3 October 2026 - Saturday Squiz

Happy October, only 27 days left to plan your Halloween costume if you’re so inclined... And speaking of holidays, we’ll be off Monday for the public holiday - PSA: there will be no Squiz Today in your inbox/podcast app on Monday. This weekend, if you’re doing some Kylie karaoke, binge-watching a new TV show, or have anything else you’d like to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

🎧 Listen to the News Club with Claire Kimball 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. Turns out it’s not Wharfie Time… - It’s a tough time to be a Fremantle Dockers fan after last weekend’s AFL Grand Final... Kylie kicked off the afternoon’s entertainment before a tussle with the Brissie Lions. It was exciting, with the Queenslanders taking it out - you can catch the highlights here. Also, Lions coach Chris Fagan announced his retirement this week - talk about ending on a high note…

2. From wooden spoon to NRL premiership hopefuls - The NRL and NRLW Grand Finals are on tomorrow. On the women’s side, the Sydney Roosters are playing the Brisbane Broncos, followed by the men’s Sydney Roosters playing the Newcastle Knights. Knights hooker Phoenix Crossland will be sitting the game out after an illegal tackle on Dally M winner Nathan Cleary, which resulted in a gruesome injury and emergency surgeries. Ouch…

3. Trouble in the UK - On Sunday, 5 men were arrested for a possible terrorist attack on the UK RAF Fairford airbase, who have since been released on bail. For context: the base has been used by the US for years, most recently for “defensive” strikes against Iran. Police found a van containing barrels and petrol. Yesterday, a UK-Iran dual national was arrested in connection with the incident. PM Andy Burnham has said that there are strong indications that Iran played a part, but the Iranian government say he’s “barking up the wrong tree”.

4. An attack on flight FZ1073 - The 174 passengers on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced a sharp plummet in the air when the co-pilot stabbed the captain. What happened next was chaotic, but 2 pilots at the back of the plane took over and landed the jet in Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials say that the Omani-born co-pilot had been radicalised and that they’re treating it as a terror event, but it’s all still being investigated. There were 2 Aussies on the flight - they are both safe.

5. AI whoopsies - OpenAI issued an apology blog post this week about their rogue AI agent breaching Medicare data. OpenAI has hit the brakes on releasing its latest model, tightened up its training guardrails, and delayed its share market float.

It’s you against the news…

Reckon you know what kind of moth has gone massively off track? Test your news knowledge from the last week with the Squiz Quiz.

Pic of the week

The Aussie queen of pop had everything from dancers to celeb cameos to flying through the air when she performed at the MCG on Saturday. We should be so lucky as to live in the same timeline as Kylie Minogue…

In the Kitchen

If you’re feeling fancy this long weekend, this recipe for seared scallops with a tomato beurre monté (which is just French for a butter sauce…) sounds way harder than it actually is. One of our fav cooking influencers Emily Eggers reckons that only searing them on one side helps to avoid overcooking them. What a way to impress your guests…

What we Shortcut for you this week

What’s an AI agent? - We’ve been hearing a lot about artificial intelligence this year, and especially since we found out an OpenAI agent accessed restricted parts of our Medicare system. In this Squiz Shortcut, we look at what an AI agent is, how they work, and what might happen next. Have a read here or listen up.

The SpaceX journey - Another SpaceX rocket launched this week, and along with being the biggest launch provider on the planet, it’s also a telco giant, an AI player, and the record holder for the most valuable IPO of all time. In this Squiz Shortcut, we look at how reusable rockets have changed everything, what Starlink and Starship actually are, and why global investors think SpaceX is worth so much. Read it here or listen to the pod.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - Happy Mean Girls Day - “it’s October 3rd”…

Sunday - Daylight saving begins, and clocks jump forward an hour at 2am in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and ACT. At 4pm the NRLW Grand Final between Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos kicks off, and at 7pm the NRL Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights Grand Final begins - they’re both at Accor Stadium in Sydney. Catch them on 9Now.

Monday - It’s a public holiday in NSW, the ACT, South Oz and Queensland. And Nobel Prize winner announcements kick off tonight.

Tuesday - At 9am, the next public hearing for the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence begins - OpenAI’s chief strategy officer Jason Kwon is scheduled to appear in Sydney.

Wednesday - It’s the third anniversary of the Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks on Israel.

Thursday - It’s World Octopus Day 🐙

Friday - The Commonwealth Finance Department is due to complete its independent review into KPMG and its suitability to work for the government. Tame Impala kicks off its Deadbeat Australia tour in Brisbane, and Troye Sivan's new album She's the Best is set for release.

*Times in AEDT