Friday, 31 October - Spooky, scary...

October 31, 2025

Good morning, it’s Friday, 31 October. In your Squiz Today…

  • Presidents Xi and Trump have a long-awaited meeting

  • Changes to bulk-billing begin tomorrow

  • And a spooky cake for Halloween… 🎂 🧙‍♀️

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“(The) pacy tale has wit, humour and enormous heart.”

Said The Guardian critic Cassie Tongue about Phar Lap: The Musical, which opened in Sydney this week. Weirdly enough, it's one of 2 musicals about the famous racehorse premiering in Australia this year. We know it sounds Phar-fetched, but it’s true…

Another much-anticipated meeting

The Squiz

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump spent about an hour and 40 minutes at a South Korean air base yesterday, trying to hash out their differences over trade, tariffs and TikTok. While there's no official deal yet, there's been some movement: the US will reduce its combined tariffs on Chinese imports from 57% to 47%, while China will resume buying soybeans from the US and will suspend its controls over the export of rare earth minerals for a year. When China announced the expansion of those controls in October, it upset Trump, who threatened to cancel yesterday's meeting - but it ended up going ahead without a hitch.

Why was this meeting so anticipated?

China and the US have been locked in a tit-for-tariff battle for months, particularly since the global Liberation Day tariffs Trump announced on 2 April. A trade battle between the 2 largest economies in the world has flow-on effects for the global economy, so this was a meeting with a lot of eyes on it… And just to add an extra layer of tension to the whole thing, minutes before it began, President Trump ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing in the US for the first time since 1992. He says that’s to bring the US program in line with China and Russia, the latter of which conducted its own missile test last weekend, though that missile was nuclear-powered rather than a nuclear weapon. But Trump said, "If they're going to test, I guess we have to test."

And what about TikTok?

The US has been negotiating with China to bring the app under new ownership due to security/privacy concerns. Though US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised the 2 countries would "consummate that transaction" during yesterday's meeting, no consummation took place, but China says it will "work with the US to properly resolve issues related to TikTok". As for how the meeting generally went, Trump said it was a 12 (out of 10), and that a complete deal would happen "pretty soon". China was a bit more circumspect - President Xi says he's urging both sides "to follow up as soon as possible". It's been 5 years since the 2 last caught up, but it might be a shorter gap next time - Trump says he'll be heading off to visit China in April. For now, he's back in the US, where a federal government shutdown has been going on for almost a month. Plenty on…

Upping your home coffee game

We've all been there - standing in the kitchen wondering why our homemade coffee tastes nothing like the one from down the road. Enter Ninja Luxe Cafe - it does expert-level espresso, filter coffee, and cold brew thanks to some clever Barista Assist Technology that walks you through it. So much better than going down a YouTube rabbit hole at 6am trying to figure it out... For one machine that does cafe quality coffee, head to Ninja Luxe Cafe to check it out.

Squiz the Rest

Sudan’s death toll grows

A Sudanese rebel group has been accused of executing nearly 2,500 unarmed civilians in the city of El-Fasher this week - mostly women, children, and older adults - in “ethnically motivated atrocities”. That includes 460 people who were reportedly killed at a former children’s hospital on Tuesday. It's linked to fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army, which began in April 2023 and has left 150,000 people dead and 14 million displaced. On Sunday, the RSF captured El-Fasher, meaning the group now controls every state capital in Sudan's western Darfur region. The RSF has been accused of targeting people from non-Arab ethnic groups, which it denies, and the UN has warned that 250,000 civilians trapped in El-Fasher - many of whom are from non-Arab communities - are at risk of other mass killings.

