Monday, 30 September - Every little thing she does is magic

Good morning, it’s Monday, 30 September. In your Squiz Today…

• Israel deals a heavy blow to Hezbollah

• Deadly storms lash 2 continents

• And farewelling an icon of the stage and screen…

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Said Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan after his team battered Sydney Swans by 60 points in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final. Perhaps it was pre-match entertainer Katy Perry that gave them the Roar they needed to take their first premiership in 21 years…

Another heavy hit on Hezbollah

The Squiz

Tensions in the Middle East have kicked up another notch as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his forces were responsible for killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, calling it an “essential condition” of his country’s security goals. That includes the safe return of Israel’s residents to their homes near the border with Lebanon and the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Nasrallah’s death was the result of a massive missile strike on Beirut on Friday, which Netanyahu says has “settled the score” with a “mass murderer” responsible for the killings of countless Israelis. 

Who was Nasrallah? 

As a founder/leader of Hezbollah for 32 years, the 64yo is one of the most powerful targets killed by Israel since the crisis kicked off almost a year ago. He had strong ties to Iran and the Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas, and was the one who ordered strikes on Israel’s north to distract Israeli Defence Forces away from Gaza. Under his leadership, Hezbollah was not universally popular in Lebanon or across the region after its involvement in fights as a proxy for Iran, but analysts say their hatred for Israel is overwhelming… Nasrallah’s death has also caused more problems for US President Joe Biden, who says the US had “no knowledge of or advance warning” but called it a “measure of justice” while reiterating his “aim is to de-escalate” the conflict. Vice President/election candidate Kamala Harris was less restrained, calling Nasrallah a “terrorist with American blood on his hands”. 

What happens now? 

Nasrallah’s death is the latest in a series of blows for Hezbollah - but it’s also a major escalation of Israel’s conflict with the terror group, and its ally Iran has promised that his death "will not go unavenged". As a result, reports say the likelihood of an expanded conflict in the Middle East has increased. As for our government, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has promised $2 million in humanitarian aid for Lebanon and is continuing to call for a ceasefire, saying "civilians cannot be made to pay”. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Wong reiterated the government’s call for a 2-state solution as a way to bring peace to the region. But with Israel showing no sign of slowing down, our government’s main priority remains getting thousands of Aussies home by any means possible.

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Squiz the Rest

Wet, wild and deadly

Big parts of America’s southeast - South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia - are starting the cleanup after Hurricane Helene rushed through on Saturday, claiming at least 64 lives and leaving millions without power. US President Joe Biden said the Category 4 storm’s devastation has been “overwhelming” (as this vid shows…) with the damage bill estimated to be between US$95-110 billion. And on the other side of the globe, at least 148 people are dead and 69 are missing due to intense rainfall causing flooding and landslides in Nepal. About 200mm of rain (aka about a third of Mebourne’s annual average) fell on Friday night, inundating the Kathmandu Valley, where most of the deaths were recorded. Warm ocean waters can energise storm systems - that’s a factor that’s been mentioned in both disasters. 

A second budget surplus

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher will today reveal the first back-to-back budget surplus by a Labor government since Paul Keating in the 1980s. The $15.8 billion surplus will be delivered in the final budget outcome for 2023-24, and it follows a $22.1 billion surplus from the year before. Chalmers has chalked the savings up to lower government spending which he says is “proof of our responsible economic management”. He’ll use it to rebuke criticism from the Coalition that government spending has added to persistently high inflation. “These surpluses help pay down Liberal debt, help fight inflation and haven’t come at the expense of cost-of-living relief for people under pressure” Chalmers said. But with iron-ore prices tumbling, he’s warned we’re in for a bumpy ride with deficits forecast over the next decade. 

