Tuesday, 2 September - Snatch it back and hold it

September 02, 2025

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 2 September. In your Squiz Today…

  • China forges new alliances to work around US tariffs

  • Police put forward a new theory about fugitive Dezi Freeman

  • And voting is open for the best books of the 21st century…

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“The hospital… said no more live media crosses from ICU. They have no idea what really heals me.” 

Said comedian Dave Hughes after his appearance in an Aussie Rules Legends match last week left him with 5 broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a lot of media attention. Hughesy is now out of hospital and doing OK - maybe just be an umpire or something next year, Dave…

A new alliance takes shape

The Squiz

Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed stronger ties with some of China's powerful neighbours like India, Pakistan and Russia yesterday, as those nations try to figure out how to handle the administration of US President Donald Trump. And he's backed it up with his wallet, promising about $430 million in grants to the 10 members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in China. Xi asked the leaders attending, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian PM Narendra Modi, to join together to oppose what he called "bullying behaviour" (not naming any names, though…). 

What’s this summit all about?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a regional security group founded by China in 2001 with Russia as a key member, but it has grown into something much bigger. This annual meeting now involves (deep breath…) China, India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and relatively recent additions Iran and Belarus. As you may have clocked, there are quite a few countries in there who have issues with the US, and that list now includes India after Trump slapped 50% tariffs on Indian exports, in part for its ongoing purchases of Russian oil. And while the recent relationship between China and India has been a volatile one, this summit has featured a notable cosying up between their 2 leaders - Xi told Modi that it was vital for “the dragon (China) and the elephant (India) to come together”.

What’s coming next? 

Now that the 2-day summit in the northeast city of Tianjin has wound up, many of the leaders involved will travel to Beijing for a military parade in Tiananmen Square tomorrow, where China and Russia will celebrate their roles in winning World War II. A couple of high-profile Australians - former premiers Bob Carr and Dan Andrews - will attend, which has attracted some criticism given that Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will also be there. Analysts reckon the thing to watch now is how the US will respond, and whether this group of countries - which don't always get along with each other or America - can maintain their diplomatic momentum. Watch this space…

If you’d like to dig into the new economic alliances being forged by Russia, China and others involved at the summit, our Squiz Shortcut to the BRICS alliance is a good place to start… 

Australian wilderness via luxury cruise

If you are looking for a beautiful escape, Australia's Kimberley region offers adventure beyond the typical cruise experience. Silversea takes you to one of the world's most remote wilderness areas, where you can witness Montgomery Reef dramatically emerging from the ocean at low tide and explore the famous Horizontal Falls. You'll also experience 65,000 years of Aboriginal culture on sacred Worrorra lands. It is luxury expedition cruising at its finest. Head here to find out more and book your cruise.

Squiz the Rest

A deadly quake in Afghanistan

More than 800 people have been killed and at least 3,000 are injured after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous area in eastern Afghanistan - but those numbers could rise as search and rescue efforts continue. The Taliban-run health authorities have been giving updates and say the quake, which was 8km deep, hit less than 30km from the country’s 5th-largest city, Jalalabad, near its border with Pakistan. They say the area has many villages scattered throughout the mountains, and is no stranger to floods and earthquakes. Making things more difficult is the fact that landslides have cut off road access to many areas, leading rescuers to rely on helicopters for much of their work. Reports say the Taliban government has made an appeal for international help.

It’s been a week…

… since accused police killer Dezi Freeman went on the run in Victoria’s alpine region, and police say they now believe “people know” where he is. A quick recap: the 56yo’s accused of shooting police officers Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart as they attempted to execute a warrant at his Porepunkah property last Tuesday. If you’ve been following the coverage, you’ll know he’s described as an experienced bushman with intricate knowledge of the Mount Buffalo National Park area, where he was last seen running into. The search has so far failed to find him, and yesterday, Victoria Police Superintendent Brett Kahan said people with information about Freeman’s location “have chosen - for whatever reason - not to come forward”. He says the surrender plan they’ve offered to Freeman is being extended to any of his potential accomplices if they contact triple-0 with information.

