Thursday, 19 September - That's that me espresso

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 19 September. In your Squiz Today…

• Another deadly wave of explosions in Hezbollah devices

• The US cuts interest rates

• And don’t mess with a mama chimp… 🦧

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said Victoria’s Minister for Government Services Gabrielle Williams after Scotland stepped up to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games - paid for by the Aussie state’s compensation for pulling out. No pressure, athletes, but we’ll need to win all the gold medals…

The Middle East moves closer to the edge

The Squiz

Another wave of explosions in communications devices used by Hezbollah has killed at least 14 people and injured hundreds in Lebanon overnight. The blasts - this time in walkie-talkies - came a day after 9 people died and around 3,000 were injured when hundreds of handheld pagers detonated. Following the attacks, Lebanon says it will submit a complaint to the United Nations Security Council accusing Israel of a “dangerous and deliberate” provocation. Israel hasn’t commented on either of the attacks but its defence minister Yoav Gallant said the “centre of gravity” of the war has shifted north.

What exactly happened?

There’s still a bit to put together, but to start at the top - Hezbollah fighters have been using pagers and walkie-talkies as a low-tech means of evading Israeli surveillance. Reports say Israel’s intelligence/special ops agency Mossad is likely behind the long-planned attack - exactly how it was done isn’t clear… The suggestion is Mossad infiltrated the supply chain and had a small amount of explosives planted in the devices ready for simultaneous detonation. Reports say the walkie-talkies were from Japanese brand ICOM, while Taiwanese company Gold Apollo’s branding was on the pagers - but it says they were “not ours”. Mossad is known for using technology to target Israel’s enemies overseas, and analysts say what’s happened is notable because it came a day after Israel expanded its war goals to include the Lebanese border.

What now?

Hezbollah - which is backed by Iran - says it will continue to support Hamas in Gaza and vowed to retaliate against Israel. How and when that will happen is unclear, but in anticipation, several airlines have suspended flights to the region, many of which were only reinstated last week after stopping in July. Analysts say the psychological impact of the violence is huge for Hezbollah, which has not only disrupted its preferred means of communication but also exposed, killed, injured and terrified its members. There’s also the international embarrassment as US officials labelled the assault Hezbollah’s “biggest counterintelligence failure” in decades. As for the escalating conflict, US Vice President Kamala Harris has called for it to end and said a “deal needs to get done in the best interest of everyone in the region."

Squiz the Rest

Bringing down a crime ring

The Federal Police have arrested dozens of criminals after exposing an encrypted app they allege was used to plan drug deals, murders and kidnappings. Over a 2-day operation, 51 people were arrested - most in NSW, but also in Victoria, Western and South Oz, and the ACT. Sydney man Jay Ye Yoon Jung was at the top of the list - he’s accused of creating the ‘Ghost’ app 9 years ago. It’s thrived in the criminal underworld thanks to its reputation of being “unhackable”, counting bikie and organised crime gangs as users. Unknown to them, Federal Police were investigating the app since getting a tip-off in 2022 - yesterday, Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said “the holy grail is always penetrating criminal platforms to access evidence”. 

The world tunes in for a US economic move 

Overnight, the US Federal Reserve (aka the US version of our Reserve Bank…) made its first interest rate cut in 4 years - a move that was widely expected. It means the US rate is now in the 4.75% to 5% range - a cut of 0.5% from the 5.25% to 5.5% range it’s been at. Economists are now focused on what that change for the world’s largest/most influential economy means internationally (hint: it’s likely to have flow-on effects throughout global markets…) and whether the bank intervened in enough time to prevent a recession. As for what it means here, the Reserve Bank says it will hold our official cash rate (currently 4.35%) steady until inflation comes down further. An important data point in all of that is our employment rate - look lively because the Bureau of Stats will release an update on that today. 

We had questions about the Reserve Bank, and we reckon you might too... Today's Shortcut is on just that - the pod and newsletter will be out later today, and the link to sign up is at the bottom of this newsletter.

Uniting in protest

Tens of thousands of disgruntled Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) workers turned out in Melbourne and Sydney yesterday to protest against its construction arm being placed into administration following allegations of corruption and misconduct. Yesterday's protests weren’t the first, but they might be the largest… CFMEU members were joined by supporters from manufacturing, plumbing, and electrical unions - reports say more than 50,000 people turned out in Melbourne, with National Secretary Zach Smith calling it “a line in the sand” moment… But Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt - who’s leading a “reset” meeting with unions and businesses next month - is standing by the government’s decision. 

Life is short… have a coffee

New research from comparison site Finder shows the old adage about cutting out cafe coffees probably won't make much difference when it comes to bolstering your savings. That's because to get a sizable financial benefit, you'd have to be buying multiple cups a day - and the findings show regular cafe customers spend less on other pricier drinks like alcohol. But for multi-latte indulgers, their habit could hurt the hip pocket more, with cafe owners warning prices could be on the way up… Some Queenslanders are paying $7 for a flat white, and there’s speculation that could “become the norm” more broadly. Ouch… 

Don’t mess with Mama

Some new mothers are known for being protective, but for a chimpanzee called Leakey, that instinct is said to have tipped over into aggression, which will see her and her 2yo daughter Mzuri relocated from Rockhampton Zoo to Sydney Zoo. Staff reckon the 29yo primate has been lashing out at a 28yo chimp called Jerry. He's part of the "boys club" in her enclosure, and her keepers say she views him as a social/political threat to her position. Along with ridding themselves of his boy germs, the experts reckon a change will do the girls good. And speaking of urgent relocations… A seal had a lucky escape after finding itself in the mouth of a humpback whale in the waters off Anacortes, Washington - but not before photographers caught the perfect snap.

Apropos of Nothing

Princess Kate has wasted no time in getting back to work after releasing a cinematic message last week reassuring the public she’s on the mend. She’s also had her first engagement since her cancer diagnosis early this year with a meeting about her early childhood project. 

Tobacco giant Philip Morris is now out of the medical inhaler business… For about $293 million, the darts company has sold its interest in Vectura Group 3 years after buying it for almost $2 billion - it says there was too much “unwarranted” backlash. 

And a rare Harvest moon lit up the sky over Australia last night - the first of 2 supermoons we'll be able to see this year. 'Supermoon' means the moon's at its closest point in its orbit around Earth, so it appears bigger. If you missed it, here’s a gallery to moon over…

Squiz the Day

6.30pm (AWST) - Men's Basketball: NBL Round 1, Melbourne United v Tasmania JackJumpers - Perth, and watch on Kayo

7.00pm (ACST) - Netball: England Series - Australia v England - Adelaide, and watch on Kayo 

7.00pm (AEST) - Soccer: AFC Champions League 2, Sydney FC v Eastern FC (HK) - Sydney, and watch on 10 Play

7.10pm (AEST) - Cricket: Australia Women v New Zealand Women - First T20I - Mackay, Qld and watch on 7Plus

9.30pm (AEST) - Cricket: England Men v Australia Men - First ODI - UK, and watch on Kayo

Select Committee report on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) is due

ABS data release - Labour Force, August; National, state and territory population, March; Corrective services, June

National Thank A Cop Day

Talk Like a Pirate Day (supporting families affected by childhood cancer)

Birthdays for Twiggy (1949) and Jimmy Fallon (1974)

Anniversary of:

• New Zealand becoming the first country to grant all women the right to vote (1893)

• Chubby Checker's The Twist hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (1960)

• the first documented use of emoticons by computer scientist Scott Fahlman (1982) ;)

• the premiere of Goodfellas (1990)

• the death of Slim Dusty (2003)