The Briefing

The end is nigh for TikTok, which is set to be banned in the US on the 19th of January.  After US congress passed the laws that would effectively ban the app last year – unless someone buys it from its China-based parent company, ByteDance – American’s reacting with dismay and humour – with some users already jumping ship to a new Chinese social media platform ‘R...

Headlines: Australian man captured while fighting in Ukraine reportedly killed, Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal ‘on the brink,' Donald Trump would have been convicted in election case if he didn’t win, Sam Kerr appears in court over alleged racial harassment charge, Princess Kate says she’s in remission, Aus Open update. Deep Dive:  Are we ready to ‘build Australia&rsq...

Donald Trump spent the past week threatening to buy Greenland, annex Canada, re-name the Gulf of Mexico and take over the Panama Canal, potentially by force. Trump returns to the Oval Office as US President for the second time next week, and he talks a big game about expanding US territory - but are these empty threats, or could he actually do it? On this episode of the Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gat...

Headlines: Kyrgios hints at retirement, Federal MP calls for mandatory sentences for antisemitic vandals,  JD Vance walks back Trump’s promise to pardon Jan 6 rioters and Climate activists vandalise Charles Darwin’s grave. Deep Dive: How do you know if you’re really buying an organic product? Insiders have accused producers of falsely labelling products, prompting a new bill...

At least 24 people have been killed and more than 10,000 properties destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires.  Australia’s bushfire season puts the country on edge every year – especially across our regions - but could major cities here also be at risk?  In this episode of The Briefing Bension Siebert speaks to Craig Lapsley, Victoria’s former Fire Services Commissioner,...

Headlines: LA fires still not contained, Penny Wong and Kevin Rudd invited to Trump’s Inauguration, Peter Dutton launches election campaign and Australian Open kicks off.  Deep Dive: Should artificial intelligence be deciding who gets to be born? A group of Australian researchers is asking that question, amid revelations the technology is being used in fertility clinics in Australia. Ho...

Eddie Dilleen went from living on welfare with his mum to building a $90 million property portfolio, and he’s still in his 30s. He bought his first home when he was just 18 after from working at McDonalds and now he owns over 100 properties across Australia. So how did he do it? In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Eddie explains why he thinks young people aren’t priced out of the mar...

We love a debate down under, and every summer for the last few years, Aussies have been going head-to-head over one topic: CoolCabanas. The humble beach tent has been spotted on sands across the country since 2015, but it’s now sparked a furious debate about Australian beach etiquette. So, while it’s all just a bit of fun, it begs the question: why did something that’s designed t...

Headlines: The latest on the LA fires, new data shows Aussies wages up, Birkenstock sues copycats, and Bluey Lego will hit shelves by the end of this year! Deep dive: The new year often comes with a range of emotions - you might be feeling relaxed and revitalised or you might be feeling a little anxious and overwhelmed at the year that lies ahead.   But how can we balance the bad with genuine...

Five people have been killed and more than 30,000 people are under evacuation orders as the Los Angeles wildfires continue to rage. More than 1000 buildings, including many on Sunset Boulevard, and the homes of celebrities, have been destroyed by the out-of-control fires. The wildfires in the middle of winter have shocked residents and prompted warnings amid the escalating climate crisis that ther...

Headlines: Rescued hiker in NSW survived a fortnight on berries and two muesli bars, wildfires have forced thousands to flee in Los Angeles, the pilot in Rottnest Island plane crash identified, and Brisbane (somehow) ranks worst city in Australia for traffic. Deep Dive: As artificial intelligence gets exponentially better at just about everything, it’s making people in all kinds of professio...

Facebook, and its parent company Meta, is saying goodbye to fact-checkers. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an announcement posted to social media that fact checkers had become “too politically biased”, and have "destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the US". Meta will also change its algorithms to recommend more political content on its platforms.  Does the mov...

Headlines: Meta scraps independent fact-checkers, Aussie house prices dip, three missing after Rottnest Island plane crash and Donald Trump Junior arrives in Greenland amidst talk his dad wants to buy the country. Deep Dive: A new year often brings reflection, and for many, that means rethinking their job. Does it make you happy? Pay enough? Offer the growth you’re looking for? But changing...

