Friday, 26 September - It's cool for cats

September 26, 2025

Good morning, it’s Friday, 26 September. In your Squiz Today…

  • The PM gives a big speech to the United Nations

  • Gearing up for the AFL Grand Final

  • and some tasty prawn tostadas… 🍤

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“ATTACK SQUIRREL BEWARE!!!!!!!!”

Says a sign posted around the San Francisco Bay Area about a “very mean squirrel” that’s accused of attacking locals, sending 2 to the emergency room. The hunt to find the rogue squirrel is on in earnest, but authorities are nut having much luck so far…

Oz on the world stage

The Squiz

PM Anthony Albanese had the attention of world leaders during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, where he shared Australia’s positions on climate change and global conflicts. It came a day after US President Donald Trump’s address, where he took a different tune, calling the fight against climate change a “con job” and questioning the UN’s role in the modern world. Albanese appeared to push back on Trump’s comments, saying clean energy will help “rapidly growing economies of the Indo-Pacific to industrialise and decarbonise at the same time”. He also called for greater global cooperation - particularly when it comes to ending international wars.

So he covered a bit…

Yep - here’s the speech in full. And on the topic of encouraging more cooperation, Albanese announced that Oz is still hoping for re-election to the UN Security Council in 2029-30. FYI - the Security Council, which aims to maintain international peace and security, is made up of 5 permanent members: the US, UK, France, Russia and China. Then there are 10 other countries selected by the UN General Assembly as non-permanent members for 2-year terms, and that's what Oz is pushing for. The last time we held a seat was 2013-14, but our former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop launched a bid for 2029-30 membership back in 2015, and Albanese reckons we still want to snag a seat. He said the UN is more than "an arena for the great powers" - it's also "a platform for middle powers and small nations to voice - and achieve - our aspirations".

And what about the climate?

Emissions reduction targets were a big talking point at the UN this week, with nations sharing their updated goals. You’ll likely recall that Oz announced our target last week, and yesterday, Albanese took the opportunity to push big global emitters (specifically China, the world's largest carbon polluter…) to do more. He did that hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his nation's aim to reduce emissions by 7-10% by 2035 - a target that was criticised as not being ambitious enough by some experts. And while we’re talking climate, Oz has another ambition - hosting the UN’s COP31 climate summit next year. Turkey’s still in the race to host, and Albanese is reportedly trying to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - something Trump did overnight - to lobby him to drop Turkey’s bid. To be continued…

*And if you want to learn more about our bid to host COP31, this Shortcut will get you up to speed.

Sweet dreams are made of this

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Squiz the Rest

The US turns up the heat on Russia…

…to bring its war on Ukraine to an end, with US Vice President JD Vance saying his boss, President Trump, is “growing incredibly impatient” with Moscow as the war drags on. Vance said the White House doesn’t think Russia is negotiating in good faith, and warned that it would “be very, very bad for their country” if that continued. That’s after Trump calling Russia a “paper tiger” earlier this week (aka it seems powerful but isn’t really) and that he thought Ukraine could possibly take back all the territory it has lost during the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - who says he may step down from the Presidency when the war ends - cautiously welcomed Trump's comments on Russia, but the Kremlin's furious, saying it prefers the description "real bear" to "paper tiger". Rawr…

Prison for a former French President

This would be Nicolas Sarkozy, who copped a 5-year sentence overnight for a criminal conspiracy involving former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy came to power in 2007, but he's been on trial for using millions of euros he received from Gaddafi to fund the election campaign that got him there, in exchange for helping to smooth over Gaddafi's reputation among France's Western allies. It's not the first time Sarkozy has faced a criminal case - he was found guilty of overspending on his 2012 campaign, and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, is also charged with hiding evidence on the Gaddafi matter, which she denies. The ex-President says the case is politically motivated and he'll appeal, but he's still set to be the first French President to ever spend time in prison. Speaking outside court, he said, "I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high."

