13 June 2026 - Saturday Squiz

It’s National Vegemite Day on Tuesday, so we’re giving a shout-out to Hugh Jackman for teaching Jimmy Fallon (and hopefully all Americans) how to eat our national spread the right way… This weekend, if you’re cheering for the Socceroos, want a slice (or 5) of chocolate cake, or have anything else you’d like to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

🎧 Listen to the News Club with Claire Kimball and Kate Watson

This week’s top 5 news stories

The week’s most mentioned news stories in Australia across TV, radio and print, according to media analytics firm Streem.

1. A rocky road to peace for the US and Iran - This week, an American helicopter was downed near the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in tit-for-tat strikes from both sides. US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran “very hard”, but canned that early yesterday morning, saying that the 2 were close to a peace deal (again).

2. The first Big Freeze without Daniher - FightMND co-founder and AFL great Neale Daniher’s presence at the Collingwood v Melbourne AFL game for The Big Freeze each year was always a feature - and his absence was felt last Monday. Philanthropic Queenslanders Quentin and Kylie Birt donated $40 million to FightMND, saying Daniher was an inspiration: “He just did his thing better than all of us put together.”

3. NDIS reforms under the microscope - Public hearings in the Senate inquiry into the changes were on this week, and advocates voiced some serious concerns. Some said that the changes would disproportionally effect women, and push more families to child protective services… The changes are designed to make the NDIS more financially sustainable long-term, with 300,000 people either being removed or prevented from gaining access to the scheme.

4. A stabbing attack in Belfast - Violent protests broke out after what PM Keir Starmer described as a “sickening” knife attack on Monday night. The accused, Hadi Alodid, is a 30yo Sudanese refugee, and the attack stirred up anti-immigration sentiment. The victim Stephen Ogilvy is still in hospital, and his family has called for calm.

5. Origin in the air - For the Rugby League following states, Game 2 selections were abuzz this week. On the Maroons’ side of things, Reece Walsh is back in the game after being snubbed for selection in game one… They’re looking for a win after an epic comeback from the Blues to take the early series lead.

It’s you against the news…

Reckon you know which show won Best Musical at this week's Tony Awards in New York? Test your news knowledge from the last week with the Squiz Quiz.

Pic of the week

Fresh off featuring at the Big Freeze in Melbourne on Monday, Jai Arrow, the South Sydney Rabbitohs star who was recently diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, was honoured at the team’s game against the Brisbane Broncos on Thursday night alongside his fiancée Berina Colakovic and daughter Ayla Rae. The Rabbitohs brought home a win, with his teammate calling it "A big win for a special bloke”.

Spring blossoms to autumn colour

Silversea's extended 2027 Asia season opens with Japan's cherry blossoms in spring and runs through to December, covering more departures across more of the year than previous seasons - with time across Japanese temples and South Korean cities along the way. The all-inclusive cruises take in well-known stops alongside some less-visited ports, with shore experiences built around local culture. For a limited time save up to 40% on select voyages worldwide - reserve a suite by 8 September with a reduced deposit from 15%.

In the Kitchen

This flourless chocolate cake is our favourite low-skill baked good at the moment, coming together without any complicated equipment. It’s easy, yummy, serves 8 people (or 6 hungry people, we don’t judge), and we recommend it with creme fraiche and a few berries on the side…

What we Shortcut for you this week

Containing the Ebola outbreak - You might’ve seen in the news that struggling to manage a recent Ebola outbreak in Africa… The World Health Organisation has declared the epidemic a public health emergency of international concern, so in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll get you across what Ebola actually is, the challenges involved in containing it, and what’s next… Read that here or listen up.

The FIFA World Cup - The FIFA men’s World Cup has officially kicked off, and it’s promising to be one of the most unusual and newsworthy in history. There are more teams, more games and more host countries than ever before, so in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll take a look at how this tournament is different, some of the big news stories leading in and what we can expect on the pitch… Read it here or listen to the pod.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - At 11.30pm, Australia is playing England in the Women’s T20 World Cup in Manchester, you can watch it on Stan.

Sunday - At 2pm, the Socceroos will play their first match in the FIFA World Cup against Türkiye in Vancouver - you can see it on SBS. The Barcelona F1 Grand Prix starts at 11pm, which you can watch on Kayo. And think about rolling up your sleeve in the near future - it’s World Blood Donor Day.

Monday - At 10am, the UFC Freedom Fight at the White House (yes, you read that correctly) begins. The RBA monetary policy board meeting starts - watch out for the update on interest rates on Tuesday… And the G7 Leaders Summit kicks off in France, where leaders will meet until 17 June (note: Australia didn’t score an invite this time…).

Tuesday - Get a round of toast on and soften up the butter - it’s National Vegemite Day.

Wednesday - At 12.30pm, One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson will address the National Press Club in Canberra. And at 8.05pm, State of Origin game 2 will see NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons go head to head at the MCG. You can catch it on 9Now.  

Thursday - Toy Story 5 and The Death of Robin Hood will be released in Australian cinemas.

Friday - KPMG’s senior execs are set to appear before the federal parliamentary joint committee on corporations and financial services in Canberra following a recent scandal over audit services…

*Times in AEST