Tuesday, 1 September - I'm like a bird

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 1 September. In your Squiz Today…

• The first Australian is confirmed dead in the Nepal floods

• Fast fashion retailer Shein goes public

• And Novak Djokovic is out in the first round of the US Open…🎾

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🙋🏻‍♀️ This newsletter was written by Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington, Andrew Williams and Sophie Felice

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said Mark Muscat, AKA the magpie man, who reckons he’s cracked the code on how to avoid being swooped - by singing back to the feathery friends/foes. It’s a timely reminder to keep your wits about you, as today is the first day of spring…

Rescue efforts continue in Nepal

The Squiz

The first Australian to be confirmed dead in the Nepal-Tibet flood has been named - hiker Michael Keats, from Mollymook on the NSW South Coast. The death toll from the disaster is now around 950, with rescue efforts continuing to try to find more than 4,700 people still unaccounted for - including more than 40 Australians. But at least one Aussie thought to be on that list has been found. Cara Severino hiked to safety after becoming stranded during a trek due to the flood, and consular staff reached her on Saturday.

What do we know about the Aussies?

The partner of Michael Keats, Emily Boyd, confirmed on a fundraising page that he’d been killed, saying the news has “changed everything” for her and her family. A Sydney man, a woman from Townsville and a couple from Melbourne have been added to the Australians named as missing. Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said the government is doing all it can to try to find the other Australians and “we haven't given up hope”. Aussies are also helping with the rescue efforts, including geologist Arnold Dix, who is advising the crews on how to free around 100 workers from the Trishuli 3A hydropower station, one of 27 facilities damaged or destroyed in the region. More than 930 of those missing in the disaster are workers believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels.

What comes next?

While the main road from Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu is back open, it’s narrow, winding and caked with mud in parts, so getting aid like food, water and medicine into the area is proving difficult. Efforts are also underway to try to restore power to the northern towns and villages - many of which had powerlines completely swept away. But on the Tibet side of the border, Chinese authorities say a lake that formed after the landslide that was threatening to cause more flooding “has naturally drained and is basically cleared”. As for pinpointing what caused the glacier to collapse, experts are divided - some say it’s a sign that global warming is increasing the risk of landslides, while others say it’s still too early to link it to climate change definitively.

Moving towards financial independence

Recognising financial abuse can take time because it often happens gradually and behind closed doors... For many people, understanding the signs is the first step, but they don't have to do it alone - information and support exists, whether it’s for themselves or someone they care about. CommBank’s Next Chapter program partners with specialist community organisations to provide free and confidential support, helping people take steps towards long-term financial independence and recovery - even if you don’t bank with them.

Squiz the Rest

The US and Iran are at it again

After a month of relative calm, an American official says US forces have attacked an Iranian island near the Strait of Hormuz - after US President Donald Trump paused strikes in late July. Reports say Iran is charging ships around $2.8 million to pass Larak Island, but the US wants traffic to be able to sail through without a fee. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says several people were killed and injured in the latest American strikes, and that it had responded by targeting US military targets in Jordan and the UAE. Meanwhile, Trump has posted an AI-generated clip of Iran’s Kharg Island being blown up - though it doesn’t look like the energy hub has been hit in these latest strikes. If it had, analysts say this would cause even more damage to Iran’s already struggling economy.

A focus on privacy

The Federal Government gave us a peek at what it’s got in store to boost Aussies’ privacy yesterday. The draft laws include a “right to erasure”, meaning people can ask to have their details deleted from big social media platforms/search engines. But there’s no plan to ban imports of smart glasses (which can record people covertly) despite calls from the Greens and some Independents. Instead, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland says it’ll be up to businesses and local councils to restrict their use in places like childcare centres, changerooms and public swimming pools. But it’s a tricky one - eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has pointed out that the tech can be helpful for people with disabilities. She’s calling for the tech to automatically blur faces - and make it clearer when it’s recording.

