Friday, 11 September - Forget about the pricetag

Good morning, it’s Friday, 11 September. In your Squiz Today…

• It’s been 25 years since the 9/11 terror attacks

• US President Donald Trump promises Americans US$5,000 if the Republicans win the midterms

• And unpacking Sweden’s democracy snacks… 🇸🇪

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🙋🏻‍♀️ This newsletter was written by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington, Jono Liondis and Sophie Felice

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said NFL star Dre Greenlaw when asked if he had any questions for Aussies ahead of his first trip down under with the San Francisco 49ers. While we’re closer than many countries to Antarctica (which is real, btw), he might want to lower his expectations for our snow forecast...

Remembering 9/11

The Squiz

It’s been 25 years since the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington DC that killed almost 3,000 people - including 10 Australians. In an attack that shocked and changed the world, hijackers from the Al-Qaeda extremist group flew 2 planes into the World Trade Centre, another into the Pentagon, while a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. It was the world’s largest terrorist attack to date, and the impacts are still being felt around the globe today.

It’s a lot

Most Squizers will remember exactly where they were when they heard that 2 planes had struck the Twin Towers, 17 minutes apart. Hundreds of millions of people around the world watched on live television as America realised it was under attack. The plane hijackings were carried out by 19 men associated with Al-Qaeda, but the mastermind was Osama bin Laden. He believed Christians and Jews controlled the US, and were conspiring against Islam. The events of that day triggered the US-led ‘War on Terror’, the invasion of Afghanistan and later, Iraq, as well as a huge search for bin Laden. He was eventually shot dead in Pakistan by US forces in 2011, when Barack Obama was US President.

What’s changed since?

A lot. Airport security, intelligence-sharing and counter-terror laws have been transformed everywhere over the last 25 years. The question of whether the world is a safer place today is disputed; some analysts reckon it’d be much harder to pull off a similar attack now, but others argue today’s geopolitical landscape is more complex and unpredictable, with new wars and technologies like AI posing new threats. As far as seeking justice for those killed, the trial of the alleged mastermind behind the attacks is yet to start - that’s set for June 2028. And in terms of how the anniversary is being marked, US President Donald Trump originally wanted to attend a ceremony in Manhattan, but politicians aren’t allowed to give speeches at Ground Zero, so he’ll be at an event at the Pentagon.

Squiz the Rest

Trump splashes the cash

The US President has promised to pay every American adult US$5,000 (A$6,950) if Republicans keep majorities in the Lower House and the Senate in the upcoming midterm elections. He made the offer at a Republican midterm convention - that supporters are calling Trump-a-palooza - in Dallas yesterday. But the sweetener came with almost no detail about how the US - which has just ticked over US$40 trillion in national debt - would afford it. And it’d need approval from Congress to actually happen… As for why he’s giving money away, reports say Trump’s approval rating has taken a hit due to the war with Iran and cost of living pressures. It’s said he wants to shore up support for his party, which holds a thin majority in the Lower House - and even though he’s not named on the ballot, he told the crowd to “pretend” he is, so they turn out to vote on 3 November.
*Curious about the midterms? We’ve got a Squiz Shortcut for you…

I ain’t calling you a traitor

There’s a spat going on between One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Liberal MP Andrew Hastie at the moment over a cartoon video Hanson posted in July that repeatedly labels Hastie a “traitor”. It’s allegedly a reference to his testimony against Ben Roberts-Smith, his former military colleague, who’s facing charges of war crimes. Hastie’s called Hanson “weak” and “a lying coward”, but Hanson is refusing to take the video down, saying it doesn’t reflect her views. Former PM Tony Abbott, independent senator Jacqui Lambie, and RSL Australia have all called for it to be removed. Worth noting: this follows One Nation’s win in the Secret Harbour state by-election in Western Oz, which overlaps with Hastie’s federal seat of Canning - a key target for Hanson in the next federal election…

Slip, Slop, Slap (and sue)

Sunscreen brand Ultra Violette is suing Wild Child Laboratories, the manufacturer of its base formula, in the Federal Court for millions of dollars. You might remember that testing by consumer group Choice last year found Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen product had an SPF rating of 4, not the SPF50+ on the label. The Therapeutic Goods Administration - aka the national medical watchdog - then recalled 20 sunscreens made with the same base formula. Here’s an explainer of what happened there… But the case is up in the air: Wild Child went into voluntary liquidation last month, having sold its assets to a new company, Heliora. It has the same CEO and director, but says it wasn’t set up to avoid Wild Child’s debts (around $20 million). It’s continuing the business, but the base formula at issue has been discontinued.

League by example

The NRL finals series begins tonight as the sixth-placed South Sydney Rabbitohs take on the seventh-placed Newcastle Knights at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. It’s the first of 4 finals games over the weekend, but - and stop us if you’ve heard this one before - the Penrith Panthers are the team to beat. They topped the ladder again this year, and they’re a big chance to go all the way again after winning in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. It’s almost getting too easy… But their big challenger this year is a team that has never won the title: the New Zealand Warriors, who finished a close second. The chance that the team from across the ditch might win the whole thing is getting Kiwis hyped… You can watch all the finals on Channel 9, 9Now and Kayo.

