SBS News In Depth

In a first for Cuba, the Havana baseball team displays sponsor advertisements on jerseys. The country’s dire economic situation has forced it to seek income from sources that, until recently, were considered unacceptable.

For the first time, sponsorship appears on the jerseys and stadium of one of Cuba’s most iconic baseball teams. As economic pressures mount and reforms reshape the country, the national sport is adapting in unexpected ways. What do these changes reveal about Cuba’s future?

In this episode:
Why a private sponsor’s logo has appeared on a Cuban baseball team’s kit and stadium for the first time.
How economic challenges and resource shortages are forcing changes to the national baseball competition.
What team officials say about adopting an idea long associated with professional sports.
How broader free-market reforms are influencing life beyond the baseball field.
Why some athletes are leaving Cuba to pursue opportunities and higher salaries overseas.

Israel's election is drawing global attention, with diaspora communities closely watching the outcome.

Israel heads to a pivotal election three years after the October 7 attacks, with deep divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s future. As voters weigh competing visions for the country, Australians with ties to Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Iran reveal what is at stake for them.

In this episode:
Why some Israelis living in Australia are travelling thousands of kilometres to vote in what they see as a critical election.
The key political divide shaping the contest and what it could mean for Israel’s future direction.
How Palestinian, Lebanese and Iranian Australians view the election and the conflicts affecting their families and communities.
What Netanyahu’s challengers are promising, and why expectations for change differ sharply among observers.
The message diaspora communities share despite their differing perspectives on security, peace and coexistence

The senior leader of the ultra-conservative religious group, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, has appeared before a parliamentary inquiry to respond to allegations of interference in the last federal election in 2025.

Senior leaders of the the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church have given evidence at a parliamentary inquiry on allegations of interference with the 2025 federal election. Bruce Hales and his son, Gareth Hales, appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in the latest hearing.

In this episode:
What are the allegations against the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church?
Why have the leaders of the Brethren group been asked to appear at a parliamentary inquiry?
How are election interference concerns being addressed?

Some Australian cemeteries could run out of burial space within a decade, raising questions about the future of deathcare.

As some urban cemeteries near capacity, Australia's deathcare sector is grappling with a growing shortage of burial space. It's changing how Australians are approaching death and disposition, with cremation and alternative commemorisation rituals on the rise.

In this episode:
Why some urban cemeteries are nearing capacity.
Why planning and developing new cemeteries and crematoria can face challenges.
How cemeteries are regulated in Australia.
Do governments have an obligation to provide burial space for certain faith groups?
Why cremation is becoming more popular in Australia.
Alternative forms of disposition, including upright burials.
Why some cemeteries offer renewable tenure for graves.
Questions around the future of deathcare in Australia.

As Ukraine casts doubt over US partnership,it looks to Europe for fresh support in the ongoing war with Russia.

Ukraine's leader says the US has chosen the "wrong side" in signing a deal with Russia for oil exports despite Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine, accusing the US of withholding crucial intelligence information as he courts European leaders for fresh support. Donald Trump is spruiking what he says is a significant oil deal with Russia.