2011. That means a 5-0 Aussie victory is off the cards, but the vibes at the end of the Sydney Test that’s currently underway will hopefully be celebratory… The home team will be toasting the glorious career of batter Usman Khawaja, who announced before the game that it’ll be his final Test. Well done, mate… 

Min River wins the Sydney to Hobart - This year’s 80th edition was a thankfully much safer affair (but not drama-free with a quarter of the fleet pulling out thanks to some wild conditions…) than 2024, when 2 sailors died during the first night of the race. This year, Min River took the overall title following a protest against the initial leader BNC, making it the first female-skippered yacht to take out the title. Line honours (aka the first yacht to cross the finish line before handicaps etc are factored in) went to Comanche. 

Vale

  • Brigitte Bardot - One of the most famous names in France died on 28 December aged 91yo. Bardot role in the 1956 romantic drama And God Created Woman made her a global sex symbol before she retired in 1973 - aged 39yo - to focus on animal rights campaigning. She also became a controversial political figure thanks to her support of and friendship with the far-right Le Pen family in France. For a local connection, she was also the inspiration behind early 2000s reality TV pop group Bardot. Now that’s a throwback…

  • Katie Allen - Just before Christmas, the family of former federal MP Dr Katie Allen announced that the 59yo had died from a rare cancer called cholangiocarcinoma. Allen was the member for the Victorian seat of Higgins between 2019 and 2022. Coalition leader Sussan Ley called her “a trailblazer in every sense”.

  • Nick Bolkus - And on Christmas Day, the first Greek Australian federal cabinet minister who was prominent in the Hawke/Keating governments died aged 75yo. PM Anthony Albanese said Labor was mourning “one of its great sons”. 

Apropos of Nothing

Matildas star Sam Kerr and partner Kristie Mewis tied the knot on New Year’s Eve, with a pretty schmick-looking wedding in the Swan Valley in Western Oz… If you’d like a stickybeak at the pics, Vogue has you covered…

The Swiss city of Zurich has established a new hotline to deal with property damage and other issues caused by beavers. It’s staffed by ecologists who give locals advice on what to do when the critters are being a dam nuisance… 

Tennis had another Battle of the Sexes for 2025, with Aussie Nick Kyrgios defeating women’s #1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition game in Dubai. Despite the exhibition status, it’s generated plenty of controversy - but both players are keen for a rematch…