6 September 2025 - Saturday Squiz

OMG there’s a cat mayoral race going on in an American town right now - we’ll try to bring you the result in Monday’s Squiz Today. We’ve never wished away a weekend before, but this is top-tier quirky news… This weekend, if you have a political podcast recommendation, a classic chocolate bar dupe, or anything 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. China flexes its military muscle - The week started off with President Xi Jinping’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on Sunday, followed by China’s largest military parade in history on Wednesday. With Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un among the high-ranking leaders present, the week’s been read as a signal of a ”new global order”. Here in Oz, it was the surprise appearance of former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews that raised some eyebrows.

2. Immigration is back in the spotlight - The discussion began last Friday with the Albanese Government’s decision to deport 354 former immigration detainees to Nauru in a move reminiscent of former PM John Howard’s ‘Pacific Solution’. Also, marches across the country calling for an end to ‘mass migration’ along with neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell’s arrest in Melbourne kept things simmering. Cue our federal pollies butting heads over our immigration numbers…

3. Apologies from AFL’s Izak Rankine - After his 4-match suspension, the Adelaide Crows player issued a public apology for using a homophobic slur against Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor during the teams’ recent clash. The story got new legs when Adelaide crowds booed Quaynor during Thursday night’s finals game, prompting criticism of the club’s inaction as they head into qualifying finals.

4. Home care packages on the way - These had been a source of debate since the Albanese Government announced in June that it would delay its delivery of aged care changes until November. Under pressure to address the growing backlog of seniors waiting for care, the government conceded to fast-track 20,000 home care packages to be made available by next month.

5. Trump’s snap hostage proposal - We didn’t cover this one, but it was sparked by US President Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social this Thursday, calling for Hamas to release all 20 remaining hostages and “IT WILL END!”. For its part, Hamas responded by affirming its commitment to a hostage swap, something Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed as “nothing new”.

The post-COVID trust deficit

In this week’s episode of The Big Threat - our podcast series examining the global information wars - Squiz Kids host extraordinaire Bryce Corbett travels to the UK. Speaking with academics at Cambridge, he learns the government is under pressure to introduce media literacy education in schools and to get big tech to pay for it. Read the highlights or tune in to the podcast.

Pssst - while you’re there, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a thing.

It’s you against the news…

Reckon you know who beat Alex De Minaur at the US Open this week? Test your knowledge with this week’s Squiz Quiz.

Shot of the Week

As the tanks, drones, and planes rolled through Tiananmen Square, the total precision of Beijing’s military parade was something to behold. This gallery is a captivating collection of images from President Xi’s end-of-WWII commemoration.

Sweet dreams are made of this

Sleep is the best, right? If you’re tossing and turning over picking a new mattress, Sleep Republic is a top choice for comfort and support. Recommended by CHOICE and backed by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, their award-winning 'mattress-in-a-box' is all about comfort. Experience the Sleep Republic difference with a 100-night trial, and get ready to dream.

In the Kitchen

Gillian - host of our menopause series and all-round Squiz legend - made these cherry ripe balls this week, and by all reports, they were an easy win with kids and grown-ups. If cherry ripes aren’t your thing (weird), you can have your pick of every type of ball from bounties to Kalhula cheesecake - go ballistic.

What we Shortcut for you this week

Australia’s climate summit showdown - The Albanese Government is set to announce its new emissions reduction targets, and with Australia in the bid to host the UN’s COP31 climate summit next year, there’s a lot at stake. We dive into the potential challenges as it all unfolds and why the summit matters. Read that here or listen here.

Managing menopause - In the second episode of our limited series on menopause, Monash Uni dietician Dr Stephanie Pirotta helps cut through the noise on managing the symptoms, the real facts about protein, and the lifestyle changes that can help women through peri menopause and menopause. Read here or listen up.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - At the family-friendly time of 2.30pm, the Wallabies take on Argentina in the ongoing Rugby Championship, live from Townsville - watch on Stan Sport.

Sunday - Sticking with rugby - at 2am, the Wallaroos play the UK in a key game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup - watch on Stan Sport. And set your alarm, a total lunar eclipse and blood moon will be visible across Australia in the wee hours of Monday morning - times are here.

Monday - It’s summit season… The 2025 Pacific Islands Forum is on all week in Honiara, Solomon Islands - the PM is heading there for that. A funeral for Senior Constable Neal Thompson, one of the 2 police officers killed in Porepunkah last week, will be held. Victoria Supreme Court judge Christopher Beale marked today as a possible sentencing hearing for convicted murderer Erin Patterson. And the MTV Video Music Awards in New York are on at 10am our time. And breathe…

Tuesday - The 80th session of the UN General Assembly kicks off in New York. And a High Court hearing is set for the trademark dispute between fashion designer Katie Perry and singer Katy Perry.

Wednesday - Telstra CEO Vicki Brady will address the National Press Club in Canberra on Australia’s digital future.

Thursday - New York Fashion Week gets underway, with all eyes on American Vogue’s new editor in chief, Chloe Malle. Closer to home, the Darwin International Film Festival is also on 🍿

Friday -  Brazil's Supreme Court has until today to deliver its verdict on former President Jair Bolsonaro - he's accused of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. And it’s not all about Rugby and AFL - the NRL finals begin.