Untangling an environmental puzzle

The Albanese Government revealed its plan for our environmental protection laws yesterday, and it’s a more than 1,500-page document, so there’s a fair bit to unpack… Here are some of the key things to know: the government will set up national environmental standards, an independent Environmental Protection Agency to oversee those standards - including stopping work on projects if they don’t meet them - and getting rid of double-ups between federal and state approvals. Here’s a guide to the plan, which Environment Minister Murray Watt says will help the environment and increase productivity, but it's coming under fire from both the Coalition and the Greens, who have sent it off to a 5-month Senate inquiry for review. Watt had set a deadline of Christmas to get this done, but that's looking shaky…
*The laws are complex, so if you’d like a bit of background on what needs fixing and why it’s such a difficult task, check out our latest Squiz Shortcut…

Make way for Medicare changes

A heads up: you might hear a bit today about an overhaul of our Medicare system, which could mean cheaper trips to your GP from tomorrow… The $7.9 billion shake-up was an Albanese Government election promise aimed at lifting bulk-billing rates, which have slid over the past few years. Until now, concession card holders and kids under 16 could access bulk billing, but from tomorrow, anyone with a Medicare card can. There's also a new incentive payment for clinics that bulk bill, with the government aiming to have 9 out of 10 do so by 2030. The catch? Not all of them have signed up yet… About 900 are on board, and the target is closer to 2,600, but Health Minister Mark Butler is staying positive, saying he's "very confident" more will join in the coming weeks.

Close, but no cigar

The Aussie women's cricket team has fallen just short of making the decider in the Women's ODI World Cup, going down to India this morning in a high-scoring semi-final in Navi Mumbai. The Aussies batted first and got off to a great start thanks to a 155-run partnership between Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry, but couldn't fully capitalise, finishing with a score of 338. And though the game was always in the balance until the final overs, star Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues was too good, scoring a match-high 127 to guide her team home off the second-last over of the innings and winning player of the match. The Indian win means they will play South Africa in the final on Sunday night in front of their home fans, while Australia will be wondering what could have been after entering the tournament as heavy favourites…

It’s that time of year…

We’re not talking about Mariah Carey season - although Halloween is a sign we’re getting closer… It’s 31 October, so the trick-or-treaters will be out in force tonight, and FYI if you’re joining them: the weather’s getting into character. Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Darwin, Brisbane and Sydney this afternoon. Perth, Canberra and Hobart should be less wet, but still showery, and Adelaide is due to dry out around lunchtime. Melbourne’s not escaping it - meteorologist Rob Sharpe says it’s likely to be “the gloomiest of cities this Halloween”. If you opt to stay in on the couch, we’ll point you to this list of horror flicks - and if you are heading out, there’s still time to change your costume to a fisherman or Mary Poppins - brolly included…

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

Keeping with the spooky theme… If you've dipped your toes into the world of dating, you probably have a horror story or 2, and this piece covers 10 of ‘em. Spare a thought for Allison, who was taken on a romantic hike despite being on crutches. You have to laugh…

We’re big proponents of connecting over baked goods and a chat, and very much enjoyed this episode of Conversations with baker and psychologist Helen Goh. She talks about her life and how she came to co-author 2 cookbooks with Yotam Ottolenghi, before writing her own.

And if you’d like to have a go at one of her recipes, here’s her spooky Halloween forest floor cake... Add more lollies if you like, or keep the decorations for a creepy fairy tale vibe - there’s surely nothing scarier to kids than veggies on a cake (even if they are made of sugar)…

Squiz the Day

Friday
Happy Halloween 🎃

9.00am (AEDT) The Tasmanian Craft Fair kicks off for the weekend - Deloraine, Tasmania

9.00am (AEDT) - Independent MP Zali Steggall will host a Climate Resilience Emergency Forum with experts, business leaders and policymakers at Parliament House to discuss policy recommendations - Canberra 

10.00am (AEDT) - A sentencing judgement will be delivered for former Kiama MP Gareth Ward after he was found guilty of sexually abusing 2 men - Sydney 

10.00am (AEDT) - Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy will attend the opening of the new Anduril Australia factory, which will be responsible for the manufacturing of the high-tech Ghost Shark submarines - Sydney

11.00am (AWST) - Fortescue Metals Group will hold its Annual General Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton - Perth

