The Briefing

Monday Headlines:  Victoria’s bushfires turn deadly, thousands turn out for vigil one month on from Bondi attack, Iran promises retaliation if US intervenes over anti-government protests, board members of Adelaide Writers’ festival resign, and the Australian Open kicks off today!  Deep Dive: A big Medicare promise dominated last year’s election campaign - with the gover...

Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah is back in the headlines after being removed from the Adelaide Writers’ Week 2026 program in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. Festival organisers say the decision wasn’t about linking Randa or her work to the attack, but about concerns that, based on her past public statements, her appearance could be culturally insensitive at this time. Randa has strongly rej...

Rachel Perkins is one of Australia’s most formidable directors, whose work has reshaped how this country tells its own story. A powerhouse of Indigenous storytelling, Perkins has spent decades bringing truth to the screen where silence once stood. The Indigenous filmmakers latest project, The Australian Wars, tells the true story about the bloody battles fought to establish a nation from bot...

Firefighters are currently battling two emergency-level blazes in central Victoria, where homes have already been destroyed and three people, including a child, remain missing. These are the worst conditions the country has faced since the deadly Black Summer fires that tore through Victoria in 2019 and 2020. Experts warn that, without urgent action, our risk of more frequent and devastating fires...

Friday Headlines: Firefighters bracing for ‘a very bad day’ as heat engulfs parts of Australia,  Jewish groups welcome PM’s announcement of a Royal Commission, Trump defends ICE agents who killed US Citizen Renee Nicole Macklin Good, authors boycott Adelaide Writers' Week after pro-Palestine advocate Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah removal and Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA potentially...

After weeks of mounting pressure, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reversed his decision and announced a royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack that claimed 15 lives and left many injured. Former High Court justice Virginia Bell has been appointed to lead the inquiry, despite objections from prominent members of the Jewish community. In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy is...

Thursday Headlines: PM expected to announce Federal Royal Commission into the Bondi terrorism attack, US seizes Russian-flagged vessel linked to Venezuelan oil, thousands of Aussies hit with highly transmissible flu strain, Grok under investigation by Australia’s online safety watchdog over deepfakes, and Warner Bros rejects ‘inadequate’ $160bn Paramount bid. Deep Dive: In 2025,...

Why does Donald Trump keep talking about Greenland, could the US really try to take it, and what does it all mean for Australia?  In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy is joined by defence and security expert, Jennifer Parker, who explains why Greenland has become such a fixation for the US president, and why this isn’t as unprecedented as it might sound.&nbs...

Wednesday Headlines: Multiple states on high alert amid forecasts not seen since Black Summer bushfires, Venezuelan opposition leader vows to return as the country cracks down on Maduro critics, Swiss ski bar not inspected for five years before deadly fire, and Tomorrowland's inching a little closer to Australia. Deep Dive: January is the rude awakening after the break - routines and alarms return...

Deposed Venezuelan authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have faced a New York court, pleading not guilty to multiple drug and weapons-related charges. Maduro’s lawyers are expected to argue his arrest was illegal, and he's immune from prosecution. In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy is joined by Colombian-born legal scholar Juan Zahir Naranjo C&aac...

Tuesday Headlines: Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in New York court, alleged Bondi shooter moved to supermax as parliament expected to return to Canberra early, Paris court finds 10 people guilty of cyberbullying France's first lady, and the new campaign trying to get Australia back in the top 10 happiest countries list. Deep Dive: From AI hype to lingering chatter around crypto and gold,...

The US-led capture of Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, has sparked a storm of debate. For many, removing a leader long labelled a dictator and accused of severe human rights abuses is a hopeful moment for Venezuela. Yet experts warn the operation raises serious questions under international law.  In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cass...

Monday Headlines: Mixed reactions from Australia’s Venezuelan community after US arrests authoritarian leader, Australian sports stars call for a royal commission into Bondi terror attack, severe heatwave warnings for large parts of the country, and the Special Ks are back!  Deep Dive: Dating is something many of us have a love-hate relationship with and as 2026 begins, new trends are a...

