Tuesday, 24 February - You say goodbye and I say hello

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 24 February. In your Squiz Today…

• Today marks 4 years since Russia invaded Ukraine

• Another high-profile Epstein related arrest

• And Milan pivots from slopestyle to runway style…

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Said publican Emily Dalton after a cyberattack took a chicken meat processing plant offline in central Victoria, leaving a stack of businesses without their usual chook access. A pub with no beer is pretty bad - but a pub with no parmies/parmas is a really fowl turn of events…

Four years of war

The Squiz

Today marks 1,461 days since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, 2022. Since that day, it's estimated that the number of casualties (including those wounded and missing) is approaching 2 million - 1.2 million Russians and 600,000 Ukrainians. Another 10 million Ukrainians (more than 20% of its pre-war population) have been displaced, the financial cost is in the hundreds of billions, and yet the situation on the frontlines hasn’t changed much… 

Where is the war up to??  

As we enter the fifth year of the conflict, it’s worth remembering that reports say Vladimir Putin and his colleagues only expected it to last a matter of days. But during the war’s fourth year, (depending on who you ask) Russia has taken between 4,500-6,000 square kilometres of territory - less than 1% of Ukraine, and an area about the size of Kangaroo Island. Most of that has been in the Donbas region - in the east of Ukraine - and the future of that region is a key sticking point in the ongoing peace negotiations. Those gains have come at enormous financial/human cost, but Russia hasn’t had it all its own way - last week, Ukraine made what was described as its biggest military gain in 2.5 years after Elon Musk’s Starlink internet shut down access to Russian forces - disabling their ability to carry out targeted strikes. 

So what happens next?

If the war continues at this pace, analysts for the US-based Institute for the Study of War say it could take Russia another 2 years merely to claim the rest of the Donetsk region. Despite the slow going and significant human/economic cost, progress on peace talks has been a bit 2 steps forward, 1 step back… A meeting in Geneva last week didn’t turn up any major breakthroughs, and the key sticking points haven’t changed much. Ukraine is pushing for security guarantees - commitments from its international allies (particularly the US) to help defend it in the wake of another attack. Russia wants to retain control of its territorial gains in the Donbas region - Ukraine’s not at all keen on that. In the middle of this is the US, mediating between the 2 - White House special envoy Steve Witkoff says more talks should happen in the next 21 days.

The skincare ingredient that sounds weird but works wonders

Summer does a number on the skin, and for many of us, regular moisturisers just don't cut it. Enter Bescher Beauty's Sea Cucumber Collagen Glow Toner: it's packed with marine collagen, native botanicals, and hyaluronic acid that work together to deliver results. The proof? It sold out in 6 days after building a 35,000-person waitlist. Now it's back in stock, and if winter skin is the bane of your existence, it might be worth trying something that thousands of people couldn't wait to get their hands on. You can check it out here. 

Squiz the Rest

The fallout from the Epstein files continues...

...with the arrest of the UK's former ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It’s claimed he shared sensitive information while he was Business Secretary with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein - revealed in emails released by the US Department of Justice. Mandelson’s ties to Epstein have caused a political storm in the UK after it was revealed that PM Keir Starmer knew of the association when he appointed him as US ambassador in December 2024. Mandelson was sacked in September after his emails to Epstein came to light - but the optics haven’t been great for Starmer, and he’s likely to face more heat today… It comes days after the arrest (and later release) of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor over his dealings with Epstein. And just on the former Prince, PM Anthony Albanese says he’ll support moves to remove him from the line of succession.
*If you’d like more background on who’s who in the Epstein files, this Squiz Shortcut will help…  

Chaos after a Mexican drug lord’s death

Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes was the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel - and he was one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers. Reports say his killing - in a Mexican military operation - is in response to pressure from US President Donald Trump to curb drug trafficking. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the agencies involved in his demise, but has previously questioned whether targeting cartel bosses is helpful or just fractures criminal organisations into rival factions and provokes more violence. In this case, El Mencho’s death has led to an outburst of violence across several states - leading to warnings from Mexican authorities to shelter in place, and foreign governments (including our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade…) urging citizens to avoid travelling there…

