1 February 2025 - Saturday Squiz

February 01, 2025

A pinch and a punch for the first of the month... Sorry, we had to... This week, if you have holiday aspirations for 2025, a chatbot you’re becoming mates with, or anything else you’d like to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

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🤷‍♀️ IDK: If there’s a better way to consume Nutella than straight from the jar…

This week's top stories

Streem Leading News Stories - 25-31 January

1. Mr Netanyahu goes to Washington - As of yesterday, a total of 15 hostages and 400 Palestinians have been set free since the ceasefire agreement took effect on 19 January. In Gaza and the West Bank, scenes of jubilation as their detainees made it home - and chaos in Gaza surrounding the release of Israeli and Thai hostages on Thursday brought condemnation from Israeli leaders. Note: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will be the first world leader to get a sitdown with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office next week…

2. A possible terror plot foiled - We learned mid-week that NSW Police were called to investigate a caravan packed with power gel explosives in Sydney’s northwestern fringe on 19 January - and inside was also a list of Jewish targets. Authorities were none too pleased that those details became public, and it also became clear PM Anthony Albanese and his colleagues were left in the dark. Former Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzulo says he finds that a bit unusual…

3. Down or hold? - That’s the question being pondered about Australia’s official cash rate as this week’s inflation numbers showed another good fall. Headline inflation is at 2.4%, and the Reserve Bank's preferred ‘trimmed mean’ measure dropped to 3.2%. This week, our major banks all agreed they reckon an interest rate cut is coming in a couple of weeks… 

4. Another Aussie Open is done and dusted - As far as the singles titles were concerned, Jannik Sinner beat Alexander Zverev for a third Grand Slam title, and Madison Keys beat Aryna Sabalenka to claim her first. And while Sabalenka was criticised for letting off steam after her loss, Zverev was heckled about domestic violence claims and wondered out loud if he’d ever win a major. Talk about a rollercoaster…

5. Questions about America’s deadliest air crash in a quarter century - It saw 67 people lose their lives when an American Airlines that was on approach to Washington DC’s airport from Wichita, Kansas collided with a US Army helicopter on a training flight. Investigators are on it. Late yesterday, the Washington Post reported that the air traffic control tower was understaffed, with 2 people doing the jobs of 4…

S’Quiz me real good…

Reckon you know which AI app made a splash this week? Have a crack at the Squiz Quiz here.

News Post of the Week

Talk about making a splash… DeepSeek - the Chinese-born new kid on the AI chatbot block - celebrated its taking of the #1 spot in Western app stores this week. One of the victims of its success was American chip maker Nvidia - it saw about $1 trillion wiped off its share price after the upstart said it was able to get off the ground using the manufacturer’s cheaper products. Welcome to the jungle…

Squiz Recommends

Watching - We went to the cinema last weekend to see A Complete Unknown - which we highly recommend. This is the Bob Dylan movie starring Timothee Chalamet about the music legend’s years between 1961 (when he was just starting out) to 1965 (when he went electric). If you enjoy his tunes, it’s definitely for you.

Listening - The Fin is a podcast from the Australian Financial Review (derr…), and their episode Back from holidays? Time to plan the next one might be up your alley as the summer break fades away from your consciousness… It’s about 2025 travel trends and why the price of a plane ticket might fall this year.

Buying - Our friends at Becker Minty (aka the store that hosted us for our debut event) have these fabulous bracelets that Claire (aka our founder) has bought for all her people’s birthdays/notable milestones for the last couple of years. And it’s just occurred to her to share this information... They look great, they suit men and women, they’re not too exxy, and there are so many combinations and vibes to choose from.

In the Kitchen

We were looking for a dish to mix up our standard weeknight dinners, and these Greek stuffed capsicums did the trick. They were simple to make, we felt good because we ate a whole capsicum, and they reheated well for left overs. We think that ticks all the boxes for a weeknight dinner.

Sweet dreams are made of this

Sleep is the best, right? If you’re tossing and turning over picking a new mattress, Sleep Republic is a top choice for comfort and support. Recommended by CHOICE and backed by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, their award-winning 'mattress-in-a-box' is all about comfort. Experience the Sleep Republic difference with a 100-night trial, and get ready to dream.

What we got across for you this week

Your Shortcut to DeepSeek - As mentioned above… It was a whole thing this week, so we get you across it quick smart in this Shortcuts episode.

The Year Ahead with Lauren Sams - We’ve made a bit of a habit out of chatting with the Financial Review’s fashion editor Lauren Sams, not least because her episodes are always popular with Squizers. This time around, we chat about the latest with the global fast fashion juggernauts and personnel moves at the fancy fashion houses and why they matter to ordinary consumers (aka us…). Listen to the podcast here, or watch the interview on YouTube.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - Start your weekend right with World Ice Cream for Breakfast Day

Sunday - While we’re on the food train - it’s World Crêpe Day and Yorkshire Pudding Day… One for sweet, one for savoury…

Monday - From 10am you can tune into the 67th Annual Grammy Awards red carpet on YouTube… Then check out the award show live on Paramount+

Tuesday - You know the summer holidays are over when MPs and senators get ready to rumble on the first sitting week of the year…

Wednesday - It’s National Weatherperson’s Day, International Girls and Women in Sports Day, and World Nutella Day. Do with that what you will…

Thursday - It’s Waitangi Day in New Zealand, and it’s a notable one because it’s the 85th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, along with some politics mixed in…

Friday - And some attention on Aussie talent for our night of nights in film and TV... The 2025 AACTA Industry Awards Ceremony is on from 7.30pm, and broadcast live on Channel Ten/10 Play. And blimey if it isn’t Russell Crowe hosting…

Double-Tapping

A video of singer Dua Lipa and rumoured fiancé Callum Turner dancing under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France has been doing the rounds on social media. If you can get past the cackling of the wind and the sirens in the background, it’s really a very sweet video/moment.