Friday Headlines: At least 40 dead after fire at Swiss ski resort bar, More than 100 business leaders call for Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism, House prices are set to jump more than 5% in 2026, and Usman Khawaja's Test future is up in the air leading into the Sydney test. Deep Dive: When you book in with a psychologist, how much do you really know about the kind of treatment you’ll receive? While cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the most common approaches, new and emerging therapies ...
Jan 01, 2026•16 min•Season 6Ep. 676
It’s been almost a decade since Stranger Things first dropped us into the town of Hawkins - and today, the final episode of the series lands, closing out one of the most influential TV shows of the past ten years. But behind the monsters, secret labs and psychic experiments is a lesser-known origin story: a conspiracy theory tied to a place called Montauk in New York. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with Christopher Garetano - researcher and filmmaker behind the 2014 documen...
Dec 31, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 675
Wednesday Headlines: Queensland flood fatality as WA cyclone makes landfall, Australians encouraged to "Celebrate not hide" this New Years eve, and good news with the PBS cap falling to $25 from New Years day. Deep Dive: Australians have spent billions of dollars on travel in 2025, and that’s not a trend that’s expected to change in the new year. 98% of people who took a holiday this year say they will again in 2026, while overseas and domestic trips continue to be popular. So, where will we all...
Dec 30, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 674
Tuesday Headlines: Menorah to light up Sydney Harbour Bridge in tribute to Bondi terror attack victims, Australian Cruise ship runs aground in PNG, Tropical cyclone Hayley to make landfall in WA today, and the ICC has rated the Boxing day pitch as "unsatisfactory". Deep Dive: BookTok is a community on TikTok where people create and share content about books and in 2025, it truly entered the zeitgeist. The hashtag helped platform new authors, sparked controversy, and even reshaped book sales and ...
Dec 29, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 673
Monday Headlines: Families of Bondi Beach terror attack victims call for federal royal commission, US President Donald Trump has a “good and very productive call” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Iconic French film star Brigitte Bardot dies age 91, and Master Lock Comanche has won Sydney to Hobart line honours. Deep Dive: New national drowning data shows deaths are at their highest since records began, with a sharp and alarming rise among teenagers and young adults. In this episode of the Bri...
Dec 28, 2025•12 min•Season 6Ep. 672
Melbourne barman’s brush with unlimited cash takes a darker turn, as an ATM loophole that once felt like luck begins to feel like a trap. In part two, Dan Saunders’ Hollywood-style spending spree collides with his conscience. As the money keeps flowing, he tries to come clean - only to find no one seems willing to stop him. In part two of this extraordinary story from LiSTNR’s Crime In Focus, the question sharpens: will Dan be forced to face justice, or has he pulled off one of the stealthiest b...
Dec 27, 2025•29 min•Season 6Ep. 671
An ordinary Melbourne barman stumbles across an extraordinary loophole - an ATM glitch that lets him withdraw unlimited cash, no questions asked. What follows is a rapid transformation into a high-roller fantasy: luxury hotels, designer shopping, five-star dining and private jets, all fuelled by money that shouldn’t exist. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re taking a break from the daily news cycle and bringing you part one of an extraordinary story from LiSTNR’s Crime in Focus. Follow The Br...
Dec 26, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 670
Boxing Day in Australia has become synonymous with a few things; cricket, shopping and the movies. It’s arguably the biggest day for movie releases down under, and the streamers too are getting in with some big drops the day after Christmas. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by host of LiSTNR’s The Streaming Service , Justin Hill to chat all things TV and movies this festive release season. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube:...
Dec 25, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 669
It’s Christmas day! And while it’s often seen as a time of joy and togetherness for many Australians, it can also be a period of deep hardship. With the cost-of-living crisis and record rental and housing prices putting unprecedented pressure on Australians, more people are experiencing homelessness. In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Ben Kharblas, Deputy CEO of Mission Australia, who explains what Christmas looks like for someone experiencing homelessness, why loneliness ...
Dec 24, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 668
Wednesday Headlines: Anthony Albanese has delivered his official Christmas message to Australians, Canterbury-Bankstown Council shuts down prayer hall linked to Naveed Akram, and Aussies expected to spend nearly 4 Billion dollars this Christmas. Deep Dive: The Christmas break often brings families together and with that can come awkward, uncomfortable, or even confronting conversations. From navigating tense dynamics with relatives you’d rather avoid to responding to racist or misogynistic comme...
