Artemis II makes a global splash, and some books worth a look

This episode of Squiz Today covers a range of global and local stories, beginning with the successful splashdown of NASA's Artemis II mission, marking the first crewed lunar flyby since 1972. The four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—completed a 10-day journey, testing the Orion spacecraft’s systems, including its heat shield, while also encountering minor issues like a faulty toilet and Microsoft Outlook glitches. The mission paves the way for Artemis 3, which will now focus on docking systems before Artemis 4 returns humans to the lunar surface in 2028. The episode also reports on geopolitical tensions, including US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid failed peace talks with Iran, prompting fuel security concerns in Australia and a government campaign urging reduced fuel use. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to visit Brunei and Malaysia to strengthen fuel supply agreements. In sports, sprinter Gout Gout broke the Australian 200m record with a time of 19.67 seconds—faster than Usain Bolt at the same age—while Lachlan Kennedy became the first Australian to break 10 seconds in the 100m on home soil. The episode concludes with a book roundup, highlighting The Guardian’s list of 25 books everyone should read before 25, with a noted emphasis on British literature, and an accompanying Australian alternative list for local readers.