Thursday, 5 March - The songbirds keep singing

March 05, 2026

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 5 March. In your Squiz Today…

  • The Iran war edges closer to Oz, with a warship struck by the US near Sri Lanka

  • China’s political powers gather for its Two Sessions meetings

  • And an old geyser wakes…

🎧 Listen to the podcast

🤓 This email will take you 5 minutes to read

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“The inflation’s burning, while the Treasurer’s squirming.”

Sang Coalition Treasury spokesman Tim Wilson (to the tune of Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start The Fire) in federal parliament yesterday while criticising Treasurer Jim Chalmers. A singing MP? That means we can link to this clip of Craig Emerson singing No Whyalla Wipeout. Any excuse…

The Iran conflict widens, again

The Squiz

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has delivered his latest briefing on the US and Israel's war with Iran this morning - and the part creating plenty of headlines is that the US has struck an Iranian warship called the IRIS Dena, killing at least 87 Iranian sailors. It’s making news for a couple of reasons: Hegseth says it’s the first time the US has sunk an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II, and it was also sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka (the island sitting on the south-eastern tip of India) as it was on its way back from naval exercises in India - so thousands of kilometres away from Iran, and in international waters.

Right…

That means the direct toll of the war has expanded well beyond the Middle East now, and it’s not the only potential international escalation… The nation of Türkiye says an Iranian missile was heading towards its airspace today before being destroyed by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) air defences. To help you get your bearings, Türkiye shares a border with the north-western corner of Iran - and as a member of NATO, it could potentially invoke rules, called Article 4 and Article 5, compelling its allies to come to its defence - and bringing many more countries directly into the conflict. Türkiye says it won't do that - it wants "all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation". And Hegseth agrees - he says it's unlikely that the incident "would trigger anything like Article 5". 

And what else is happening?

As the conflict continues to expand, around 115,000 Australians overseas are still caught up in it. But there was some good news overnight - the first commercial flight out of the Middle East since the war began has touched down in Sydney. Emirates flight EK414 from Dubai had about 200 Aussies onboard, with plenty of friends and relatives ready to meet them at Sydney airport after a very stressful trip home… A second flight is expected to leave Abu Dhabi tonight and arrive in Sydney on Friday night. To help Aussies still stranded by the war, the government has sent 6 crisis response teams to the Middle East to support the consulates in the area in bringing more Australians home. Fingers crossed…

Guess who’s coming to Sydney?

Former First Lady, bestselling author of Becoming, producer, podcaster, and global advocate Michelle Obama. If you’d like to hear her speak, tickets have just been released for the Sydney show on 21 May. And if you're after something a little more special there are Platinum and VIP packages that come with front-section seating, cocktails and other extra goodies. Seats are limited and you can explore ticketing options here.

Squiz the Rest

Meanwhile, in China…

The largest annual gathering of the Chinese parliament, the Two Sessions, is starting today. If this is the first you’ve heard of it, 2 big meetings are held (hence, Two Sessions…) - the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. You can read more about the individual meetings here, but broadly speaking, we'll learn about China's policy plans for the year ahead. We already know Beijing's 5-year economic plan for 2026-2030 will be in focus… Its goals include boosting domestic demand, building capacity to produce new technologies, and reducing trade ties with the US. The Chinese military is also in the spotlight. It's going through some upheaval with President Xi Jinping recently purging several top-ranking officials over corruption claims - something critics say is a way he removes political rivals…

An unexpected growth spurt

The Oz economy grew by 0.8% last quarter, hitting an annual growth rate of 2.6% - the fastest we’ve seen in nearly 3 years. Experts say it’s down to us shelling out for shopping events like Black Friday and concert tickets, businesses investing in new tech, and the government spending on infrastructure and defence. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the numbers were "very encouraging" and they'd provide a buffer from global economic instability. That’s about to be tested with war breaking out in the Middle East and a heap of price rises - and possibly another interest rate hike - on the way. But Chalmers says the upcoming May budget will address inflation, and yesterday’s figures are a “reminder that we face these challenges and these uncertainties from a position of genuine strength”. 

