The Briefing

In 2021, a neatly dressed man in his 60s walks into a Sydney Police Station. He looks like a regular guy. But police are stunned - this isn’t just any man. It’s Darko Desic. A fugitive who escaped from Grafton Prison with a hacksaw and bolt cutters three decades earlier. A man who was a prolific weed grower. A man who lived in hiding for 30 years - right under the noses of the police.&...

Jack Toohey calls himself a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ but his viral videos on the housing crisis suggest otherwise.  After a privileged start at private school Jack swapped out the business world for advocacy, walking away from running his own company to tackling climate change, housing and gender equality. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Jack unpacks why the hous...

It’s the new bombshell Charlie Sheen documentary that’s making headlines around the world. The US actor says he’s finally telling the truth about his drug addiction, wild partying and how he’s lost hundreds of millions of dollars.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by LiSTNR entertainment reporter Justin Hill to unpack all the explosive new re...

Friday Headlines: FBI locate rifle believed to have killed Charlie Kirk, Brisbane teen on terror charges granted bail, Jeffrey Epstein scandal spills into the UK, dementia is the new leading cause of death among Aussies, and which capital city has the cheapest petrol? Deep Dive: A film about a demon-slaying K-pop girl group has taken over the world - becoming Netflix’s most-watched film of a...

The political fallout has already begun from the assassination of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The 31-year-old was shot dead in front of thousands while speaking at Utah Valley University. Now there are serious concerns that this shooting will only spark more political violence and deeper divisions within the US.   In this episode of The Briefing, US Politics Expert John Barron...

Thursday Headlines: Support for Sussan Ley after Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price dumping, popular right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk shot at Utah rally, flash floods kill at least 11 people in Indonesia, ringleader behind antisemitic Sydney attacks charged, tens of thousands of Aussies at risk of identity fraud, and Elon Musk is no longer the world’s richest person! Deep Dive: Hundreds of t...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under attack from leaders across the world after he launched missile attacks on Qatar. Qatar has threatened to respond, with the world nervously watching on to see what happens next after this dangerous escalation.   In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Defence Expert Jennifer Parker, who unpacks what this latest attack me...

Wednesday Headlines: World leaders condemn Israeli strikes in Qatar, nationwide protections urged amid retail crime wave, penalties tripled for dodgy childcare centres, travel ban proposed on US influencers over wildlife encounters, what we hate most about other drivers Deep Dive: Sunscreen, tanning and the way we regulate products have all been thrown into the spotlight this year, after a CHOICE...

A new deal has been reached, which cements Lachlan Murdoch’s power to run his father’s multi-billion-dollar media empire.  After bitter family and court battles over the family trust, a new settlement has now been reached with Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son taking the reins and his siblings Prudence, Elisabeth and James cutting ties with the family business.  In this episo...

Tuesday Headlines: Aussie kids will be banned from having violent, harmful and sexual conversations with AI chatbots, Victorian Premier’s orders crisis talks with a South Sudanese community after double stabbing, man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump faces trial, search for Dezi Freeman enters third week as officer laid to rest, and Mary Fowler hits the catwalk. Deep Dive: After...

Triple murderer Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life for the murders of three relatives and the attempted murder of another after serving them her deadly beef wellington dish. Some experts say Erin is a narcissistic psychopath, with no empathy or remorse. So why did she murder her in-laws, and will she appeal her conviction?  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by...

Erin Patterson has been charged with the murders of three relatives and the attempted murder of another; after allegedly serving up a beef Wellington dish laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms at a lunch at her home in 2023.   In this special series of The Briefing, Helen Smith unpacks the sentence in under two minutes.   Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod In...

Monday Headlines: Bondi brawl being investigated by police, families call for justice after two teens stabbed to death in Melbourne, NSW government pauses shark net removal trails after fatal attack, triple-murderer Erin Patterson to be sentenced today, and the US Open wraps up.  Deep Dive: Plans are reportedly underway to bring home more Australian women and children linked to Islamic State...

Journalist Grace Fitzgibbon went through in the space of a year what most people experience in a lifetime. In the throes of a public break-up, she lost her beloved brother Jack in a tragic military training accident. While grieving, she found unexpected love with Jack’s best friend. Now the couple are expecting a baby together.   In this raw and moving conversation, Natarsha B...

Tim Elliott has done what few could - persuading one of Australia’s most elusive prison escapees to break his silence. The journalist and author has always been drawn to the hidden corners of people’s lives, shaped in part by his own story of privilege and pain, shadowed by hardship and the loss of his father. In his latest true crime series, Secrets We Keep: Jailbreak, Tim enters the...

Experts are warning about a serious eating disorder that affects thousands of Australians but often goes undetected. Avoidant/Restrictive Intake Disorder, or ARFID, can be debilitating, but if diagnosed can be successfully managed.  In the Episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by clinical psychologist and Eating Disorders Expert Dr Sarah Trobe, who explains how ARFID is diagnose...

Friday Headlines: Anthony Albanese says he spoke to Donald Trump on the phone, more allegations against Sydney childcare chain under investigation, Indian Australian leaders demand apology from Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani dies aged 91, and do our listeners have 'refuel anxiety'?  Deep Dive: Anna Wintour's successor has officially been announc...

The Jeffrey Epstein investigation is back in the headlines, as victims and survivors hold a special news conference threatening to name names unless the US administration publicly reveals all they know about the case. US politicians from both sides have supported the survivors and their families, saying the cover-up has to stop.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by...

Thursday Headlines: Former Premier defends China visit, total cost of Nauru deal revealed, more support on the way for thousands of older Australians, Chinese cars among most purchased in Australia, and Nick Kyrgios reckons he can beat women's No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka. Deep Dive: As the search for accused police killer Dezi Freeman stretches into its tenth day, hundreds of officers, drones, helic...

Former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews is under fire for attending a major military parade in China alongside President Xi Jin Ping, and the North Korean and Russian leaders.  Andrews is been slammed by both sides of politics for the bizarre move. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Australia-China Relations expert, Professor James Laurenceson, to unpack today’s...

BONUS: Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell was arrested over his alleged involvement in an attack on a first nations Camp Sovereignty over the weekend, following the March for Australia rally.   Earlier in the year we saw rallies in Adelaide, Nazi salutes in Melbourne and politicians racing to legislate tough new penalties to crackdown on those displaying any sort of solidarity with the ideolo...

Wednesday Headlines: Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell arrested, US Federal court rules Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard to LA protests illegal, over half of our Federal MPs and senators own investment properties or multiple homes, Adelaide Crows player Izak Rankine apologises for homophobic comment, and what's something you don't want to find in your burrito? Deep Dive: Australia has signe...

The federal government has released the results of its long-awaited trial into its plan to crackdown on social media users under 16. Many experts warn that the age verification rules won’t work, and can be easily outsmarted by tech-savvy teenagers. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by internet studies Professor Tama Leaver, who says the new measures won’t...

Tuesday Headlines: Our prescriptions are set to get a little cheaper, Aldi vegetable suppliers accused of being part of a price-fixing cartel, some of the world’s most powerful leaders are meeting in China, the Taliban government in Afghanistan is calling for international help after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, and two-thirds of young drivers are scared to refuel their cars. Deep Dive: Short...

So, is migration really to blame for our housing crisis? According to one expert, our growing population is not the main cause of skyrocketing prices and rent. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Economist Matt Grudnoff, who explains that tax breaks with negative gearing and capital gains are the real issue. Matt says governments need to abolish these tax loopholes to ma...