28 March 2026 - Saturday Squiz

Just a heads up: we’ll be off next Saturday for the Easter weekend - we’ll miss you more than you miss us… This weekend, if you have a favourite frozen yoghurt topping, a signature perfume/cologne, or have anything else you’d like to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

🎧 Listen to the Weekly Wrap 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. The future of the Strait of Hormuz - Earlier this week, US President Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iranian power plants if it did not re-open the vital shipping channel within 48 hours. He’s since extended it until Sunday, then again for a further 10 days. Iran has responded to those threats, saying it will “irreversibly destroy” water and energy facilities across the Middle East, but Trump says they’re in peace talks that are progressing well…

2. Narelle reforms over Western Australia - The cyclone that hit Queensland and the Northern Territory barrelled into the Western Oz coast Friday morning, causing flash flooding and wind damage, and it’s expected to weaken to a Category 2 as it moves further south. You can see live updates from the BOM here - and stay safe if you’re in the zone…

3. Results are in for South Oz - As the polls predicted, Premier Peter Malinauskas and his Labor government claimed a convincing victory in the state election. The other headline is One Nation’s performance - it won 21% of the vote, outperforming the Liberals on 19%. Those votes have translated to 2 seats for One Nation so far, with the complicated count continuing.

4. The current fuel situation - More than 300 petrol stations across Australia have run out of diesel, and some stations have imposed their own limits per vehicle. At the federal level, the debate continues about supply issues v panic buying… The Albanese Government has ruled out rationing, but wants us to reduce our fuel use through things like working from home.

5. And a deal 8 years in the making - The free trade agreement between Australia and the EU has been finalised. There’s a lot to it, but some of the main points are that it’ll eliminate tariffs on things like Aussie wine and seafood, while European cars, clothes and food will be cheaper for us here. But there is still some beef around beef…

It’s you against the news…

Reckon you know the name of Windows' iconic desktop wallpaper? Test your news knowledge from the last week with the Squiz Quiz.

Pic of the week

Earlier this week, First Lady Melania Trump stepped out at the inaugural Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition summit with a humanoid AI-powered robot named Figure 3. There’s nothing terrifying about this image at all…

Turning water into shine

Looking at the mountain of plastic under the sink or in the shower often leads to wondering if there’s a better way to do things. Skipper’s #1 just-add-water home and body care range is for you. Chuck one of their tablets into some water, and you can save some cash and reduce waste. The range includes universal cleaners, body washes, laundry sheets and more, and you can build your own bundle and get up to $120 off. Skip to it...

In the Kitchen

If you’re after a healthy, easy-to-prep meal that won’t go soggy in the fridge, this roasted broccolini and chickpea salad with a tahini-parmesan dressing might be your new favourite work lunch. It’s a wintery salad that’ll get you ready for April.

What we Shortcut for you this week

What does the US want with Cuba? - Tensions between the US and Cuba have flared up recently over Cuba's support for the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and America’s subsequent oil blockade. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at the history between the US and Cuba, what’s been happening there and what the US wants with it… Read that here or listen up.

Wagering on warfare - When the US and Israel launched their military operations in Iran in late February, some anonymous online gamblers made a fortune on prediction markets - online gambling sites where people bet on real-world events. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll explain what these sites are, how they work, and why they’ve got some experts concerned. Read here or listen here.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - The Maurie Plant athletics meet is on from 4pm at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne, and it’s all about Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy. You can tune in on 7plus.

Sunday - The third game of the NBL finals between the Sydney Kings and the Adelaide 36ers is on at 2.30pm in Sydney. It’s a best of 5 series, and they’ve won one game a piece so far… Watch it on Disney+. And the Japanese F1 Grand Prix is on at 4pm, you can see it on Kayo.

Monday - Federal parliament’s back for another week. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei visits Australia to open the company’s Sydney office. And it’s the final day of the Sheffield Shield final between South Australia and Victoria, watch it on Kayo.

Tuesday - The winner of the Squiz Kids ‘PM for a Day’ competition will be announced at 10am at an event in Canberra’s Parliament House. And former PM Kevin Rudd ends his time as our Ambassador to the US today.

Wednesday - It’s the planned launch date of NASA’s Artemis II mission (fingers crossed) - here’s a handy Shortcut all about it. Increased health insurance premiums kick in today - it’s not a prank, even though it is April Fool’s Day…

Thursday - A judgment in the bid to suppress the identities of the family of the Bondi terror attack accused Naveed Akram will be delivered at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court at 9.30am. It’s also World Autism Day.

Friday - And it’s Good Friday. How on Earth did we get to Easter so quickly?

*Times in AEDT