A line-ball call is resolved

The 2025 federal election might have happened in May, but it’s only just been completely finalised as Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian conceded the NSW electorate of Bradfield yesterday. Kapterian had launched a legal challenge against the result in that seat due to the very narrow margin - initially 8 votes in Kapterian's favour, then 26 votes for the independent candidate, Nicolette Boele. Boele was declared the winner and is representing the electorate in federal parliament, but in the meantime a deciding 151 ballots were being investigated by the Court of Disputed Returns. Kapterian says after "going to the video umpire", she's now satisfied the right result had been reached and has ended the legal action. So these election results are now official, nearly 5 months after the fact. Democracy moves at its own pace… 

A catfight at the MCG

Tomorrow’s the big day in the world of Aussie Rules, as the Geelong Cats and the Brisbane Lions go head to head in the AFL Grand Final. Neither team’s been a stranger to the pointy end in recent times - Brisbane are the reigning champs, and Geelong, who will go in as favourites, won the flag in 2022 - but they’ve never met each other in a Grand Final. The match itself begins at 2.30pm AEST tomorrow, but the game is just the main event - there’s also a Grand Final parade in Melbourne today (and a public holiday, you lucky Melburnians), a pre-match concert from rapper Snoop Dogg, and a different look to the traditional half-time sprint. For rugby league fans, it’s the penultimate week of the season - here’s a guide to this weekend’s NRL and NRLW preliminary finals that’ll decide who makes the GF next weekend.

A surprise name dominates the ARIA noms

Take note of the name Ninajirachi if you haven’t already - the 26yo electronic music producer picked up 8 ARIA nominations yesterday. Her debut record I Love My Computer only came out last month, but it had a big impact - she's in the running for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Breakthrough Artist as well. Talk about starting strong… Another Oz music producer, 33yo Dom Dolla, also had a big day, picking up 7 noms of his own. Here's the full list of nominees, with big names like Kylie Minogue, Missy Higgins and the Hilltop Hoods all in the running for awards as well. The winners will be announced on 19 November, with Aussie music legends You Am I set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. If they get a tribute half as good as last year’s celebration of Missy Higgins, it’ll be a ripper night…

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

We had a lovely time at the movies watching Kangaroo, an Aussie flick starring Ryan Corr and Deborah Mailman and inspired by the story of Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns and his kangaroo sanctuary. It’s a fun family film and features a bunch of cute joeys - can’t go wrong…

With Season 5 starting this week, it’s an ideal time to catch up on the Apple TV+ spy series Slow Horses, about a team of sidelined spies that somehow always end up in the middle of an international incident. For Gary Oldman’s performance alone, it’s worth your time…

As the weather gets a bit warmer, these prawn ceviche tostadas might be the perfect snack to work your way back into summer eating. As you can see from the ingredients list, they are full of flavour and should only take 30 minutes to whip up. Delish-e…

Gotta be in it to win it…

Want the chance to win a $100 gift voucher to The Iconic? If you click the link in the newsletter each day this week (so we’ll know you’ve read each email), that chance is yours. And because it’s Friday, here’s an early button for you to hit - may the force be with you…

Squiz the Day

Friday
A public holiday in Victoria for the Friday before the AFL Grand Final

9.00am (AEST) - The AFL Grand Final Parade gets underway in Melbourne Park Precinct, with Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield, Brisbane captain Lachie Neale (who was in doubt but is named to play) and the clubs’ coaches set to speak at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s grand final - Melbourne

11.30am (AEST) - Wayahead’s 2025 Mental Health Matters Awards - Sydney

1.00pm (AEST) - Authors Michelle de Kretser, Hayley Singer and others will speak at Stella Day Out, the one-day literary festival - Hobart

2.15pm (AEST) - A judgment will be delivered at the Federal Court for a whistleblower who is suing ANZ after being sacked - Sydney 

7.50pm (AEST) - Rugby league: Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks in an NRL preliminary final at AAMI Park - Melbourne, watch on Channel 9 or Kayo