The antisemitism Royal Commission begins

One of the major ongoing news stories of 2026 hits a milestone today, as Commissioner Virginia Bell will officially begin the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. Today, Bell will lay out the terms of reference and general structure of the event - essentially, how things are going to work. There are 2 key dates to note - 30 April is when the Commission's first interim report is due, with a likely focus on the actions of our security agencies in the lead-up to the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach. And then on 14 December this year - marking one year since that attack - the full report will be handed down. That makes this Royal Commission a pretty quick one - for comparison, the average time of a modern Royal Commission in Australia is 652 days…  

Read all about it…

The News Media Bargaining Code is back in the headlines, with reports a trade group repping Meta and Google has raised concerns it’s “legally dubious” (paywall) and could breach Oz’s free trade deal with the US… To remind you, the code’s about forcing tech giants to support our local media industry by levying charges against them if they don’t strike commercial deals with publications for their content… Under Trump, the US government has said it would probe “discriminatory or extraterritorial taxes” on US companies - and given tariffs are back in focus again, our Code could be up for review… Daniel Mulino, our Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, isn’t worried - he said the government is pushing ahead with the code and is confident it’s “consistent with our trade obligations”.

From the slopes to the runways

What’s a city to do when the Olympics are over? The Milanese don’t have to worry - they’re strutting straight into Milan Fashion Week. As one of the “big 4” (nothing to do with Aussie banking…), Milan sits alongside New York, London and Paris fashion weeks as one of the most influential in the world. We’ll be seeing shows from some of the biggest fashion houses - Roberto Cavalli, Prada and Bottega Veneta are a few - through until it wraps on 2 March. There’s also chatter around new creative directors debuting their Fall 2026 collections - Maria Grazia Chiuri for Fendi, Meryll Rogge for Marni and Demna Gvasalia (who’s cool enough to be known just as Demna…) for Gucci. As for what’s trending, stay tuned - but leopard print, bustle bags and scarves were all the rage at the just-finished New York Fashion Week…
*If you want to learn more about the business of fashion weeks, our recent Shortcut with Lauren Sams, Fashion Editor at the Australian Financial Review, has you covered.

Apropos of Nothing

Veteran ABC journalist Michael Rowland is leaving Aunty after a 39-year career spanning breakfast news, a Washington posting, and 7.30. His final day is Friday, and as you can see from this blooper from over a decade ago, his professionalism will be much-missed… 

Yesterday morning, pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall became the fourth Australian to clear the 6 metre mark. Marschall’s new PB landed him second spot behind Swedish star Armand Duplantis, but his celebration suggests he’s on top of the world (which we suppose he kinda is…)

A suspected burglar in Thailand was caught by police officers who were wearing an unconventional disguise - a Lunar New Year lion dancer costume. You can check out the video here, but it kind of looks like he’s being eaten…

Squiz the Day

10.30am (AEDT) - The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion begins - Sydney, the hearing will be livestreamed through the commission's website 

1.50pm (AEST) - Cricket: Women's ODI, Australia v India (game one of a 3-game series)  - starting in Brisbane, then moving to Hobart, watch on 7plus 

ABS data release: Deaths due to acute respiratory infections, January 2026; provisional mortality statistics, January - November 2025

Milan fashion week for the Fall Winter season begins (until 2 March). See the full schedule here…

Day one of The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (until 27 February) 

Nine Entertainment, AUB Group, and Southern Cross Media (which announced yesterday that boss Jeff Howard has left after 7 weeks in the job) will release half-year financial results

Woodside Energy and Scentre Group (Westfield shopping centre owner) to share full-year results 

The 4-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine 

Independence Day - Estonia

National Day for War Animals

Birthdays for boxer Floyd Mayweather (1977) and tennis champ Lleyton Hewitt (1981)

Anniversary of:

• the sinking of the SS Gothenburg after hitting the Great Barrier Reef, killing approximately 100 (1875)

• the birthday of Steve Jobs (1955)

• the announcement of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer’s engagement (1981)

• former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein being found guilty in New York following associations that ignited the #MeToo movement (2020)