Friday, 29 August - Oh, I wish I was a punk rocker

August 29, 2025

Good morning, it’s Friday, 29 August. In your Squiz Today…

  • Deputy PM Richard Marles’ US meetings cause confusion

  • Qantas has turned a big profit after a patchy year

  • And a tasty Korean BBQ chicken that won’t take you ages… 🍗

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“She’s named Billie Jean Bling.”

Said tennis star Naomi Osaka, explaining the name of her customised Labubu, which is covered in red and gold crystals and even has its own tennis racket. If you’re going to have one of the wildly collectable viral dolls, it might as well be named after one of the best…

Confusion over a meeting’s meatiness

The Squiz

Deputy PM/Defence Minister Richard Marles has been in the US this week for a scheduled meeting with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance - depending on who you ask… With AUKUS and other defence issues on his mind, Marles posted a pic to Instagram of himself, Vance and Hegseth smiling. But yesterday, a Pentagon official said it wasn’t a scheduled meeting between Hegseth and Marles - they called it a “happenstance encounter” - only for a different spokesperson to call it a “meeting” that “was co-ordinated in advance”. So, clear as mud…

Umm, why does any of that matter?

That’s a fair question. It certainly mattered to members of the Greens and the Coalition, who used the initial “happenstance encounter” comment as evidence that Marles’ American counterparts were dismissing him. The thing is, if Marles was being dissed, that would be a bad sign for AUKUS - the multi-billion-dollar security pact between Australia, the UK, and the US involving submarines and the upping of our joint defence efforts in the Pacific. The US is currently reviewing the agreement - they reckon that'll be done sometime in spring - and it's all being watched very closely. And additional reports this morning say Marles had another goal for his trip beyond defence - lobbying for a meeting between PM Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump.

Anything else to know?

It wasn't the only scheduling confusion to happen yesterday... Cricketer Usman Khawaja headed to Canberra for a 1:1 meeting with the PM to talk about the war in Gaza. Khawaja was there to press the PM for more action, but the meeting was cancelled, which he said he was "a little bit bummed by"... But the cricketer was ultimately called up for a chat where he was able to put his case, and he said the 2 men had a good discussion - whether it will lead to anything, he said "time will tell". Separately, Khawaja was in Canberra to talk about sports gambling - he says the government has been "100% too slow" to act on sports gambling advertising. As a refresher, the government received a report over 2 years ago that recommended banning advertising for online gambling, something that advocates are still waiting for a response on.

Turning water into shine

If you're hitting reset or doing a mid-year refresh, Skipper’s #1 just-add-water home and body care range is for you. Chuck one of their tablets into some water, and you can save some cash and reduce waste. The range includes universal cleaners, body washes, laundry sheets and more, and you can build your own bundle and get up to $120 off. Skip to it...

Squiz the Rest

The Porepunkah manhunt enters its fourth day…

Victorian Police say they “will not rest” until they’ve caught alleged gunman Dezi Freeman, who is still on the run in the north-eastern Alpine region. The ‘sovereign citizen’ is thought to be hiding out near Porepunkah after 2 police officers were shot dead and a third was injured on Tuesday while attending Freeman’s property as part of a historical sex crimes investigation. Police Superintendent Brett Kahan called on Freeman to surrender - as it stands, he has not been sighted since he went on the run. While that continues, Deputy Commissioner Russell Barrett said police resources are stretched, given anti-immigration rallies taking place around the country this weekend… He’s asked anyone planning to attend Melbourne’s rally to reconsider.

A taxing time ends

Whistleblower Richard Boyle has avoided a conviction and jail sentence for exposing unethical debt collection practices at the Tax Office. The former public servant pleaded guilty to charges including disclosing protected information (which he did when he went public with the allegations on ABC TV’s Four Corners), and was facing a potential 161-year sentence… That sound you could hear yesterday was his sigh of relief when he received a $500 fine and a 12-month good behaviour bond. Judge Liesl Kudelka said she understood Boyle did what he thought was right, but there was "no room in our society for people to take the law into their own hands", but she added that "blowing the whistle can be a tough gig". Boyle raised his concerns internally before going public in 2018.

A big jump for the Flying Kangaroo

It was a banner year on the balance sheet for Qantas, with the airline’s profit for the last financial year rising to $2.39 billion - the second-highest number in its history. That result comes after a fair bit of turbulence - the national carrier was ordered to pay a $90 million fine for illegally sacking workers during the COVID pandemic just a few days ago, after years of that case playing out. There was also a $100 million fine for its ‘ghost flights’ scandal, a huge data hack, and customer anger over COVID credits and service… But Qantas boss Vanessa Hudson says they’re “changing Qantas for the better”, and there’s strong demand for flights. Investors reckon they’re up, up and away - Qantas’s share price was up 9% yesterday.

