SBS News In Depth - podcast cover

SBS News In Depth

Hear the story behind the headlines. In under ten minutes each episode, we’ll help you make sense of the news stories that matter to you from Australia and the world, with reports and interviews from the SBS News team.
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Episodes

Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq: 'No story is too small'

Indian author Banu Mushtaq has won this year's International Booker Prize 2025. The annual literary Booker Prize award goes to a living author from anywhere in the world for work available in English and published in the UK or Ireland.

May 22, 20253 min

One dead, thousands stranded in wild NSW weather

Devastating floods along Australia's east coast have killed at least one man. His body was found on a property impacted by intense rainfall, prompting warnings for communities to heed evacuation and safety warnings amid the downpour.

May 22, 20255 min

Trump confronts South Africa's Ramaphosa with false claims of white genocide

US President Donald Trump has confronted South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House with the most contentious areas of dispute between the countries, including claims of a "white genocide". The South African President has maintained there is no genocide targeting the white Afrikaner minority.

May 22, 20256 min

Public sector gender wage gap narrower than private & CBA hits another record, again

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with James Whelan from Barclay Pearce about how the lower interest rate environment is impacting markets while CBA shares continues to trade at record highs, and Rhayna Bosch takes a look at the gender wage gap between public and private companies with WGEA Chief Executive Mary Wooldridge.

May 21, 202514 min

Russia's assault on Ukraine continues as ceasefire negotiations falter

Russia's assault on Ukraine continues as the US President Donald Trump struggles to negotiate a ceasefire after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As the US hesitates to apply more pressure on the Russians, Britain and the European Union have announced new sanctions on Russia targeting their top export of oil.

May 21, 20256 min

Global criticism of Israel mounts as its Gaza campaign continues

Israeli forces have continued to bombard Gaza despite mounting international pressure to halt military operations and allow unimpeded deliveries of aid. The war has strained Israel's relations with much of the world, with Britain announcing a suspension of trade talks with Israel and summoning its ambassador over what it has described as "egregious policies" in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

May 21, 20257 min

Anthony Albanese meets the Pope

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has attended a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace inside Vatican City. During the meeting, Mr Albanese gifted a painting by Indigenous artist Amanda Westley, and formally invited the new pontiff to visit Australia.

May 20, 20254 min

RBA cuts interest rates for second time in 2025

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with NAB Chief Economist Sally Auld about the RBA's decision to cut interest rates and how US trade policy influenced its decision, plus Rhayna Bosch speaks with Catherine Allfrey from WaveStone Capital to find out how it impacted the sharemarket

May 20, 202517 min

Trump, Putin hold 'constructive' talks on ceasefire

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have held a two-hour phone call on ending the war in Ukraine, with both leaders calling the talks constructive. Mr Trump said progress was made towards a ceasefire, while Mr Putin confirmed Russia is ready to resume peace negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, briefed by Mr Trump before and after the call, warned no agreement would be accepted without Ukraine’s involvement or territorial concessions.

May 20, 20257 min

Albanese meets with world leaders on the sidelines of the Pope's inaugural mass

World leaders attending Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass have made the most of the Vatican gathering, meeting for talks in Rome. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in the thick of it all, holding significant meetings with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy and European Union chief Ursula Von Der Leyen.

May 19, 20253 min

Israel launches 'Operation Gideon's Chariots' offensive into Gaza

The Israeli military has launched extensive new ground operations in the north and south of Gaza. This comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet approved a plan to seize the entirety of the Gaza Strip and displace the roughly 2.1 million Palestinians.

May 19, 20256 min

Inside the anonymous group targeting Australia's colonial statues

It has become a lightning rod issue: What should Australia do with its public statues celebrating leaders from the country's colonial past? One group thinks it has the answer. SBS' The Feed speaks to an anonymous group from Melbourne has been going after colonial statues – toppling, breaking or defacing them in the night.

May 19, 20257 min

Austria triumphs at Eurovision with operatic pop singer JJ

Austria has triumphed at Eurovision 2025, securing its third-ever win with operatic pop singer JJ’s electrifying performance of Wasted Love. The 24-year-old Viennese artist, born to Austrian and Filipino parents, blended soaring falsetto with techno and opera to win over juries and the public alike.

May 18, 20257 min

How to keep migrating whales free from getting tangled in fishing gear

The eastern Humpback Whale migration season runs from May to November each year. During that time, thousands of whales pass Australia's east coast as they head towards warmer waters before returning to Antarctica. But as they make their journey they run the risk of becoming entangled in fishing gear. Efforts are now underway to try and change that.

May 17, 20255 min

Remote First Nations communities celebrate million-book milestone

If you live in a town or a city in Australia, the chances are that you'll find it easy to find a book to read. Bookshops, local libraries, department stores - they're all places where it's easy to get your literary fix. But if you're hours away from the nearest town of any size, down difficult dirt roads, or even not served by a road at all, none of those are viable options.And that's where the Indigenous Literacy Foundation comes in. They've just passed the milestone of a million books, many in...

May 17, 20256 min

Should artificial intelligence be used in job recruitment?

The use of AI in recruitment is on the rise, with almost two thirds of Australian organisations believed to be using the technology in their job hiring processes. There are growing concerns over the risks of discrimination.

May 17, 20256 min

How a custom-made gene therapy could save one baby's life

A baby born with a rare, life-threatening genetic disease is now thriving after receiving an experimental gene-editing treatment. He's one of the first to be successfully treated with a bespoke therapy targeting a tiny but deadly error in his DNA. His doctors hope the technology could one day help the estimated 350 million people worldwide with rare diseases.

May 17, 20254 min

Volunteers play a significant role in Australia, but numbers are dropping

National Volunteers week is just around the corner, running from the 19th- 25th May. This year's theme, Connecting Communities, celebrates the significant role volunteers play in building stronger communities, and in helping people connect with others. However, the number of volunteers in Australia has been in decline in recent years, prompting calls for the government to provide more support for those offering their time and skills for free.

May 16, 20256 min

INTERVIEW: Record numbers of malicious data breaches recorded - how do you protect yourself?

Australia recorded the highest number of data breach reports last year since monitoring began in 2018. The latest Notifiable Data Breaches Report found 69 per cent of those data breaches were due to malicious or criminal attacks, with 29 per cent derived from human error. Most personal information in the breaches was contact information, identity data, or financial or health information, which hackers could use to blackmail companies or impersonate individuals. Professor Toby Murray, from the Sc...

May 16, 20259 min
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