The Briefing

September 11, the Iraq War and John Howard’s prime ministership were among the most pivotal news events of the early 2000’s.  But did you know that during that same period, Australia lived through its biggest corruption scandal – where Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was paid kickbacks for lucrative Australian wheat contracts? Today, investigative reporter Richard Baker launches a major new LiSTNR p...

Yesterday, Nine Newspapers reported the government was about to walk away from a near-total ban on gambling ads across the country, to instead focus on banning gambling ads from social media and other digital platforms. The new plan for TV would reportedly be caps on the number of gambling ads per hour and banning them an hour before and after live sport.  The reported proposal – which goes agains...

Would you wear an ‘always-on’ AI chatbot buddy around your neck to keep you company? Meet your newest ‘ Friend ’. Picture a small, white pendant – kind of like an Apple AirTag, about the size of a button large – enclosed in a necklace so it sits perfectly at your chest. It’s watching, listening, and ready to chat to you all day, every day. A user wears their ‘Friend’, talks to it with the press of...

Daizy Maan Kaur is full of surprises and her name is one of them. She’s the founder of Brown Women Comedy  and Soul house with a mission to create more inclusive spaces for south Asian and migrant women.   In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Daizy reveals where her comedic side came from and why she legally changed her name when she was just thirteen.   Weekend List TO DO - Short term goal setti...

Overnight, Italy’s Angela Carini abruptly withdrew from her Paris Olympics boxing match against Algeria's Imane Khelif, saying she’s never felt a punch as hard as the one Khelif delivered to her nose in that match.  Khelif had previously been disqualified from last year’s World Boxing Championships after failing a gender eligibility test, and the debate surrounding the withdrawal has added fuel to...

The Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final is happening tomorrow, with the Adelaide Thunderbirds facing off against the Melbourne Vixens at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The Thunderbirds hoping to win back-to-back titles and its set to be a thrilling game.  This season has been the most attended in the history of Australian women’s sport, with a record-breaking 331,841 fans, marking a 25% increase...

Iran has vowed “revenge” on Israel and negotiations to end the war in Gaza have been thrown into doubt after the killing of a Hamas leader in Iran. Meanwhile, Australians have been urged to leave Lebanon as fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah escalates. In the last few weeks, fears of a widening conflict have grown. So why are Israel and Iran at each other’s throats...

Is your social media serving you ‘tradwife’ – or traditional wife – content? These creators embrace a ‘traditional existence’, which includes being a wife, mother and homemaker, making things like sourdough to bubble gum from scratch, and honouring a nuclear family, their husband and God. Big names, including Nara Smith, Estee Williams and Ballerina Farm AKA Hannah Neeleman, are amassing millions...

Rex Airlines has gone into voluntary administration. Has it been bullied out of the market by its competitors? The airline has grounded its fleet of 737 aircraft that service capital cities and will continue to fly its Saab 340 flights between regional centres. Rex employs about 2000 people and their jobs and futures are uncertain, as calls across the country come for the government to step in in...

Usually, nominating a vice president doesn’t have a huge effect on an average US presidential race - but this is no average US presidential race. Donald Trump has his pick – self-proclaimed hillbilly JD Vance. Now that Kamala Harris has gone from VP to Democratic presidential nominee, how will she choose her running mate? In this episode of The Briefing Bension Siebert is joined by US political wa...

There are a lot of misunderstandings about the world’s uncontacted tribes - communities that are indigenous to the land they live on and reject any contact with the outside world. The idea that they’re primitive or “stuck in the Stone Age” are outdated notions, with advocates passionately defending their place in the world and their freedom to choose how they want to live. Today The Briefing's Sac...

Who betrayed Australia on climate change? In this episode of the Briefing, Bension sits down with journalist and author Royce Kurmelovs to discuss his investigation into what Australia’s fossil fuel industry knew about climate change more than 50 years ago. Royce describes how the industry managed to win the support of Australia’s governments and media to cover it up for so long. But he also makes...