Anti-drugs umpire says Sinner is no saint

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is having a crack at overturning a ruling last month that found world #1 tennis player Jannik Sinner had "no fault or negligence" for 2 positive drug tests. Sinner - who won the men’s US Open and Aussie Open titles this year - tested positive twice for Clostebol (an anabolic steroid) in March. He said it was because his physio used a spray containing the substance to treat a cut on his finger. WADA isn’t happy with that result and is pushing for the 23yo Italian to be banned for up to 2 years. Sinner said he was “very disappointed and also surprised by the appeal.” The decision not to ban Sinner has ruffled some feathers in the tennis world, including Nick Kyrgios. When the positive tests were waved through, he said it was "ridiculous”. “You get tested twice with a banned substance… you should be gone for 2 years.” 

Heaven help them… 

SpaceX has fired up its engines for a rescue mission to collect astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who've been hanging out on the International Space Station (ISS) since June. You might remember that a glitch with their Boeing Starliner saw their 10-day mission extended until February next year... That saw the Elon Musk-founded space company send a Dragon capsule up with 2 astronauts instead of 4 - it will stay docked to the ISS until it’s time to bring the stranded pair back home. NASA's Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said "I think it's a reflection of the fact that human spaceflight is complicated and dynamic, and we need to be agile and focus on the mission." The Dragon is expected to dock with the ISS at about 8.30am AEST this morning - they’ve had enough whoopsie daisies, so fingers crossed for a smooth run.

Keen to catch up on how this all came about? Check out this Squiz Shortcut.

Vale Maggie Smith

Raise a glass (or your morning coffee…) for the late, great Dame Maggie Smith, who died on Friday in a London hospital of an undisclosed cause. The British actress/national treasure was known for her roles in A Room with a View, Gosford Park, Downton Abbey - and so many more. Despite her global fame, she was intensely private and rarely gave interviews. "One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, and one’s still acting," she once brilliantly put her decades-long career, referring to her Harry Potter role as her pension... As you can imagine, the tributes poured in - and weirdly enough, it was American actor Rob Lowe who summed her up as we imagined her. “She could eat anyone alive, and often did. But funny, and great company,” he said. She was that good she could make her own rules… 

Apropos of Nothing

Earth's getting a new-but-temporary celestial housemate - a 'mini moon' that’s about the size of a bus. Known as 2024 PT5, the theories are it’s an asteroid or a chunk of the moon. But don’t get used to it - the mini moon is set to go in late November before making a return visit in 2055. 

Last week, Cathay Pacific banned a Hong Kong couple from its flights after a row over a reclining seat - and that’s resurfaced flight etiquette guides… The top tips - pick your time and do it slowly and never during the meal service. 

We’re nothing if not balanced, and given the international dog shows get a good run here, we’ll take the opportunity to balance it with pictures from a big feline competition in Romania called SofistiCAT. Beautiful (but the Sphynx still freak us out a bit….). 

Squiz the Day

7.00am (AEST) - Strikes by Qantas engineers between 7am and 9am could disrupt travel in all major cities

9.00am (AEST) - The public inquiry into social media and its impact on Australia will hear from The Australian Parents Council, National Womens’ Safety Alliance and the Age Verification Providers Association - Canberra

12.30pm (AEST) - The Lowy Institute is hosting a special conversation on the upcoming US election, the state of democracy and the role of public opinion in US and global politics - Sydney

8.00pm (AEST) - Cricket: 5th ODI, Australia v England - Bristol, UK, and watch on Kayo

Queensland public schools return for Term 4 of 2024

The Royal Australian College of GPs is due to release its annual Health of the Nation report

The final report of the public inquiry into the federal government’s Covid 19 response is due

Also due is the final report of a public inquiry into 4 major floods in 2002, effecting Qld, Vic, Tas and NSW

Botswana’s National Day

International Translation Day 

🎧 International Podcast Day  

Birthdays for Fran Drescher (1957) and Maddie Ziegler (2002)

Anniversary of:

• anaesthetic ether being used for the first time by American dentist Dr William Morton (1846)

• 22 Nazi leaders being found guilty of war crimes at the Nuremberg war trials (1946)

• the death of James Dean (1955)

• the premiere of the cartoon The Flintstones (1960)