The Briefing

Scomo is finally calling it – the former PM announced today he will be stepping down from federal parliament. It closes a wild chapter in Australian political history.  Most Australians came to know him as Immigration Minister in 2013, but Scott Morrison got the top job when he toppled Malcolm Turnbull to become Prime Minister in 2018.  As PM, he came to grief over a badly timed holiday to Hawaii...

Grocery prices have been sky-rocketing. A brief trip to the supermarket for just a handful of items can cost a small fortune. The Federal Government has announced it is holding a review into grocery prices in its bid to reduce cost of living pressure. In this episode of The Briefing, we're joined by Tim Harcourt and Gary Mortimer to ask 'can the government actually force supermarkets to lower the...

With parts of the Northern Territory experiencing the ongoing impacts of devastating floods across summer, Far North Queensland is again bracing for heavy rainfall from the currently developing Tropical Cyclone Kirrily. These weather events are nothing new - they follow a long list of devastating floods that have plagued the country over the last few years. But could a sponge city be the best way...

Buckingham Palace has announced King Charles will have a procedure on his prostate. The news prompted an 11-fold increase in internet searches for 'enlarged prostate'. Men all over the world are renowned for ignoring their health and their reluctance to be tested for critical health diagnoses. Why? In this episode of The Briefing, we speak with Jonathon Papadopoulo, who was diagnosed with testicul...

Breakfast radio is brutal. The 4am wake ups, the competition, trying to stay at top of the ratings and unpredictable talkback callers. But Laura O’Callaghan just loves it In 2021 Loz joined Roo and Ditz on Triple M brekky in Adelaide and she’s then has made her mark taking home best new talent at the commercial radio awards last year. In this chat Antoinette Lattouf, Loz explains what it’s really...

We’ve all heard the term ‘print is dead’, but is it? Turns out the magazine sector continues to have a loyal consumer base, in fact seeing growth in Australia through 2023. And it isn't just the same old magazines that maintain popularity - we've seen the launch of new products, as well as the rebirth of previously discontinued magazines such as Girlfriend. So what is it about the magazine? The no...

Earlier this month, nine people were hospitalised with hyperthermia (extreme overheating) after taking MDMA in the sweltering heat at Hardmission Festival. A recent study found that since 2000 there have been over 64 drug related deaths at musical festivals. Bension Siebert sat down with Dr David Caldicott to talk us through the scientific evidence for what works and what doesn't in preventing ove...

In the middle of a short backfill contract on ABC Radio Sydney late last year, journalist Antoinette Lattouf was abruptly sacked for sharing a Human Rights Watch post about Israel using starvation as a weapon of war. Now, Antoinette is taking the ABC to Fair Work Australia, claiming wrongful termination. With a private mediation hearing ending today without resolution, she says she will "fight for...

Ketamine use is growing among young Australian party and festival goers as a cut-price alternative to drugs like cocaine and ecstacy. National wastewater monitoring has found consumption of ketamine rose to a record high last year, but it comes with serious risks. In this episode of The Briefing, we're joined by Dr Monica Barratt, a social scientist at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre...

With all eyes on Melbourne as the Australian Open takes off, now is the time when so many of us go into tennis fever. But this year, get ready to see something completely new. 11-year-old Sonny Rennison is an upcoming superstar in the world of wheelchair tennis, already ranked 15th in the world. Now, Sonny is working with Mastercard to serve up Australia’s first wheelchair ballkid pilot program. W...

Ships in the Red Sea are increasingly coming under attack from Houthis rebels. The Iranian-backed, Yemen-based group has threatened to continue the attacks in a bid to disrupt ships from delivering goods to and from Israel, prompting the US, UK and Australia to carry out strikes against the Houthis. Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Middle East expert Sarah Phillips from the University of Sydney to...

Dementia is the second leading cause of death of all Australians, with more than 400,000 people currently living with the disease in 2024. It can be a horrendous thing to watch a loved one go through, with the impact of the disease on both the individual and those who love them immense.  Exploring this experience forms the core element of independent movie maker Jonathan De Jong's latest project,...

