In 2021, a neatly dressed man in his 60s walks into a Sydney Police Station. He looks like a regular guy. But police are stunned - this isn’t just any man. It’s Darko Desic. A fugitive who escaped from Grafton Prison with a hacksaw and bolt cutters three decades earlier. A man who was a prolific weed grower. A man who lived in hiding for 30 years - right under the noses of the police. How did he do it? How did he evade capture for so long? And why, after all that time, did he finally give himsel...
Sep 13, 2025•31 min•Season 6Ep. 466
Jack Toohey calls himself a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ but his viral videos on the housing crisis suggest otherwise. After a privileged start at private school Jack swapped out the business world for advocacy, walking away from running his own company to tackling climate change, housing and gender equality. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Jack unpacks why the housing system is stacked against young Australians and why the creator economy might just be a shiny scam propping up tec...
Sep 12, 2025•44 min•Season 6Ep. 465
It’s the new bombshell Charlie Sheen documentary that’s making headlines around the world. The US actor says he’s finally telling the truth about his drug addiction, wild partying and how he’s lost hundreds of millions of dollars. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by LiSTNR entertainment reporter Justin Hill to unpack all the explosive new revelations and how the troubled star has tried to turn his life around. Headlines : Australia’s special envoy on Islamophobia has d...
Sep 12, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 464
Friday Headlines: FBI locate rifle believed to have killed Charlie Kirk, Brisbane teen on terror charges granted bail, Jeffrey Epstein scandal spills into the UK, dementia is the new leading cause of death among Aussies, and which capital city has the cheapest petrol? Deep Dive: A film about a demon-slaying K-pop girl group has taken over the world - becoming Netflix’s most-watched film of all time, with hundreds and millions of streams on its soundtrack. So what is it about KPop Demon Hunters t...
Sep 11, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 463
The political fallout has already begun from the assassination of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The 31-year-old was shot dead in front of thousands while speaking at Utah Valley University. Now there are serious concerns that this shooting will only spark more political violence and deeper divisions within the US. In this episode of The Briefing, US Politics Expert John Barron joins Natarsha Belling to unpack who Charlie Kirk was and the implications this latest political assassination ...
Sep 11, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 462
Thursday Headlines: Support for Sussan Ley after Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price dumping, popular right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk shot at Utah rally, flash floods kill at least 11 people in Indonesia, ringleader behind antisemitic Sydney attacks charged, tens of thousands of Aussies at risk of identity fraud, and Elon Musk is no longer the world’s richest person! Deep Dive: Hundreds of thousands of men become new dads each year, a milestone marked with joy, but also poor mental health outcom...
Sep 10, 2025•23 min•Season 6Ep. 461
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under attack from leaders across the world after he launched missile attacks on Qatar. Qatar has threatened to respond, with the world nervously watching on to see what happens next after this dangerous escalation. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Defence Expert Jennifer Parker, who unpacks what this latest attack means and whether this may spark all-out war. Headlines : Poland has shot down multiple Russian drones, the f...
Sep 10, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 460
Wednesday Headlines: World leaders condemn Israeli strikes in Qatar, nationwide protections urged amid retail crime wave, penalties tripled for dodgy childcare centres, travel ban proposed on US influencers over wildlife encounters, what we hate most about other drivers Deep Dive: Sunscreen, tanning and the way we regulate products have all been thrown into the spotlight this year, after a CHOICE report found some popular sunscreens were well below their published SPF claims. It comes as tan lin...
Sep 09, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 459
A new deal has been reached, which cements Lachlan Murdoch’s power to run his father’s multi-billion-dollar media empire. After bitter family and court battles over the family trust, a new settlement has now been reached with Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son taking the reins and his siblings Prudence, Elisabeth and James cutting ties with the family business. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by journalist Calum Jaspan to discuss the latest twist in this Succession-like dram...
Sep 09, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 458
Tuesday Headlines: Aussie kids will be banned from having violent, harmful and sexual conversations with AI chatbots, Victorian Premier’s orders crisis talks with a South Sudanese community after double stabbing, man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump faces trial, search for Dezi Freeman enters third week as officer laid to rest, and Mary Fowler hits the catwalk. Deep Dive: After nearly four years on the run, New Zealand fugitive Tom Phillips was shot dead following an armed standoff ...