Dec 23, 2025•12 min•Season 6Ep. 667
Tuesday Headlines: 3/4's of Australians want tougher gun laws, Britain wants to follow our under 16 social media ban, New warnings to keep Christmas snacks away from pets. Deep Dive: Australia has recorded one of its worst road tolls on record this year. New data from the National Road Safety Hub shows 1,340 people died on our roads across the country in the 12 months to July 2025. In this episode, we’re joined by the NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison, who explains why the death toll is so high...
Dec 22, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 666
Monday Headlines: Albo booed at Bondi memorial a week after terror attack with his approval rating plunging, Red Cross see a spike in blood donations, and Interest rates likely to go up twice in 2026. Deep Dive: Christmas leftovers are often one of the best parts of the holidays, but they can also make you wonder, is this still safe to eat? Every year, hospital emergency departments across Australia see a spike in food poisoning cases over the Christmas and New Year period, often linked to impro...
Dec 21, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 665
For centuries, Christmas at the White House has been the gold standard of tradition with elaborate gingerbread houses and classic spruce trees. But for Melania Trump, the festive season sparked something else entirely: a meme jackpot of controversy online, leaked audio and public backlash. In this episode of The Beefing, Helen Smith unpacks the most chaotic holiday in the White House, from the infamous ‘blood-red’ trees to the secret 2018 recording where the First Lady famously asked, ‘Who gives...
Dec 20, 2025•7 min•Season 6Ep. 664
Phoebe Santillan-Stocks has spoken to some of the most powerful right hands in the world - the people operating just out of sight, shaping history from behind the scenes. The founder of Missing Perspectives and author of The Right Hand, explores what it’s really like to be a chief of staff or adviser to global leaders from Nelson Mandela to Jacinda Ardern and even Kamala Harris. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Phoebe Santillan-Stocks shares what she learned by asking big questions in her t...
Dec 19, 2025•34 min•Season 6Ep. 663
Thousands of Australians turned out this morning for an emotional paddle out at Bondi Beach, with a powerful message of healing, unity and hope just five days after Australia's worst terror attack. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by one of the organisers and members of the Bondi Jewish community, David Solsky, who explains why today was an important step forward. Headlines: The Prime Minister has announced the federal government will launch a new national gun buyback ...
Dec 19, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 662
Friday Headlines: Anthony Albanese facing increasing anger from Bondi victims' families, heavily armed tactical police arrest seven men in Sydney’s southwest, migrant intake hits three-year low, Australia facing storms and heatwaves today as Christmas Day forecast drops and our fav stories of 2025! Take part in The Briefing survey HERE. Deep Dive: Australia has a long track record of world-changing research, from Wi-Fi to the bionic ear, and now one Melbourne academic thinks the next frontier mi...
Dec 18, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 661
The NSW Premier has announced a major overhaul of gun laws in the wake of the Bondi Terror attack. We unpack the proposed changes as the rates of gun ownership soar across the country. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Rod Campbell, a gun ownership researcher at the Australia Institute, to discuss why this overhaul is needed and how governments have become too complacent about the number of weapons in our community. Headlines : The Prime Minister has announced toughe...
Dec 18, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 660
Thursday Headlines: Charges laid in Bondi Beach terror attack, pressure mounts on Anthony Albanese in the wake of the Bondi attack, teens clash with police on popular beach after storming Melbourne supermarket, search history of some Pornhub users hacked and the first trailer of Melania Trump’s Amazon doco is here. Take part in The Briefing survey HERE. Deep Dive: Does it count as cheating if it’s with AI? A recent YouGov survey found one in seven adult Australians could imagine falling in love ...
Dec 17, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 659
Alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offences at his bedside while in hospital. The charges include 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder and one count of commit a terrorist act. The 24-year-old woke from a coma yesterday following Sunday's attack. He is understood to have declined to be interviewed about his alleged involvement in the terror attack. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 17, 2025•1 min•Season 6Ep. 658
Authorities have confirmed the alleged gunmen behind the Bondi Beach massacre had both recently travelled to the Philippines, with allegations they had undergone extensive terrorist training. The Southeast Asian country has been a terrorist training ground for extremists around the world for decades, but now it appears there’s a dangerous resurgence. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by criminologist Dr Clarke Jones, who has interviewed convicted terrorists behind bars ...