5.00pm (AEDT) - Oasis’ Australian tour kicks off at Marvel Stadium - Melbourne

5.00pm (AEDT) - The International Institute for Strategic Studies’ 3-day Manama Security Dialogue begins, with ministers and policymakers meeting to debate the Middle East’s most pressing foreign policy, defence and security challenges - Bahrain

5.00pm (AEST) - Queensland Performing Arts Centre will celebrate 20 years since the release of Bernard Fanning's Tea & Sympathy debut solo album - Brisbane

7.00pm (AEDT) - Football: The Women's A-League competition begins with Western Sydney Wanderers v Perth Glory at Wanderers Football Park - Sydney, watch on Network 10

7.15pm (AEDT) - Aussie rules: The final round of the AFLW home and away season kicks off with Hawthorn v North Melbourne at Kinetic Stadium - Melbourne, watch on Kayo

7.15pm (AEDT) - Cricket: Australia v India in the 2nd men’s T20I at the MCG - Melbourne, watch on Kayo

7.30pm (AEST) - The Professional Bull Riders Australia Grand Finals are on at the Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre - Townsville

ABS data releases: Producer Price Indexes, September 2025; Retirement and Retirement Intentions, 2024-2025

The house that inspired the horror movie series The Conjuring will be sold at auction

Birthdays for filmmaker Peter Jackson (1961), rapper Vanilla Ice (1967), and singer Willow Smith (2000)

Anniversary of:

  • Michelangelo completing the painting of The Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel (1541)

  • the birthdays of painter Jan Vermeer (1632) and poet John Keats (1795)

  • the cavalry charge by the 4th Australian Light Horse during the Battle of Beersheba in World War I (1917)

  • the completion of the Mount Rushmore Monument (1941)

  • the deaths of magician Harry Houdini (1926) and actors River Phoenix (1993) and Sean Connery (2020)

Saturday
12.00pm (AEDT) - Horse racing: Derby Day at Flemington kicks off, home to races including the Victoria Derby, Empire Rose, and Coolmore Stud Stakes - Melbourne

The start of Movember - a month dedicated to raising awareness for men’s health

It’s the start of Aus Music Month

Birthdays for Apple CEO Tim Cook (1960), Red Hot Chilli Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis (1962), singer Tina Arena (1967), and actor Toni Collette (1972)

Anniversary of:

  • the first performance of William Shakespeare's play Othello at Whitehall Palace for King James I (1604)

  • John Adams becoming the first US President to live in the White House (1800)

  • the deployment of the first aerial bomb during the Italo-Turkish War in Libya (1911)

  • the first use of the Motion Picture Association film rating system G, M, R, X (1968)

  • The premiere of the blockbuster film Titanic (1997)

Sunday
1.30am (AEDT) - Rugby league: Australia v England in the second Ashes test - Everton Stadium, Liverpool, UK watch on 9Now

2.10am (AEDT) - Rugby union: Australia v England (again!) as part of the Wallabies’ Spring tour at Twickenham Stadium, UK, watch on Stan Sport

6.15am (AEDT) - Triathlon: The elite male and female races begin for the Noosa Triathlon - Noosa

2.00pm (AEDT) - Rugby league: Kiwi Ferns NZ v Australia Jillaroos in the Women’s Pacific Cup - Auckland, watch on 9Now

7.15pm (AEDT) - Cricket: Australia v India in the 3rd men’s T20I at Bellerive Oval - Hobart, watch on Kayo

8.30pm (AEDT) - Cricket: South Africa will take on India in the Final of the Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup, watch on Prime Video

A birthday for actors Shah Rukh Khan (1965) and David Schwimmer (1966) 

Anniversary of:

  • the birthday of Marie Antoinette (1755)

  • the first publication of women's fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar (1867)

  • the start of The Great Emu War, when Aussie soldiers were engaged to cull crop-destroying emus in WA (1932)

  • Democrat Jimmy Carter being elected President of the United States (1976)

  • the premiere of the film The Godfather (1972)