Sep 08, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 457
Triple murderer Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life for the murders of three relatives and the attempted murder of another after serving them her deadly beef wellington dish. Some experts say Erin is a narcissistic psychopath, with no empathy or remorse. So why did she murder her in-laws, and will she appeal her conviction? In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Criminologist Xanthe Mallett to unpack today’s history development and why she believes Erin thought she ...
Sep 08, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 456
Erin Patterson has been charged with the murders of three relatives and the attempted murder of another; after allegedly serving up a beef Wellington dish laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms at a lunch at her home in 2023. In this special series of The Briefing, Helen Smith unpacks the sentence in under two minutes. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR Newsroom See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...
Sep 08, 2025•2 min•Season 6Ep. 455
Monday Headlines: Bondi brawl being investigated by police, families call for justice after two teens stabbed to death in Melbourne, NSW government pauses shark net removal trails after fatal attack, triple-murderer Erin Patterson to be sentenced today, and the US Open wraps up. Deep Dive: Plans are reportedly underway to bring home more Australian women and children linked to Islamic State from Syria, though the government denies involvement. Their potential return has sparked strong reactions ...
Sep 07, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 454
Journalist Grace Fitzgibbon went through in the space of a year what most people experience in a lifetime. In the throes of a public break-up, she lost her beloved brother Jack in a tragic military training accident. While grieving, she found unexpected love with Jack’s best friend. Now the couple are expecting a baby together. In this raw and moving conversation, Natarsha Belling and Grace discuss loss, love, and the clarity that comes from tragedy. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod ...
Sep 06, 2025•30 min•Season 6Ep. 453
Tim Elliott has done what few could - persuading one of Australia’s most elusive prison escapees to break his silence. The journalist and author has always been drawn to the hidden corners of people’s lives, shaped in part by his own story of privilege and pain, shadowed by hardship and the loss of his father. In his latest true crime series, Secrets We Keep: Jailbreak, Tim enters the mind of Darko (aka ‘Dougie’) Desic, a wildly successful weed grower who staged a bold prison escape and remained...
Sep 05, 2025•34 min•Season 6Ep. 452
Experts are warning about a serious eating disorder that affects thousands of Australians but often goes undetected. Avoidant/Restrictive Intake Disorder, or ARFID, can be debilitating, but if diagnosed can be successfully managed. In the Episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by clinical psychologist and Eating Disorders Expert Dr Sarah Trobe, who explains how ARFID is diagnosed and how it can be effectively treated. If you want more information or support relating to disordered ea...
Sep 05, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 451
Friday Headlines: Anthony Albanese says he spoke to Donald Trump on the phone, more allegations against Sydney childcare chain under investigation, Indian Australian leaders demand apology from Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani dies aged 91, and do our listeners have 'refuel anxiety'? Deep Dive: Anna Wintour's successor has officially been announced as 39-year-old Chloe Malle: a self-proclaimed ‘proud nepo baby’, who’s been working at Vogue for over 15 yea...
Sep 04, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 450
The Jeffrey Epstein investigation is back in the headlines, as victims and survivors hold a special news conference threatening to name names unless the US administration publicly reveals all they know about the case. US politicians from both sides have supported the survivors and their families, saying the cover-up has to stop. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by US political expert and co-host of Planet America, John Barron, who says pressure is mounting on Donald Tr...
Sep 04, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 449
Thursday Headlines: Former Premier defends China visit, total cost of Nauru deal revealed, more support on the way for thousands of older Australians, Chinese cars among most purchased in Australia, and Nick Kyrgios reckons he can beat women's No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka. Deep Dive: As the search for accused police killer Dezi Freeman stretches into its tenth day, hundreds of officers, drones, helicopters and even the ADF are combing Victoria’s rugged High Country - but what’s happening behind the...
Sep 03, 2025•23 min•Season 6Ep. 448
Former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews is under fire for attending a major military parade in China alongside President Xi Jin Ping, and the North Korean and Russian leaders. Andrews is been slammed by both sides of politics for the bizarre move. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Australia-China Relations expert, Professor James Laurenceson, to unpack today’s extraordinary developments and if the federal government will now be asking serious questions. Headlines : Vict...