Shein goes public - at a discount

Which makes sense, for an online fast-fashion store… If online shopping ain’t your bag, Shein is a popular global brand known for ultra-cheap threads. It recently launched its Initial Public Offering (IPO) and will be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange today - that means investors can buy shares in it. It’s currently valued at around $36 billion - but that’s a drop of about 70% from its peak of 2022. There’s a few reasons for that, but the main one is a fall in profit that analysts attribute in part to Donald Trump’s recent run of tariffs. And even getting listed has been a challenge - Shein tried the New York and London exchanges first, but struggled due to allegations over forced labour in its supply chains.

A milestone for ANZUS

Today marks 75 years since the US, Australia and New Zealand signed the security treaty that bound us to help each other out if we’re directly attacked. Don’t expect too much fanfare though - we already marked the occasion back in June at a joint event also celebrating the US’s 250th anniversary. And it’s one of the trickier periods in the US-Oz alliance’s history, given the US has imposed tariffs on Australia during Trump’s second term in office - including a 12.5% tariff in July - but a lot of Aussies don’t see a strong alternative for our main defence partnership. And with AUKUS - our submarine security agreement with the US and UK - going “full steam ahead” in the words of Defence Minister Richard Marles yesterday, the pact is set to notch up plenty more anniversaries in the future.

No way, Novak

It’s been an eventful start to the US Open tennis tournament in New York, as Serbian champ Novak Djokovic lost in the first round of a grand slam for the first time in 20 years. Even then, the 39yo went down swinging in 5 sets to Mariano Navone while playing through tears and vomiting during the match. This year’s tournament is the first under former Oz Open director Craig Tiley - but it’s creating controversy for how pricey everything is. A day pass for the tournament is going on the resale market for over $500, while some of the refreshments (like caviar-flecked chicken nuggets that cost well over $100) are also raising eyebrows. While Tiley says prices are a challenge, he has big plans - he says the US Open will become “tennis Disneyland”. Maybe no rides for Novak right now, though…

Apropos of Nothing

It’s the end of an era in Argentina, as football legend Lionel Messi has announced his international retirement this morning. The 39yo played 207 matches, scored 125 goals, won one World Cup and made the final of this year’s tournament as well.

We hear about human blood donors, but it turns out our fuzzy friends can lend a paw to their fellow animal… Bruno, a 3yo golden retriever, saved the life of another dog by donating blood at the vet. Good boy doesn’t even come close.

And if you’re a fan of Fat Bear Week (which, aren’t we all) then you might be excited to hear that the inaugural Fat Marmot Week has crowned its winner. Dawn weighed in at about 6kg, which is apparently “really humongous for that species”. Go off, Dawn…

Squiz the Day

8.00am (AEST) - Women's Health and Wellbeing Summit 2026 - Sydney 

9.30am (AEST) - Pre-trial application for orders on national security protocols for the trial of Ben Roberts-Smith for allegations of war crimes - murder. This hearing will determine the handling of classified evidence and witness anonymity - Sydney 

NSW is set to become the first jurisdiction in Oz to report cases of people living with Motor Neurone Disease

Fast fashion company Shein is making its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange 

Asthma Week begins (until 7 September)

Sydney Fringe Festival is on (until 30 September) 

The 75th anniversary of the US-Australia security alliance, marking 75 years since the ANZUS Treaty was signed in San Francisco in 1951

Australian Bureau of Stats data release: Building approvals: July 2026; balance of payments and international investment position, June 2026 

The documentary Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly comes out on Netflix

🌷 First day of Spring 

National Wattle Day 

Ginger Cat Appreciation Day

Birthdays for TV host Dr Phil (1950) and actor Zendaya (1996)

Anniversary of:

• the opening of the Sydney General Post Office (1874)

• the premiere of the first sci-fi film, A Trip to the Moon (1902)

• the start of WWII after Germany invaded Poland (1939)

• the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic (1985)

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