Wednesday, 4 March - You can go your own way

March 04, 2026

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, 4 March. In your Squiz Today…

  • The death toll in Iran rises as a small number of flights resume to get people out of the Middle East

  • Jackie O quits the Kyle and Jackie O Show

  • And a pricey load of bull…

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

"Man’s aura screams kale salad.”

Said one commenter on a video of McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski, who did an awkward online taste test where he seems to have not eaten, or possibly even seen, a burger before. On the flipside, there’s a new product idea for McDonald’s - the McKale…

The death toll rises in Iran

The Squiz

It’s now at least 787 people, according to humanitarian group the Red Crescent, as the fighting continues this morning. In addition, at least 6 US service members have died, along with 11 people in Israel and 40 in Lebanon. That last number has risen significantly as the Israeli Defense Forces and the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah exchange strikes. In response to Hezbollah attacking Israel on Monday, the IDF says it has moved additional troops into southern Lebanon, meaning a fourth country is now heavily involved in the widening conflict.   

Is there any end in sight?

Not yet… Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says the war may “take some time”, but ruled out the idea that it might go for years. And US President Donald Trump previously laid out a 4-week timeline, but has since said it might take longer. After criticism that his reasons/plans for attacking Iran were unclear, Trump has laid out 4 key goals for the war: stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, destroy its missile program and navy, and prevent it from continuing to support proxy groups (aka Hamas/Hezbollah). Both sides have ruled out talks to end the war anytime soon. For its part, Iran is currently looking to replace its former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war - but reports say a meeting to elect his successor was hit by an Israeli strike this morning. 

What’s the latest from our end?

While PM Anthony Albanese said yesterday that he doesn’t expect the US will ask for our military assistance, it is having an impact on an unprecedented number of Aussies overseas. Foreign Minister Penny Wong says that the number of Australians affected by the war “dwarfs any consular operation the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has ever conducted”. Most Aussies are still struggling to get out, though Wong did say that “a small number” of commercial flights had been able to leave. As for our military personnel, Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed yesterday that all serving Australians are OK after an Iranian drone strike hit the Al Minhad Air Base in Dubai - which is frequently used by Aussie troops - on the first night of the conflict.

Empowering policy makers

This week marks the launch of Women in Government Relations Australia (WGRA). It’s a new national network dedicated to women working in government relations, public affairs and policy across industry. If that’s you, this organisation is all about supporting your leadership progression and helping you activate your professional network. Find out more here.

Squiz the Rest

Panic buying makes a return

This time, it’s petrol that people are fighting for at bowsers across the country - with the war in Iran likely to lead to global oil shortages, and in turn, petrol prices potentially jumping to more than $2/litre here in Oz. Of course, nobody knows how long the war will last or how long the Strait of Hormuz will be affected. But the Albanese Government got on the front foot yesterday - Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the ACCC (our competition watchdog) to make sure petrol retailers aren’t price gouging motorists. And Energy Minister Chris Bowen warned against panic buying petrol, saying we have 36 days of petrol supply in reserve - although others have pointed out that it’s far less than the 90 days we should have for emergencies…

It’s O-ver

The Kyle and Jackie O show is no more after one half of Oz radio's highest-paid duo quit. There's been radio silence from Jackie 'O' Henderson since 20 February, when she had an on-air spat with co-host Kyle Sandilands after he told her she wasn't doing her job well. Yesterday, ARN Media, the owner of the pair's station KIIS FM, announced that Henderson had "given notice she cannot continue to work with" Sandilands, ending their 25-year broadcast relationship. The show has been taken off air, and Sandilands has been suspended for 14 days over his conduct. Controversy is nothing new to the pair, but turning on his co-host was the final straw for the partnership, which was 2 years into a 10-year, $200 million contract with ARN - and there's no sign yet that they'll KIIS and make up. 