A recent scroll of your social media feed might have made you feel like you were back in 2020. Footage of overwhelmed hospital emergency rooms in China have been doing the rounds online, with claims that a new and mysterious virus is sweeping the country and making people unwell. So, can we trust these reports? What is actually causing people to get sick in China right now? And are we at risk of i...

Headlines: Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau announces resignation, man faces court in Fiji over alleged rape of Virgin Airlines crew member, Donald Trump’s election win to be certified by Kamala Harris today, and the Aussies have been snubbed at the Golden Globes. Deep Dive: For a lot of us, consuming news in 2024 could have been best described by one word – fatigue.  Exhaustion f...

The Bop House is a multimillion-dollar mansion full of female OnlyFans creators living together and making viral online content. They claim to have made US$10 million just last month.  Content creator houses full of influencers are nothing new - we’ve had the Hype House on TikTok and Team 10 on YouTube - but The Bop House has the internet divided.   In this episode of The Briefing...

Headlines: Anthony Albanese kicks off election year with multi-state blitz, top pay packets of Aussie uni execs revealed, six-day farewell for Jimmy Carter starts with all five living US presidents to attend, and a huge tuna sells for millions in Tokyo. Deep Dive: We're fresh into a new year, and you might be feeling like it's time to start building some more long-term wealth. But where do you sta...

In this best of episode of the Weekend Briefing Antoinette Lattouf is joined by Dr Karl.  Dr Karl is Australia’s favourite science communicator, with a passion for colourful shirts with the energy of an exclamation mark! He’s a former taxi driver, was a serial university student – studying for 16 years – and is now a much-loved medical personality on radio and TV who h...

Headlines:  FBI confirms lone actor in the New Orleans New Year’s attack and rules out Vegas connection, bushfires east of Perth claims houses, search continues for possible shark attack victim in SA, and the Pink Test starts in Sydney this morning. Best of Deep Dive: With less than ten days to go until the Australian Open, tennis fever is starting to sweep the nation. As part of The Br...

Headlines: Chaos in New Orleans as a truck strikes New Year’s revellers leaving 10 dead, three Virgin Australia staff stuck in their hotel after an incident at Nadi airport, and the LNP claims 10,000 businesses will collapse before the next parliamentary sitting. Best of Deep Dive: A network of volunteer doctors in Australia are stepping up to provide free medical care for Palestinians who h...

Headlines: All the latest from New Years Eve celebrations across the country.  Best of Deep Dive: Run clubs are still trending – they have been called the new dating app, the millennial quarter life crisis, and the cozzie livs gym membership. So if you’ve found yourself lacing up or have signed up for the next fun run in your city - what’s the best way to start running and d...

Headlines:  Sydney set to have more than a million people watching NYE fireworks, heavy rain in Queensland has state emergency services on edge, and the Aussies take seven wickets in the final session to beat India in the fourth test. Best of Deep Dive: Celebrity endorsements seem to be losing their potency when it comes to elections. Despite support from Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Lady...

Headlines: Jeju Air CEO accepts blame for crash killing 179, Labor's grip on power is looking shaky, and India will need to pull off the highest run chase in more than a century to win the 4th test today. Best of Deep Dive: Over the next decade in Australia, $5 trillion is expected to move down the generations, with around $2.3 trillion to be given to the children of Boomers, $1 trillion to their...

In this best of episode of the Weekend Briefing Antoinette Lattouf is joined by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison.  Scott Morrison is the 30th Prime Minister of Australia, lover of chicken curries and author of his new book - Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness Morrison has had his fair share of controversies over the years - Hawaii, his response to COVI...

Headlines: Two Sydney to Hobart yacht sailors killed, Victorian bushfire update, total fire ban declared in Sydney, and Virat Kohli avoids suspension. Best of Deep Dive: Would you take MDMA to help your mental health? As part of The Briefing’s Best of Summer Series, we’re revisiting our exclusive chat with *Kate, a patient who has undertaken MDMA-assisted therapy to treat her post-trau...