Sep 03, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 447
BONUS: Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell was arrested over his alleged involvement in an attack on a first nations Camp Sovereignty over the weekend, following the March for Australia rally. Earlier in the year we saw rallies in Adelaide, Nazi salutes in Melbourne and politicians racing to legislate tough new penalties to crackdown on those displaying any sort of solidarity with the ideology. So how big is the neo-Nazi movement here in Australia right now? What does a modern day, Aussie Nazi look li...
Sep 03, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 446
Wednesday Headlines: Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell arrested, US Federal court rules Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard to LA protests illegal, over half of our Federal MPs and senators own investment properties or multiple homes, Adelaide Crows player Izak Rankine apologises for homophobic comment, and what's something you don't want to find in your burrito? Deep Dive: Australia has signed a $400 million-plus deal with Nauru to deport and resettle 280 non-citizens. The Government argues...
Sep 02, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 445
The federal government has released the results of its long-awaited trial into its plan to crackdown on social media users under 16. Many experts warn that the age verification rules won’t work, and can be easily outsmarted by tech-savvy teenagers. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by internet studies Professor Tama Leaver, who says the new measures won’t keep children safe online, and there are also major privacy concerns with what new data big tech companies will now ...
Sep 02, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 444
Tuesday Headlines: Our prescriptions are set to get a little cheaper, Aldi vegetable suppliers accused of being part of a price-fixing cartel, some of the world’s most powerful leaders are meeting in China, the Taliban government in Afghanistan is calling for international help after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, and two-thirds of young drivers are scared to refuel their cars. Deep Dive: Short-stay rentals like Airbnb and Stayz could be costing Australian taxpayers up to $556 million a year - not ...
Sep 01, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 443
So, is migration really to blame for our housing crisis? According to one expert, our growing population is not the main cause of skyrocketing prices and rent. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Economist Matt Grudnoff, who explains that tax breaks with negative gearing and capital gains are the real issue. Matt says governments need to abolish these tax loopholes to make property more affordable. Headlines : Victoria Police believe members of the public could be help...
Sep 01, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 442
Monday Headlines: Anti-mass immigration rallies condemned as hateful and racist, wife of alleged gunman Dezi Freeman urges him to surrender, Greta Thunberg is sailing to Gaza again, house prices have officially risen again, and your sushi might taste different in South Australia today. Deep Dive: Australia’s rising gun ownership is in the national spotlight, as a manhunt continues for Dezi Freeman, a gunman accused of killing two police officers in Victoria last week. Despite fewer licensed gun ...
Aug 31, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 441
For the first time in Australia, a long-overdue inquiry into abuse and coercive control within cults and religious groups has been launched. The Victorian inquiry was initiated after reports of coercive behaviour at the Geelong Revival Centre, many of which were revealed by Richard Baker in the LiSTNR podcast Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder. In the series, Rich described the GRC, under the leadership of Pastor Noel Hollins, as one of Australia’s most extreme Pentecostal churches. Former members sha...
Aug 30, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 440
Randa Abdel-Fattah is a lawyer, author, and academic who wrote her first novel at 12, and since then has published 11 books, including her latest Discipline . Randa has also been at the centre of the recent Bendigo Writers Festival controversy. After a coalition of pro-Israel academics pushed for restrictions, with a memo going out to speakers essentially warning them not to criticise Israel. Randa withdrew and in solidarity, other authors and even the festival’s bookseller followed. In this cha...
Aug 29, 2025•40 min•Season 6Ep. 439
Popular drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are back in the headlines this week after former tennis star Serena Williams signed on as an ambassador for a major weight loss company in the US. It comes as Australian health experts warn we still don’t know the long-term consequences of these popular medications, now pushing for all users to also get access to qualified dieticians. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by GP and obesity specialist Dr Terri-Lynne South to unpack the...
Aug 29, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 438
Tesla has announced Australia and New Zealand will become the first global right-hand drive markets to activate their Full Self-Driving Supervised technology. The semi-autonomous feature is set to roll out on Tesla's Model 3 and Y vehicles first, and is capable of completing a door-to-door journey including navigating traffic and other road conditions without the driver touching pedals or the steering wheel. In Australia under current legislation, autonomous or driverless vehicles are prohibited...
Aug 29, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 437