Tesla hits the headlines

Heads up if you’re the owner of a 2025 Tesla Model Y: our federal transport department has issued a recall for 7,301 of the electric SUVs over a software issue that can "increase the risk of injury". The problem lies with the driver's side window, which the department says can close "with excessive force on any obstruction" - aka a body part, such as an arm. Ouch… The issue can be fixed by installing a software update, but reports say Tesla will contact owners of the affected SUVs. It wasn't the only reason the company was making news yesterday… We're getting "very close" (no specific timeframe…) to self-driving Teslas being released on the roads in Oz. Safety complaints/lawsuits about the technology have been lodged overseas in recent times, but Tesla says it’s full steam ahead down under…

Serving up a social media storm

Another chief executive is in hot water for an on-camera moment - this time at the US Open… You might remember the cheating scandal in July when a CEO and HR exec (both married to other people…) were filmed cosying up at a Coldplay concert. In this instance, a man was filmed snatching Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak’s hat from a young boy as the player signed autographs courtside, before putting it in his wife’s bag. The footage went viral, and the internet did its thing - identifying him as Piotr Szczerek, the Polish CEO of a paving company. The backlash caused Szczerek to deactivate his social media accounts, and he apologised overnight, saying he “made a huge mistake”. Capping things off on a nicer note, Majchrzak later met his young fan for a meet and greet.

*If you want to read a bit more about CEOs in tricky situations, we took a look at the expectations we have of business leaders in this edition of News Club…

Taking a leaf out of Triple J’s book

Not to be outdone by its slightly cooler sibling’s Hottest 100 Australian Songs of All Time countdown, the ABC’s Radio National is doing its own version - for the best books of the 21st century. You can submit your favourite pageturners here, as well as seeing some picks from the likes of journo Leigh Sales (A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz) and author Markus Zusak (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon). We daresay Zusak’s novel The Book Thief has to rate a chance with 17 million copies sold worldwide… The 2-day countdown begins on 18 October - and while there might not be quite as many pub events around the country for this one, as booklovers we're here for it… 

Apropos of Nothing - Plant news edition

How’s this for a personal challenge: planting 1,440 trees and shrubs in a day, or one a minute for 24 hours… Aussie filmmaker Beau Miles did just that to create a new forest in Victoria’s West Gippsland region - and 4 years on, has returned to see how it’s growing…

Staying in Victoria, volunteers in the Mount Burrowa region have also been hard at work, getting up early to plant hundreds of banksia seedlings. They’re trying to revive the extinct banksia canei, which was wiped out during the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. 

And for the more indoors-y green thumbs, a glow-in-the-dark succulent could soon be in your future. Luminous house plants have been around for a bit, but these ones from a Chinese research team have a difference - they light up in different colours. Who needs a night light… 

Squiz the Day

6.00am (AEST) - Surfing: The WSL Finals kick off at Cloudbreak after being rescheduled due to weather conditions - Tavarua, Fiji watch on 7+ or Kayo

9.15am (AEST) - Politicians will meet at Parliament House to discuss AI issues, including deepfakes and child protection - Canberra

9.30am (AEST) - The Australian Security Leaders Climate Group will launch the Climate-First Foreign Policy for Australia report at a press conference at Parliament House, calling for politicians to prioritise climate action in Australia’s international agenda - Canberra

10.15am (AEST) - An appeal hearing for Tony Mokbel to overturn his drug trafficking convictions in connection with the Lawyer X appeal is set to begin - Melbourne

11.00am (AEST) - The Maclean brothers will speak at a press conference following their record-breaking row across the Pacific Ocean in a self-built boat to raise money for clean water projects - Sydney

12.00pm (AWST) - Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock will speak at CEDA’s In Conversation event to explore domestic and global economic conditions - Perth

10.00pm (AEST) - A verdict is expected in the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro over his attempts to stage a coup following his failed bid for reelection in the 2022 presidential race - Brasilia, Brazil

ABS data releases: Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Australia, June 2025; and Government Finance Statistics, Australia, June 2025

Governor-General Sam Mostyn will travel to Japan to meet with Crown Princess Kiko and Princess Kako at the World Expo 2025 - Osaka

Democracy Day in Tibet, marking the 65th anniversary of Tibet's first election of the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration in 1960

Birthdays for actors Keanu Reeves (1964) and Salma Hayek (1966)

Anniversary of:

  • the Great Fire of London, which destroyed 80% of the city (1666)

  • the deaths of Australian writer Henry Lawson (1922), former President of North Vietnam Ho Chi Minh (1969), author JRR Tolkien (1973) and actor Bob Denver (2005)