Vale Dennis Cometti

One of the greatest sports commentators Australia has ever produced has died at 76yo. Born in Geraldton, Western Oz, he had a playing and coaching career in the west before moving into commentary. He called a variety of sports over his career, but it was in Aussie Rules that he really made his mark, calling the sport for 51 years. Though he could call the action with the best of them, Cometti was especially loved for his one-liners - like this line about now-Richmond coach Adem Yze: “Remember the name: Y-Z-E. Terrific young player; bad Scrabble hand.” His longtime broadcasting partner Bruce McAvaney said Cometti “leaves a legacy that is undeniable, unique and authentic”. 

And the tributes will keep coming… 

Because the AFL is launching its 2026 season tonight, and you can expect plenty will be reflecting on Cometti’s work… It all kicks off with ‘Opening Round’, a 5-game round featuring mainly games outside of Victoria. If you’re entering a tipping comp this year but have no idea what you’re doing, here’s a cheat sheet: Premiers Brisbane are the team to beat as they go for a threepeat, with Gold Coast, Hawthorn and Sydney all expected to be strong teams. At the other end, it might be a long season for West Coast, Richmond and Essendon. Plus, there are a bunch of new rules and a new wildcard round for finals this year - here’s a guide to everything that’s different. Also tonight - the NRL is back playing games in Oz, and the Tillies take on Iran in the women's Asian Cup. It's all happening…  

An old geyser wakes

Out with the Blood moon eclipses, in with the acidic geysers… We’re talking specifically about the world’s largest, the Echinus Geyser - which, FYI, is a spring of water that’s heated geothermally (aka under the Earth’s surface) and occasionally erupts, spouting water into the air. The Echinus Geyser is in Yellowstone National Park in the US, and has lain dormant for about 6 years - but it’s back, and the question is for how long… As the world’s largest, it used to erupt regularly back in the 1970s, but it became less consistent over the decades, with long gaps between its periods of activity. Experts aren’t sure why, but they reckon those who want to see it should get in quick - its tendency these days is “to wake up for a month or 2 before going back to sleep”. Sounds good to us…

Apropos of Nothing

‘What is dead may never die’… As is the case with Game of Thrones, which is getting a prequel movie set 300 years before the famous series begins. And keeping with its battle themes, it has some competition - another TV series set in the same era has just debuted…

Researchers are recruiting wild regent honeyeaters to teach zoo-bred members of the species their complex song, which is important for mating, but has become a lot plainer as the species has become more endangered. Look, if you're going to learn, learn from the experts… 

Some much-needed rain in South Oz has local regional kids soaking it all up - local farmer Keely Pampling says it’s the first time her kids have ever experienced a big wet. So they did their best Drew Barrymore and got out amongst it…

Squiz the Day

9.30am (AEDT) - A bail decision is due in the Victorian Supreme Court for Greg Lynn, the accused murderer of camper Carol Clay, following his successful appeal - Melbourne  

7.30pm (AEDT) - Aussie Rules: AFL Opening Round, Sydney Swans v Carlton Blues at the SCG - Sydney, watch on 7plus 

8.00pm (AEDT) - Rugby League: NRL Round One, Melbourne Storm v Parramatta Eels, AAMI Park - Melbourne, watch on 9now 

7.00pm (AEST) - Soccer: AFC Women's Asian Cup Iran v Australia, Cbus Stadium - Gold Coast, watch on 10 Play

Canadian PM Mark Carney will address federal parliament - Canberra 

China’s 2 Sessions meetings (their most significant annual political gatherings) continue - Beijing

ABS data release: Monthly household spending indicator, January 2026; International trade in goods, January 2026; Schools, 2025  

The Bride! starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, and Charli XCX's mockumentary The Moment are released in Australian theatres 

Anniversary of:

  • birthdays for instant noodle inventor Momofuku Ando (1910) and singer/Bee Gee brother Andy Gibb (1958)

  • the deaths of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (1953) and singer Patsy Cline (1963)

  • British PM Winston Churchill's famous 'Iron Curtain' speech (1946)

  • the ratification of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) (1970)

  • Bob Hawke becoming Australian PM (1983)