23 May 2026 - Saturday Squiz

Kylie Minogue’s documentary is out, so we’re revisiting her 2002 Brit Awards performance just to remind ourselves that she’s the GOAT (not that we needed reminding)… This weekend, if you’re excited for back-to-back State of Origin, have a dessert recommendation, or anything else you’d like to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

🎧 Listen to the News Club with Kate Watson and Eliza Harvey

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. Potential developments in the Middle East - US President Donald Trump and senior Iranian leaders have yet to agree on a peace deal, with both sides threatening further military action… The main sticking points are Iran stockpiling enriched uranium and charging tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. That being said, US Secretary of ​State Marco Rubio thinks that there are “some good signs” in how talks are progressing. Stay tuned…

2. Untangling the ‘death tax’ - This is about a proposed 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts that’s been labelled a “death tax” by the Coalition. The tax would only affect new, discretionary trusts from July 2028, which are a common form of trust for estate planning - though Treasurer Jim Chalmers says there’s no literal inheritance tax in the budget. Still with us…? PM Anthony Albanese hasn’t ruled out changes to the proposal, so we can expect this debate to continue…

3. Another day, another disease - This week it’s a major diphtheria outbreak in the Northern Territory… It’s a bacterial infection that affects the nose and throat that was thought to be largely eradicated but it looks to be making a comeback. This current outbreak is mainly affecting Indigenous Aussies who haven’t been fully vaccinated, and cases are now being recorded in other states as well.

4. Beijing hosts another leader - Just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted US President Donald Trump, he rolled out the red carpet again for Russian President Vladimir Putin… The trip marked 25 years since the 2 countries signed a friendship treaty and firmed up trade relations between them, with 20 trade deals signed. We’ll have to see which world leader travels to this host with the most next…

5. A tide of criticism over the treatment of activists - Australia joined several other countries in condemning the actions of Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who posted video footage online showing him taunting a group of pro-Palestine activists, including 11 Aussies. They were part of a flotilla carrying aid for Gaza, before they were stopped and detained. The Australians onboard were deported to Turkey on Thursday night…

It’s you against the news…

Reckon you know which club became this year's A-League Women's champions last weekend? Test your news knowledge from the last week with the Squiz Quiz.

Pic of the week

This week, 18yo Bianca Adler really raised the bar for teenage achievements - she’s become the youngest Aussie ever to summit Mount Everest. What an achievement…

The waiting room is optional

Between petrol prices and packed waiting rooms, getting to a GP can take more out of a day than the appointment itself. Hola Health puts registered Aussie GPs on your phone or laptop, 24/7. Medical certificates, script renewals, video consults - without the drive, the parking, or the wait. You're usually talking to a doctor within 15 minutes, wherever you are.

In the Kitchen

We’re grateful for whichever brilliant mind had a delicious lasagna or soup and thought ‘I can make this even cosier’… We present to you lasagna soup - an easy, one-pot recipe with all the flavours of a lasagna (or lasagne for the purists) with less time and effort. The perfect comfort meal for the wintery days ahead…

What we Shortcut for you this week

The woolly history of UGG boots - We’ve got a fun for you one this week, suggested by a Squizer, Steve, who let us know that his friend Shane Stedman, the first Aussie to make and sell the boots commercially in modern times, had died on 1 May. Stedman paved the way for them to become a global fashion staple, so in this Squiz Shortcut, we look at the origins of the UGG boot and the fight over the UGG name… Read that here or listen up.

Explaining hantavirus - Hantavirus has been in the news a lot following an outbreak on a cruise ship called the MV Hondius. Just 6 years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the presence of another little-known virus in the news has had some people very nervous. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll look at what hantavirus is, how it spreads and what’s being done to contain it… Read it here or listen to the pod.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - The men’s A-League grand final between Auckland FC and Sydney FC is on at 6.10pm in Auckland - you can watch it on 10Play. And it’s World Turtle Day.

Sunday - It’s the final day of the Sydney Writers' Festival and Melbourne Design Week.

Monday - The Enhanced Games begin in Las Vegas at 8.30am - you can see them on Youtube… It’s day one of the second block of Sydney hearings in the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which will focus on security and intelligence in the lead up to the Bondi attack. And at 9pm the first race of the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling festival begins…

Tuesday - at 12.30pm US President Donald Trump's former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Australia's former US Ambassador Joe Hockey will address the National Press Club in Canberra. And it’s National Sorry Day.

Wednesday - Game one of men’s State of Origin kicks off at 8.05pm in Sydney - watch it on 9Now… And National Reconciliation Week begins today.

Thursday - The third women’s State of Origin game is on at 7.45pm on the Gold Coast, you can watch it on 9Now. The Blues have already won the series, but the Maroons will still be looking to get a point on the board in front of a home crowd. And we can’t get her out of our heads - it’s Kylie Minogue’s birthday…

Friday - At 12.30pm, there's a James Valentine memorial radio show live from Town Hall which you can listen to on 702 ABC Sydney or on the ABC Listen app…

*Times in AEST