Sydney gets its huffy-puffy on

Some of the best runners in the world will hit Sydney’s streets on Sunday, with the city’s marathon now officially the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major. It means the race counts towards the coveted Six Star Medal, awarded to athletes who finish at least six majors. There are 35,000 runners lining up to tackle the 42km course, which passes the Harbour Bridge, Centennial Park and finishes at the Opera House. In the men's race, marathon GOAT Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge is chasing a comeback after a back injury last year. And Dutch champ Sifan Hassan is one to watch - you might remember her gold-medal finish in Paris last year. There’ll also be some homegrown legends in the mix… The race will kick off in North Sydney, and if armchair athletics are more your thing, you can watch it on 7Plus…

Some punk rock in ancient rocks

Spiked collars were big in punk’s heyday, but it turns out a species of dinosaur was sporting the look 165 million years ago. Scientists from the University of Birmingham discovered the remains of a Spicomellus afer - a type of ankylosaur - in Morocco, and they're now calling it the "punk rocker" of its time. Professor Richard Butler (no, not the weapons inspector/former Tassie Governor…) led the research team - he says it's "one of the strangest dinosaurs ever discovered" and that its spikes, which are fused to its bones, are a rarity. He says the unusual feature could mean it evolved to protect itself from carnivorous predators, like the T.Rex, which emerged in the Cretaceous period, late in the time when dinosaurs lived on Earth. It's the first of its type to be found in Africa, and researchers estimate it would've used its spiky tail as a weapon. It wasn't called Sid, but those spikes were vicious.

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

If you have trouble focusing and find your eyes flitting to your phone more often than you’d like, Focus Friend, a new app from YouTuber Hank Green, might be the go. It’s a cute bean-themed app that gamifies productivity, making it ideal for the busy Squizer…

Don't get us wrong - this is not a commentary on Meghan Sussex's good/bad attributes, TV presenting skills, or content ideas - TBH, we don't feel that strongly about her… But we do enjoy a razor-sharp review, and this one on the new season of her Netflix lifestyle show With Love, Meghan doesn’t miss. In that spirit - enjoy…

We’ve rarely been steered wrong by RecipeTin Eats, and that streak isn’t stopping with this delicious and straightforward Korean BBQ chicken. It’s a nice choice for feeding the family, and we’ve had some very positive reviews…

Squiz the Day

Friday
9.00am (AEST) - A Senate committee is holding public hearings for its inquiry into aged care service delivery - Canberra

11.30am (AEST) - ABS Corporate plan for the 2025-26 period, outlining the role of the ABS as a national statistical agency and the future directions of the organisation

5.00pm (AEST) - Scotland’s Maclean brothers - Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan - will complete a record-breaking 138-day row on the Pacific Ocean when they arrive on Australian soil - Cairns

6.00pm (AEST) - Scientist Tim Flannery will deliver a talk in conversation with ABC Radio National’s Hilary Harper on the future of climate change - Melbourne

Sabrina Carpenter's album Man's Best Friend will be released

Wear it Purple Day, a day to promote inclusivity and empowerment within the LGBTQ+ community

A birthday for actor Lea Michele (1986)

Anniversary of:

  • Great Britain and China signing the Treaty of Nanking, ending the Opium War (1842)

  • the founding of Netflix by Californians Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings as an online DVD rental business (1997)

  • the birthday of Liam Payne (1993)

  • Hurricane Katrina hitting the US city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, killing 1,800 people (2005)

Saturday
7.30am (AEST) - The Sydney Mini Marathon begins in the lead up to Sunday’s main event - Sydney

10.15am (AEST) - The Deaf Festival begins - Sydney

7.30pm (AEST) - Soccer: Heidelberg United FC will play Auckland FC in the semi-finals of the Australia Cup at Olympic Village Park - Sydney, watch on Paramount+

🥓 International Bacon Day

International Cabernet Sauvignon Day

Birthdays for investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett (1930), actor Cameron Diaz (1972), and Australian swimmers Leisel Jones (1985) and Eamon Sullivan (1985)

Anniversary of:

  • the birthday of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein (1797)

  • the founding of Melbourne, Australia (1835)

  • the formation of Hurricane Irma, which went on to become a category 5 hurricane that killed at least 102 people (2017)

  • the death of Mikhail Gorbachev (2022)

Sunday
4.30am (AEST) - Rugby: Australia will play the US in Pool A of the Women's Rugby World Cup - York, UK, watch on Stan Sport

6.30am (AEST) - The Sydney Marathon begins, for the first time as part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors - Sydney

9.30am (AEST) - A national commemoration for the 75th anniversary of Australian service in the Malayan Emergency will be held by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs - Canberra

From 11.00am (AEST) - Nationwide anti-migration marches will be held

11.00pm (AEST) - F1: The Dutch Grand Prix race begins - Zandvoort, Netherlands, watch on Kayo

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit will take place in Tianjin, China (until 1 September), with Indian PM Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin set to attend.

A military parade will be held in Beijing to commemorate 80 years since the end of World War II, with North Korean President Kim Jong Un also expected to attend. 

National Days for Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago

Birthdays for Northern Irish musician Van Morrison (1945), actor Richard Gere (1949), and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (1985)

Anniversary of:

  • the Irish Republican Army (IRA) declaring a ceasefire in 1994, which led to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998

  • the deaths of Arthur Phillip (1814) and Princess Diana (1997)