Breaking has, for the first time ever, danced its way into the Olympic Games. Spectators in Paris and around the world will watch as B-girls and B-boys windmill, 6-step, and freeze their way to gold, silver or bronze. But what does ‘good’ breakdancing look like, and what's been the journey to the sport's debut in Paris? The Briefing’s Helen Smith is joined by B-girl Hannah Belet to break down what...

Could bad bots on social media be leading to the death of the internet? You might have come across a weird AI generated images of ‘shrimp Jesus’, or similarly strange content on Facebook, often linked with absurdly high numbers of likes and comments. It all connects with the ‘dead internet’ theory – the idea that bot created content is accounting for more and more of what is being posted online. S...

Tim Minchin thinks policing other people's opinions online is a waste of time. He’s a talented musician and author, who’s smart, has great teeth and was even given three honorary doctorates. His thought provoking ideas on everything from empathy and identity, to why Australia can’t fall into the trap of far-right America is fascinating. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Tim unpacks the meaning...

Polls released in the US overnight show the presidential election campaign is neck and neck. Kamala Harris, who has all but secured the Democratic nomination after Joe Biden dropped out of the race, is surging in the polls.  Donald Trump and his VP pick, JD Vance, know they have a fight on their hands - and it doesn’t help that in 2021 Vance said of VP Harris that ‘the nation is being run by child...

The 2024 Paris Olympics begin tomorrow morning our time. The 33rd hosting of the summer games will feature 329 events in 32 sports. More than 10 and a half thousand athletes from 206 nations will participate. The Opening Ceremony begins at 3.30am Saturday AEST. In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha and Bension break down what you need to know to be an uber Olympics fan - from breakdancing to BMX,...

Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, with around 70% of households owning one. While choosing to bring a puppy or kitten into your home is an exciting time, the sad reality is a lot of these pets come from farms, mills and backyard breeders. Just 15% of puppies purchased every year are thought to be from reputable breeders. This week a puppy farm was shut down in T...

Imagine having no internet – well that’s exactly what's happening in Bangladesh right now for over 170 million people since the government has cuff online connectivity. In the last week 10s of thousands of young people have been protesting throughout Bangladesh with reports of more than 146 people being killed during marches. In this episode of the Briefing Bension Siebert is joined by John Heidem...

In the dark depths, four kilometres below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, scientists have found small clumps of rocks producing oxygen. Previously scientists believed oxygen was created by living things using energy from the sun, so the idea of 'black oxygen' has thrown a curveball into our theory of how life on Earth may have began. It also begs the question - could life dependent on oxygen be...

Politicians and jobs in the mining sector seem to go hand in hand - with former New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet and former Western Australian premier Mark McGowan both making the jump. But mining is a huge part of the Australian job landscape, with over 1.2m people employed in the industry and the top jobs pay extremely well - so what’s wrong with a former pollie jumping out of governmen...

Young Australians are living in a world more connected than ever before, thanks to social media. But an increasing number of 15- to 24-year-olds are experiencing loneliness and feelings of social isolation.  There’s been a steady rise over the years particularly since 2008, and a further spike in loneliness rates in 2020 – due to the effects of the COVID pandemic.  So, what are the experts suggest...

Female made and focused pop music is having a revolution. Why is the happy and light 2000’s pop sound from the likes of Katy Perry out, and the complex and heavy pop of Chappel Roan and Charlie XCX in, and what does it say about where society is at the moment? In this episode of the Briefing Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Nic Kelly, host of The Hot Hits on the Hit Network and LiSTNR, to unpack wh...

Joe Biden has announced that he’s dropping out of the race for the 2024 US presidential election. In making the announcement he also endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to take his spot for the top role. She's since confirmed that she’s up for the challenge and wants to ‘earn and win’ the right to stand against Donald Trump in November. But who is Kamala Harris? What does she stand for? An...

Joe Biden has announced he won't run at this year's 2024 presidential election. It will set off a race for the Democratic nomination - with Biden formally endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in his message posted on X overnight. Also in this episode of The Briefing: During the long, cold winter months in Australia, a quick scroll of your social media feed can feel like you’ve stumbled into an a...