29 November 2025 - Saturday Squiz

Summer is 2 sleeps away, catch you on the flip side... This weekend, if you’ve been scarred by a long-haul flight, caught in an awkward photobomb, or have anything else you’d like to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

🎧 Listen to the Weekly Wrap with Claire Kimball and Jodie Speers

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. Cyclones and storms across Australia - A week ago, Cyclone Fina became the biggest storm to hit Darwin in 50 years, damaging homes and leaving nearly 20,000 homes without power. Wild weather also lashed southern Queensland and parts of NSW this week. Stay up to date (and dry) with the BOM’s weather warnings.

2. Putting a bow on it - The last week of federal parliament was chockers. The big story was the Labor-Greens deal to pass the Environmental Protection Reform Bill. Another big one (but no surprise…) was Barnaby Joyce quitting the Nationals after 30 years, including stints as party leader. He says he’s “strongly considering” running for One Nation in the Senate next election. And breathe...

3. Aussies 1-0 up in the Ashes - It was a flash finish in Perth on Saturday, as the Aussies scored an 8-wicket win in 2 days. With a record attendance and day 3 almost sold out, the super quick Test resulted in millions in lost revenue. Bring on Thursday’s Test at the Gabba…

4. A new go at a Russia-Ukraine peace plan - Efforts gained momentum this week following a plan put together by the US and Russia officials was revised by the EU and Ukraine. Disagreements remain over territorial concessions, but a Trump-Zelensky meeting looms…

5. The search for Gus Lamont continues - On Wednesday, South Oz police concluded their renewed search for the missing 4yo, who disappeared from his family’s homestead near Yunta on 27 September. Covering 6 mine shifts, the search resumed on Tuesday as police sought to rule out another possible location, but no new evidence was found.

It’s you against the news…

Reckon you know which Netflix series made its long-awaited return this week? Test your knowledge with this week’s Squiz Quiz.

And if you aced that, try this…

This week on the Weekly Squiz Quiz, the team from SBS Podcast Grave Matters Anthony Levin and Nadine J Cohen go for quiz glory - and for a duo that spends a lot of time talking about death, they sure know how to have a laugh.

The Weekly Squiz Quiz is out each Wednesday - listen here and/or watch on our YouTube channel.

Theatrics of the Week

From a power outage to a procession of ejected MPs, there was no shortage of theatrics in federal parliament’s last sitting week of the year. Snapping pics throughout the year, Matt Roberts captures all the ups and downs.

A fix for an overstuffed suitcase

If you’re anything like us, packing for the holidays means a bulging suitcase... Brisbane brand Simplify Living has created vacuum travel bags that compress without any equipment - just roll the air out and watch your stack halve in size, meaning you can travel without the bulk. Once you see how much space you save, it changes how you think about packing... Find out more here.

In the Kitchen

Last Saturday, the pioneer of the slow food movement/Aussie chef Skye Gyngell died at 62yo from cancer. With a Michelin star under her belt, she shared simple home recipes in her book How I Cook - and it’s our favourite cook book. A go-to recipe for us is her chicken with rice and basil - scroll through the link the find it.

What we Shortcut for you this week

The rise of Nigel Farage - He’s the leader of the UK’s far-right party Reform UK, and polls show support has overtaken the major parties. At the same time, Keir Starmer’s Labour government is in deep trouble, so we dive into what’s behind the shift and what might come of it… Read here or listen here.

Part 1 of our social media ban short series: How did we get here? - Australia’s world-first legislation to ban social media for under-16s will be here in less than 2 weeks… So in the first of this special 3-part series, Squiz Kids’ Bryce Corbett helps unpack the lead-up to this moment. Read here or listen up here.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - North Melbourne Kangaroos and Brisbane Lions go head to head in the AFLW Grand Final at 7.45pm at Ikon Park, live on Kayo.

Sunday - Melbourne's new metro tunnel will open, kicking off free public transport on weekends until February. And Pope Leo heads to Lebanon on his first trip overseas.

Monday - Summer is here ☀️ and it’s also Cyber Monday 💸. Plus, at 3am the Qatar Grand Prix begins as the second last F1 of the season - watch on Kayo. And go Oscar…

Tuesday - Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel Matt Keogh will address the National Press Club on what’s happened since the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide reported 12 months ago. And the world’s longest ever direct flight, at a whopping 29 hours (including a 2-hour fuel stopover in Auckland), launches between Buenos Aires and Shanghai.

Wednesday - Tasmania’s upper house will take a final vote on the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium. Communications Minister Anika Wells will address the National Press Club on the under-16s social media ban. And it’s time for an economic check-up - the ABS will release the National Accounts for the September quarter.

Thursday - Ashes Test 2 bats off at the Gabba with the first ball at 2pm local time - watch that on Channel 7. And Oprah Winfrey’s first Aussie tour in 10 years kicks off in Sydney - “you get a car, you get a car…”

Friday - Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Indian PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sticking to a theme of tours, Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM Ball Aussie tour leg starts in Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.