SBS News In Depth

The US President appears to have upended months of support for Ukraine, striking a diesel import deal with Vladimir Putin. What does the agreement mean for Ukraine’s fight for survival? And as fears of Russian aggression linger, how is neighbouring Estonia preparing to defend itself? Meanwhile, Houthi fighters are escalating tensions in the Middle East, targeting Saudi Arabia’s main airport. We examine how Riyadh is likely to respond, and why some of its closest allies may be reluctant to get involved. Plus, a cyberattack sends fridges across France into meltdown in a bizarre new frontier of hacking, and the unexpected stowaways discovered aboard a Perth-to-Rome flight.

The US President appears to have upended months of support for Ukraine, striking a diesel import deal with Vladimir Putin. What does the agreement mean for Ukraine’s fight for survival? And as fears of Russian aggression linger, how is neighbouring Estonia preparing to defend itself?

Meanwhile, Houthi fighters are escalating tensions in the Middle East, targeting Saudi Arabia’s main airport. We examine how Riyadh is likely to respond, and why some of its closest allies may be reluctant to get involved.

Plus, a cyberattack sends fridges across France into meltdown in a bizarre new frontier of hacking, and the unexpected stowaways discovered aboard a Perth-to-Rome flight.

Australia’s jobless rate reaches 4.7%, raising questions about hiring, wages and the RBA’s next move.

Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 4.7 per cent in September, its highest level since October 2021. Blair Chapman, chief economist at Seek, discusses the state of the jobs market, hiring trends, salaries and what the figures could mean for interest rates. The Australian sharemarket fell 0.1 per cent, with technology and mining stocks under pressure. Ben Clark, portfolio manager at TMS Private Wealth, joins SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves to discuss the market, the Australian dollar and investment opportunities.

In this episode
What the rise in unemployment says about the jobs market and hiring trends
How the jobs figures could affect the RBA’s next interest rate decision
What Seek’s Advertised Salary Index suggests about pay
Why technology and mining stocks fell, and what investors are watching

Labor's digital duty of care bill would let Australians opt out of social media algorithms.

Labor has introduced its digital duty of care bill, giving Australians the option to opt in or out of algorithm-driven social media feeds. Supporters say it will improve online safety, while critics argue it either goes too far or not far enough. What changes could be coming, and why is the debate so divided?

In this episode:
How the proposed digital duty of care would let users take greater control over what appears in their social media feeds.
Why the government says the bill is about online safety, not regulating speech.
The controversial provision removed after concerns it could be seen as political censorship.
Why the Greens argue the legislation lacks key protections for people harmed online.
How the Coalition, independents and Labor MPs are clashing over who should be responsible for keeping Australians safe online.

Student protests spread from France to Belgium, Greece and Albania over education, costs and future prospects.

A student protest movement that began in France is spreading across Europe. As demonstrations grow in Belgium, Greece and Albania, students voice concerns about education funding, living costs, university access and their futures, while governments face mounting pressure to respond.

In this episode:
Why French students say they will continue striking despite government promises of a response.
First-hand accounts of deteriorating school conditions, teacher shortages and funding concerns.
Greta Thunberg joins protesters and explains why she believes the movement matters.
Tensions escalate in Albania as demonstrations turn confrontational and officials condemn the violence.
How students in Belgium and Greece are drawing inspiration from events in France while raising their own concerns about costs and access to education.

New analysis shows economic misery is being driven by higher prices and interest rates. So what's in store for Australia?

Economic misery in Australia is on the march. New analysis from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) has found it's back near its post-pandemic highs, and is expected to stay well above recent historical averages until at least the end of 2028.

In this episode:
Jim Chalmers at the G20 economic summit talking about a set of grim financial forecasts.
The IMF's latest World Economic Outlook on Australia's inflation rate.
Commbank CEO Matt Comyn on house prices are likely only halfway through their downward spiral.
What is the misery index and how is it calculated?
Is Australia expected to see an increase in the jobless rate next year?
Does Australia need to rely on productivity on decades to come?
SBS News in Depth is a news analysis podcast from SBS, going behind the headlines with reporting and interviews on the stories shaping Australia and the world.

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