The Briefing

Friday Headlines: Billions more invested in AUKUS as Labor looks to keep a lid on debate at national conference Pauline Hanson lashes DV payments, child support, in newly surfaced interview Global oil price back up above $100 for the first time in two months Warnings after Open AI model breaks out of cage and hacks another company  Aussies have already won gold as slimmed down Comm Games get underway Deep Dive: Why do Australia’s telcos fail so catastrophically? This month, Telstra’s network suffered a nationwide outage that shut down trains and blocked Triple Zero calls, following major outages for Optus customers in 2023 and 2025.  Do other countries have similar telco failures, or are Australia’s uniquely bad? What has to change to make sure Aussies are always connected to the phone network?  In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Carol Bennett, the CEO of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network.  Further listening from headlines: Gambling chat with Kate Chaney: What the govt buried on budget day The world’s spies are worried about AI Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headlines: Pauline Hanson under fire after claiming domestic violence is a ‘two-way street’ Labor's national conference begins today Libs call for guarantee Australian ISIS doctor won't be able to return Victorian teachers strike Prince George turns 13 Deep Dive: Last week, Hamish Tait became the third man to be accused of carrying out widespread sexual abuse against children in Australian childcare centres in just two years.   It's the latest in a string of cases that have shocked the country and prompted a fierce debate around whether men should be banned from working with babies and toddlers.   In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by early childhood expert Dr. Martyn Mills-Bayne to explore whether a blanket ban would truly keep children safe, or if it misses the real core of the crisis.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines: Another interest rate hike now twice as likely as tensions flare in the middle east Pauline Hanson hits back at White Australia claims Interim report into Kumanjayi Little Baby's death finds child protection failings Victorian teachers to strike after rejected pay offer Aussie mum of 1 in 15 million quadruplets shares social media update Deep Dive: Victoria's Premier has spent the past few days taking on some of the biggest companies on the planet.  Jacinta Allan wants to force tech giants to reveal who's behind anonymous accounts spreading hate. She wants to clear the way for families to drag those same companies into court. And she wants to stop employers using artificial intelligence to monitor staff - right down to how often they visit the toilet.  But none of it’s been written yet, parliament is almost out of time, and some experts say the tools to fix this already exist.  In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou puts those questions to Jacinta Allan and asks whether one state government can actually take on Silicon Valley.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday Headlines:  Israel criticises proposed Labor policy on even of national conference Melbourne ‘ISIS bride’ granted bail Andy Burnham sworn in as the new UK Prime Minister Australia's ski resorts set new winter heat record Aussie mum's 1 in 15 million birth sees her deliver identical quadruplets Barnaby Joyce with the top contender for TV blooper of the year Deep Dive: Now in its fifth year, it seems like there is no end in sight to the war between Russia and Ukraine, especially on the back of another round of deadly strikes on Kyiv over the weekend.   But conflict in the middle east is having an impact on how this war is being fought, and there is a sense that Putin's army is slowing down.   In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou and Dr Malcolm David discuss the latest in the Ukraine war and try to figure out what might happen next.  Further listening from the headlines: How Australia funds Israeli settlements Who is Andy Burnham, the man who could lead the UK next? Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday Headlines:  One Nation rebounds in the polls and Pauline Hanson criticised by Albo Fighting continues in Iran as two US personnel killed Tate brothers arrested New rules for gov departments using AI   2026 FIFA World Cup final plays this morning Deep Dive: More than half a million Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank - in settlements the UN's top court considers illegal, and which have kept expanding while the world's focus has been on the wars in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.  Australia’s noticed. Last month, the government sanctioned three Israeli settlers over escalating violence against Palestinians.   But our connections to the settlements may run deeper than sanctions suggest - from West Bank wines in local bottle shops to allegations Australian charities are helping finance settlement projects.  In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Rawan Arraf, Executive Director of the Australian Centre for International Justice, to unpack life under the settlements - and whether Australia's response goes far enough.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One and a half billion sets of eyes will be on New Jersey come Monday morning, when Spain and Argentina face off to decide who takes home football's biggest prize. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Ed Kavalee - co-host of SBS's nightly show Santo & Ed's Cup Fever - to get you across everything you need to know before kick-off.   They unpack Ed's theory on how both finalists made it this far, whether the World Cup is rigged, plus: the Ronaldo-Messi era reaching its final chapter, Donald Trump's phone call to FIFA's president, and an honest post-mortem on the Socceroos' performance this year. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgie Tunny has spent more than a decade working her way through Australian newsrooms, from an ABC cadetship to Network 10's flagship desk.  In this episode of The Weekend Briefing, Helen Smith asks Georgie what it took to carve out a place in sports journalism as a woman when the industry offered few seats at the table, the exhaustion of breakfast TV and the long road to trusting her own instincts.   She also reflects on turning 35, her time on The Project, taking on The Amazing Race Australia with her fiancé Rob Mills and her debut novel set inside the cutthroat world of television, inspired by the friendships and rivalries she's lived firsthand.  You can get your hands on Georgie’s debut novel ‘Over to You’ here.  THE WEEKEND LIST:   Listener Bec’s to-do: Phase 10 + guac for six hours with friends To read: Angel Down by Daniel Kraus To do: Delete Pinterest  To do: Start a Spotify account and only listen to Powderfinger  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines:  Bianca Jones’ father calls on Albanese to intervene over inadequate methanol poisoning charges Iran launches fresh attacks on Gulf states as US strikes ship attempting to breach blockade Second case of bird flu detected in NSW Smoking rates hit historic low across Australia Pauline Hanson and Gina Rinehart spotted at White Lotus hotel Deep Dive: Is Australia a world leader on AI? Anthony Albanese wants you to think so – he gave a speech last week in the Great Hall at The University of Sydney, where he implied that new Australian AI regulations could set a global benchmark – similar to superannuation and the social media ban.  Today we’re looking at Labor’s AI plan, and whether it really is a world-leading attempt to curb the harms of AI and harness its potential. What’s right with the plan, and what’s missing?  Joining The Briefing is AI expert Professor Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist of the Artificial Intelligence Institute at the University of New South Wales.  Further listening from the headlines: Why smoking is ‘cool’ again Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday Headlines:  Albanese’s plan to protect water, energy, and content from AI Brisbane teen granted bail after alleged school stabbing Trump threatens to expand strikes on Iran  A network of Australian doctors’ clinics have been hit by a cyberattack Argentina v England World Cup semifinal is underway  Deep Dive: From the demolition of the White House East Wing to his push for a towering, 250-foot Triumphal Arch, Donald Trump is physically rebuilding Washington D.C. to match his personal brand.   But aside from an obsession with the grandiose, what is motivating the president to push for these ego-driven federal megaprojects?  In this episode of The Briefing, former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to explore why he believes this obsession with monarchical grandeur is a direct threat to democratic ideals.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines:  Donald Trump walks back threat to charge toll on the Strait of Hormuz Albanese to announce world-first AI office Brisbane teen critical after school stabbing Angus Taylor rules out a coalition with One Nation First FIFA World Cup semi-final underway Deep Dive: Beetlejuice has cancelled its national tour; Waitress is no longer coming to Sydney. The big musicals said that production costs were too high and sales were too low. The show could not go on.   This week, the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance held an emergency meeting to discuss the future of Australia’s musical theatre industry and how to save it.   In this episode of The Briefing, the Federal President of the MEAA, Michael Balk, joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to reveal the union's plan to save the industry, and how fans and the government can help.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.