9.10pm (AEST) - The best golfers from Europe and the US will compete against each other in teams at the 2025 Ryder Cup, beginning with the morning foursome matches - New York, US

ABS data releases: Deaths, Australia, 2024; Microdata: Longitudinal Labour Force

A birthday for tennis legend Serena Williams (1981)

Anniversary of:

  • Operation Jaywick, the action that became the starting point for Australia’s Special Forces (1943)

  • Olivia Newton-John's birthday (1948)

  • Republican Richard Nixon squaring off against Democrat John F. Kennedy in America’s first televised presidential debate (1960)

  • the premiere of the TV series Gilligan's Island (1964)

  • the release of The Beatles' album Abbey Road and the premiere of TV sitcom The Brady Bunch (1969)

  • Saudi Arabia announcing by royal decree the overturning of its ban on women driving - the last country in the world to do so (2017) 

Saturday
9.00am (AEST) - RAAF Base Richmond celebrates its 100th anniversary with the RAAF Richmond Airshow - Richmond, NSW

9.00am (AEST) - Kamilaroi/Bigambul artist Archie Moore’s Kith and Kin exhibition will open at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Arts following his win of the Golden Lion Award for Best National Participation at last year’s La Biennale di Venezia - Brisbane

2.30pm (AEST) - Aussie rules: Geelong Cats v Brisbane Lions in the AFL Grand Final at the MCG - Melbourne, watch on Channel 7 or Kayo. 

3.05pm (AEST) - Rugby union: Wallabies v All Blacks in the first of 2 Bledisloe Cup matches - Auckland, NZ, watch on Stan Sport. 

7.45pm (AEST) - Rugby league: Sydney Roosters v Cronulla Sharks in an NRLW preliminary final at Polytec Stadium - Gosford, NSW, watch on Channel 9 or 9Now

Durga Puja, a Hindu festival paying homage to the Hindu goddess Durga (until 29 September)

Birthdays for broadcaster Ray Hadley (1954), actor Gwyneth Paltrow (1972), and rapper Lil Wayne (1982)

Anniversary of:

  • French scholar Jean-François Champollion announcing he had deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics using the Rosetta Stone (1822)

  • the physics journal Annalen der Physik publishing Albert Einstein's paper introducing the equation E=mc² (1905)

  • WC Handy releasing the first blues song, Memphis Blues (1912)

  • the publication of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring about the environmental impacts of pesticide use in the US (1962)

  • George and Amal Clooney’s wedding (2014)

  • the death of Hugh Hefner (2017)

Sunday
1.00am (AEST) - Rugby: Canada v England in the final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup - London, UK, watch on Stan Sport

7.00am (AWST) - MMA: UFC Fight Night begins at RAC Arena, featuring a key clash between heavyweights Dominick Reyes and Carlos Ulberg - Perth, watch on Kayo

9.00am (AEST) - Festivities at the Mary Poppins Festival begin - Maryborough, QLD

10.00am (AEST) - The AFL keeps on coming - the Geelong Cats will hold a fan day at St Mary’s Football Oval - Geelong

1.15pm (AEST) - Rugby league: Brisbane Broncos v Newcastle Knights in a preliminary final of the NRLW at Suncorp Stadium  - Brisbane, watch on Channel 9 or 9Now

3.00pm (AEST) - Moldova will head to the polls for the country’s parliamentary elections with growing concerns around the threat of Russian interference

3.00pm (AEST) - MotoGP: Grand Prix of Japan race - Motegi, Japan, watch on Kayo

3.05pm (AEST) - Rugby league: Brisbane Broncos v Penrith Panthers in an NRL preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium - Brisbane, watch on Channel 9 or 9Now

A birthday for actors Naomi Watts (1968) and Hillary Duff (1987)

Anniversary of: 

  • the release of Stevie Wonder's 18th studio album Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

  • the release of Olivia Newton-John's single Physical (1981)

  • SpaceX launching the first ever private spacecraft, the Falcon 1 into orbit (2008)