Dec 17, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 657
Wednesday Headlines: Community anger grows as youngest victim in Bondi Beach attack mourned, surviving Bondi gunman wakes from coma as investigation stretches beyond Australian borders, Donald Trump sues the BBC, renewables are the key to cheaper energy new CSIRO report finds and a seal visits a pub in South Australia. Take part in The Briefing survey HERE. Deep Dive: Australia has become the test case for a world-first social-media ban, launched last week by the Prime Minister alongside campaig...
Dec 16, 2025•26 min•Season 6Ep. 656
As top authorities continue to investigate what motivated the two alleged gunmen to carry out Sunday’s terror attack at Bondi Beach, questions are being asked if our counter terrorism authorities could have done more. Authorities have also confirmed the two alleged terrorists had recently travelled to the Philippines, with unconfirmed reports they had engaged in military style training. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by former counter terrorism detective, Peter Moron...
Dec 16, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 655
Tuesday Headlines: Sydney comes together to mourn the victims of the Bondi Massacre, hero Ahmed al-Ahmed recovers in hospital, the political response and blood donations surge. Deep Dive: Australia is coming to terms with the Bondi Beach massacre, as leaders urge calm and unity in the aftermath of the attack. But experts warn this moment is different from anything the country has faced before. For the first time, grief and anger are colliding with a flood of AI-generated and manipulated content ...
Dec 15, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 654
The nation is still reeling after yesterday’s mass terror attack on Bondi Beach. The Prime Minister has flagged an overhaul of gun laws as questions are raised over how the gunmen had access to such high-powered registered weapons. It comes as a number of the 15 victims killed in the worst mass shooting since Port Arthur have been identified. In this special episode, we bring you all the latest details on this terror attack on Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah. If you or someone you know is fee...
Dec 15, 2025•7 min•Season 6Ep. 653
Sydney and Australia are reeling after two shooters opened fire on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, killing 16 people and injuring dozens more. One of the shooters was killed, the other is in police custody in hospital. In this special extended headlines episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt and Chris Spyrou take you through everything we know so far about Australia’s worst mass shooting since the Port Arthur massacre. Resources: If you have been directly impacted or know someone who has ...
Dec 14, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 652
At least ten people are dead in one of the worst mass shootings in Australia's modern history. Two men are in custody after gunmen opened fire on beachgoers at Bondi Beach with high-powered weapons on Sunday evening. Multiple people were injured, including children. Police are investigating reports of an improvised bomb at the scene. NSW Police are urging the public to avoid the area. More to come. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 14, 2025•2 min•Season 6Ep. 651
20 years ago this week was one of the most volatile moments in modern Australian history - the 2005 Cronulla riots. A week of rising racial tensions exploded into violence, fuelled by talkback radio, misinformation, and hatred. And when the chaos spread, intelligence warned of a possible attack on Lakemba Mosque. Caught in the middle was young police officer Danny Mikati, who was suddenly facing an angry crowd, with no backup. It was a moment where years of community trust became the only thing ...
Dec 13, 2025•8 min•Season 6Ep. 650
Michael Klim is one of Australia’s most celebrated swimmers, known for breaking world records, the 2000 Olympics and for his strength in the pool. But his life took a turn when a sudden decline in his health left him unable to walk. In his 40s he was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, CDIP forcing him to confront a new reality. Since then, he has redirected the course of his life, becoming a vocal advocate for awareness and others living with the condition. In this chat with Antoinette La...
Dec 12, 2025•36 min•Season 6Ep. 649
Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn, who was accused of killing campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill, has had his murder conviction overturned. He was found guilty last year of murdering Clay and acquitted of Hill’s death. But now, in a bombshell development, the Court of Appeal has ruled there were serious irregularities in his trial - so serious they may have caused a miscarriage of justice... In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Criminologist Xanthe Mallett, who explains w...
Dec 12, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 648
Friday Headlines: Son of Carlton footballer unmasked in rape case, one in two cigarettes in Australia now illegal, Bonnie Blue to be deported and blacklisted from Bali, Trump introduces million-dollar 'gold card' visa and architects of AI named Time’s Person of the Year. Take part in The Briefing survey HERE. Deep Dive: Women make up 87% of male-on-male romance readers and are also the ones behind a lot of gay ‘smut’ content. The hit TV show Heated Rivalry has been dubbed ‘Gay Hockey Smut’ and h...
Dec 11, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 647