The 2024 race to the White House begins today in lowa. The upper mid-west state hosts the first Caucuses of the Presidential election campaign. Donald Trump hopes to secure enough votes to force his rivals to pull out of the race. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley hope to put a dent in Trump's momentum. Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Chas Licciardello, host of the ABC's Planet America, to explain why...

The recent election in Taiwan has made headlines all over the world and has made China very, very unhappy. It's expected that the new President-elect, Lai Ching-te from the pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), will be pushing further for Taiwan to remain a self-governing democracy, independent of the rule of China - a stance that has ramifications for the rest of the world, given th...

Mary Donaldson was born and raised in Tasmania, and has today become Queen of Denmark. It's a remarkable story of a girl living in a share house in Bondi Junction, who met the love of her life at a bar during the Sydney Olympics, and didn't know he was a prince. In this episode of The Briefing we're joined by Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen, Professor of Modern History specialising in court history, to...

Comedian Nazeem Hussain has done a lot of things – he created a TV show on SBS, made the Grand Finals of I'm a Celebrity Get Me out of Here, and he's recently added childrens book author to his accolades. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Nazeem reveals how he hid his comedy career from his mum and his most terrifying performance experience to date Weekend List:  Off Menu podcast My 21st Centu...

Chances are that if you aren’t closely approaching retirement, you might not be thinking too critically about it... but should you be?  How much exactly will you need to retire, what should you be doing now to safeguard your future, and what could you do to retire sooner rather than later?  This week, The Briefing team brings you a five-part series on how to sort out your financial life in the new...

The International Court of Justice has held its first public hearing in the genocide case against Israel, over its war in Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu denies his country is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. He declared war following the October 7 terrorist attacks – where Hamas killed around 1,200 Israeli citizens and kidnapped a further 240. Bension Siebert is joined by i...

It’s the Great Australian Dream: buying a property of your own. But in a real estate market blighted by rising prices and high interest rates, getting onto the property ladder in the first place can seem impossible. But is there hope yet? This week, The Briefing team brings you a five-part series on how to sort out your financial life in the new year.  In this episode, Bension Siebert is bringing...

Australia's housing crisis is marching on: house prices across the country went up by 8.1% last year, while rents have gone up by a whopping 8.3%. But there could be light on the horizon, with rents forecast to ease in 2024. In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Core Logic's Eliza Owen about what factors could bring our weekly rent down. HEADLINES: Woolies drops Australia...

Many of us got poorer in 2023, amidst a cost of living crisis that saw grocery prices, interest rates and rents surge. But there’s a group that still managed to get wealthier on the back of a rising market: investors.  So with conditions expected to ease up, it’s time to look at how the rest of us can get on the same trajectory.  This week, The Briefing team brings you a five-part series on how to...

After nearly nine years Gypsy Rose Blanchard has been released from prison. The now 32-year-old was convicted for her role in the murder of her mother Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard. But she's being praised as a hero after surviving abuse at the hands of her mum who had a little-known syndrome called Munchausen by Proxy. Since her release Gypsy has been going viral and in this chat, Bension Siebert...

Is 2024 the year you take your next step forward in your career? Getting a promotion makes many a New Year's resolutions list - but if you're hoping for one this year, what should you be doing to best set yourself up for one? And is getting a promotion all it's cracked up to be? This week, The Briefing team brings you a five-part series on how to sort out your financial life in the new year.  In t...

A year ago the Raising Awareness and Prevention (RAP) project in the UK was inundated with phone calls from boys' schools. The reason: Andrew Tate. The schools were concerned about the number of teenagers who were idolising the right wing influencer, who came to be known for his toxic takes on masculinity and women. One year on we speak with Deana Puccio, co-founder of the RAP Project to find out...

It's a new year, you're a new you, let's get your finances sorted! Our bank accounts often take a major hit during the holiday season - so how do you quickly recover, and what should you be aiming for in 2024?  This week, The Briefing team brings you a five-part series on how to sort out your financial life in the new year.  In today's episodes, Bension Siebert is joined by Canstar Editor-at-Large...