A bad review is never fun… 

…but the Liberal party’s review of its 2025 election is causing the party real headaches. As we mentioned on Monday, the Libs chose not to release the review, but it was leaked shortly after - and then yesterday, tabled in parliament by PM Anthony Albanese, making it very public. It identifies several failings in the party’s 2025 campaign - like alienating migrant communities and women - and it also says leader Peter Dutton had too much influence over how the campaign operated. But Dutton called the review a “pathetic attempt at a factional hit job” - and he said while he took responsibility for the campaign’s failure, poor polling had led the party down the wrong paths. So, no 5-star raves anywhere, then… 

A Zac Lomax legal case climax

Try saying that 3 times fast… A long-running court case involving the star Parramatta Eels winger was settled yesterday, and it means his playing future remains firmly in the Eels’ hands… To catch you up, Lomax was released from his contract with the Eels in November so he could play R360 - a breakaway rugby union league. But R360 was delayed, so Lomax needed a club to play for, and tried to join the Melbourne Storm. The Eels sued to stop that - and the case was settled yesterday in their favour. Now, if Lomax does play for another NRL club before 2028, Parra will need to be fairly compensated first. The settlement winds up the NRL’s biggest off-season drama just in time for the Storm to play - will you look at that - the Eels on Thursday night. Spicy… 

A pricey load of bull

If you’re unfamiliar with the ag industry, the recent auction sale price of a South Oz bull might take you aback… Granite Ridge Velocity V4, as the prize Angus bull is known, set a state record in February, with new owner Herb Duddy, a NSW Angus beef farmer, forking out $235,000. That’s about $125,000 less than the all-time Australian record set by Texas Thunderstruck T383 (another catchy name…) in 2023, but it’s still a lot… Duddy says it was more than he was planning to spend, but he doesn’t regret a thing because “good [bulls] are very, very hard to find”. As for why, beautiful skin and hair, good confirmation/looks and a “very good temperament” is what got Duddy to sign on the dotted line for Granite Ridge Velocity V4. Sounds like a dating profile…

Apropos of Nothing

Here’s one for you if you like to try and trick your brain from time to time… Olivier Redon shares tricks of perspective that might make you look twice. We still can’t work out how a cube isn’t a cube, but we’ll let you take a look…

Congratulations are in order for F1 driver Charles Leclerc and Alexandra Saint Mleux who’ve shared their glamorous Monaco wedding photos. The bride was stunning in a gown by Aussie designer Paolo Sebastian, but it was mini dachshund Leo who really stole the show…

And last night’s rare blood moon didn’t disappoint stargazers who ventured outside to catch what’s predicted to be the last total lunar eclipse for the next 3 years. If you missed it, here are some pics from Oz and around the world…

Squiz the Day

11.30am (AEDT) - Tahlia Isaac, the CEO and founder of Project:herSELF, will address the National Press Club on women and the media for International Women’s Day (which is on Sunday) - Canberra

12.00pm (AEDT) - UN Women Australia is hosting International Women's Day events in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney

7.30pm (AEDT) - Basketball: Qualifying play in games for the NBL finals, SE Melbourne Phoenix v Perth Wildcats at John Cain Arena - Melbourne, watch on Kayo 

President Donald Trump is convening tech executives from Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet at the White House to commit their companies to take on the electricity bill of energy-intensive data centres, due to fears the AI boom will increase utility bills for ordinary households - Washington DC

US midterm primaries (where voters decide which candidates will represent each political party in the November midterm elections) begin in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas

ABS data release: Corrective services, December quarter; Australian national accounts: national income, expenditure and product, December

A birthday for media personality/celebrity cook Brooklyn Beckham (1999)

Anniversary of:

  • the second Battle of Vinegar Hill (aka the Castle Hill rebellion) in NSW, when Irish convicts led the colony's only significant convict uprising (1804)

  • the publication of the song Happy Birthday To You by Claydon Sunny (1924)

  • the birthday of Catherine O’Hara (1954)

  • the deaths of actor Luke Perry (2019) and cricket legends Rod Marsh and Shane Warne (2022)