Time for some delicious demokratiköttbullar

That’s Swedish for ‘democracy meatball’, according to Google Translate... Sweden is heading into an election on Sunday, and for Swedes living abroad, there may only be one institution that rivals the cultural, and now diplomatic, importance of an actual embassy or consulate: IKEA stores. In the lead-up to the election, Swedes in Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland, and Hyderabad in India have been casting their votes in select IKEA stores as temporary voting locations. And there’s a strong incentive for Swedes to go pick up their democracy meatballs this year - it’s looking likely to be a very close election between the country's left-wing Swedish Social Democratic Party and the ruling right-wing bloc. We guess IKEA is now very literally the home of ‘democratic design’.

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

We loved the new Oasis documentary Don’t Look Back in Anger, which came out in Oz cinemas yesterday. It tracks the British rock band’s reunion tour after 15 years not talking, and had us singing from our seats. It features some hilarious behind-the-scenes exchanges between Liam and Noel Gallagher that had us in stitches.

If you’re into crime dramas, The Whisper Man had us on the edge of our seats. It stars Robert De Niro playing a retired detective investigating the disappearance of his grandchild alongside his estranged son, played by Adam Scott. It was Netflix’s most-watched movie last week - we’d recommend keeping your couch cushions handy…

Chef Yotam Ottolenghi has a new cookbook called Simple Too, and we especially appreciate these recipes because they’re both tasty and, as advertised, simple. This traybake chicken caesar salad ticked all the boxes for an easy midweek dinner, and we can see it on high rotation as the weather warms up.

Squiz the Day

Friday
10.35am (AEST) - NFL: Los Angeles Rams v San Francisco 49ers. This is the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Australia - Melbourne, watch on 7Plus 

7.50pm (AEST) - Rugby League: NRL elimination final South Sydney v Newcastle - Sydney, watch on 9Now

6.10pm (AWST) - Aussie rules: AFL semi-final Fremantle v Geelong - Perth, watch on 7Plus 

The Australian Business Network will host its Federal Business Policy Exchange (paywalled), where senior Liberals, including Coalition leader Angus Taylor, will meet with lobbyists who’ve paid $10,000 a ticket to talk to them for 15 minutes at the event - Canberra 

NRL finals series begins, watch on  Channel 9, 9Now and Kayo

World Athletics Ultimate Championship begins (until 13 September) - Budapest 

Surfing: WSL Trestles Pro at Lower Trestles - California (until 20 September) 

ABS data release: overseas arrivals and departures, July 2026; multiple job-holders, June 2026

The 25th anniversary of 9/11 

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown (until 13 September) - Jewish New Year

Enkutatash - Ethiopian New Year

Nayrouz - Coptic New Year

Braveheart’s White Balloon Day to benefit child protection advocacy 

Birthdays for ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad (1965), musician Moby (1965)

Anniversary of:

• Enid Blyton publishing the first of her Famous Five children's novels, which went on to become one of the best-selling children's series ever with over 100 million sold (1942)

• Chilean President Salvador Allende dying by suicide in the midst of a coup (1973)

• the release of the Atari 2600 video game console, which revolutionised the video game industry (1977)

• the last known smallpox death - that of medical photographer Janet Parker, who was infected in a British lab (1978)

Saturday
10.00am (AEST) - The Puffing Billy Running Festival is on - The Dandenong Ranges 

7.35pm (AEST) - Aussie rules: AFL semi-final Brisbane v Adelaide - Brisbane, watch on 7Plus 

7.50pm (AEST) - Rugby League: NRL elimination final Cronulla Sharks v North Queensland Cowboys - Sydney, watch on 9Now 

Floriade flower festival begins (until 11 October) - Canberra 

BRICS Summit begins, the theme is 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is likely to attend (until 13 September) - New Delhi

Social Sciences Week 2026 begins (until 20 September)

International Crochet Day 

World First Aid Day

Birthdays for writer Michael Ondaatje (1943) and composer Hans Zimmer (1957)

Anniversary of:

• the marriage of John F Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier (1953)

• the premiere of The Smurfs (1981)

• the collapse of Ansett Australia (2001)

Sunday
6.00am (AEST) - Tennis: US Open Women’s singles final - New York City, watch on 9Now

10.00am (AEST) - Boxing: Unbeaten Australian cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia v German-Armenian Noel Mikaelian - Las Vegas, Paramount+ 

4.05pm (AEST) - NRL qualifying final Penrith Panthers v Sydney Roosters - Sydney, watch on 9Now 

11.05pm (AEST) - Motorsports: Formula One Spanish Grand Prix - Madrid, watch on Kayo 

Swedish general elections

A birthday for actor and producer Tyler Perry (1969)

Anniversary of:

• the birthdays of Roald Dahl (1916) and Shane Warne (1969)

• the Swiss inventor George de Mestral granting a patent for Velcro (1955)

• the premiere of Scooby-Doo (1969)

• the release of Nintendo's first-ever Super Mario Bros game (1985)

• the premiere of Law and Order (1990)

Monday 
4.00am (AEST) - Basketball: FIBA Women's World Cup Final - Berlin, watch on Kayo 

4.00am (AEST) - Tennis: US Open Men’s singles final - New York City, watch on 9Now