In the 1990s, millions of dollars’ worth of gold vanished from the Sydney CBD office of Australia’s richest man - and police believed the thief didn’t act alone.  In part two, investigators zero in on a prime suspect known as Mr X, pursuing a theory that someone inside Kerry Packer’s inner circle tipped him off about the gold. As the net tightens, uncomfortab...

In the 1990s, $5.5 million worth of gold bullion was stolen from the Sydney CBD office of Australia’s richest man, Kerry Packer.     It was a heist so precise it left even professional safecrackers impressed - and suspicious.  In this episode of The Briefing, we’re continuing to take a break from the daily news cycle and...

Friday Headlines: At least 40 dead after fire at Swiss ski resort bar, More than 100 business leaders call for Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism, House prices are set to jump more than 5% in 2026, and Usman Khawaja's Test future is up in the air leading into the Sydney test. Deep Dive:  When you book in with a psychologist, how much do you really know about the kind of treatment you’l...

It’s been almost a decade since  Stranger Things  first dropped us into the town of Hawkins - and today, the final episode of the series lands, closing out one of the most influential TV shows of the past ten years.  But behind the monsters, secret labs and psychic experiments is a lesser-known origin story: a conspiracy theory tied to a place called Montauk in New York. ...

Wednesday Headlines: Queensland flood fatality as WA cyclone makes landfall, Australians encouraged to "Celebrate not hide" this New Years eve, and good news with the PBS cap falling to $25 from New Years day. Deep Dive: Australians have spent billions of dollars on travel in 2025, and that’s not a trend that’s expected to change in the new year.  98% of people who took a holiday...

Tuesday Headlines: Menorah to light up Sydney Harbour Bridge in tribute to Bondi terror attack victims, Australian Cruise ship runs aground in PNG, Tropical cyclone Hayley to make landfall in WA today, and the ICC has rated the Boxing day pitch as "unsatisfactory". Deep Dive: BookTok is a community on TikTok where people create and share content about books and in 2025, it truly entered the zeitge...

Monday Headlines: Families of Bondi Beach terror attack victims call for federal royal commission, US President Donald Trump has a “good and very productive call” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Iconic French film star Brigitte Bardot dies age 91, and Master Lock Comanche has won Sydney to Hobart line honours. Deep Dive: New national drowning data shows deaths are at their highest...

Melbourne barman’s brush with unlimited cash takes a darker turn, as an ATM loophole that once felt like luck begins to feel like a trap.  In part two, Dan Saunders’ Hollywood-style spending spree collides with his conscience. As the money keeps flowing, he tries to come clean - only to find no one seems willing to stop him.  In part two of this extraordinary story from&...

An ordinary Melbourne barman stumbles across an extraordinary loophole - an ATM glitch that lets him withdraw unlimited cash, no questions asked.  What follows is a rapid transformation into a high-roller fantasy: luxury hotels, designer shopping, five-star dining and private jets, all fuelled by money that shouldn’t exist.  In this episode of The Briefing, we&r...

Boxing Day in Australia has become synonymous with a few things; cricket, shopping and the movies.  It’s arguably the biggest day for movie releases down under, and the streamers too are getting in with some big drops the day after Christmas.  In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by host of LiS...

It’s Christmas day! And while it’s often seen as a time of joy and togetherness for many Australians, it can also be a period of deep hardship.  With the cost-of-living crisis and record rental and housing prices putting unprecedented pressure on Australians, more people are experiencing homelessness.   In this episode of The Briefing, Helen...

Wednesday Headlines: Anthony Albanese has delivered his official Christmas message to Australians, Canterbury-Bankstown Council shuts down prayer hall linked to Naveed Akram, and Aussies expected to spend nearly 4 Billion dollars this Christmas. Deep Dive: The Christmas break often brings families together and with that can come awkward, uncomfortable, or even confronting conversations.  From...