The Briefing

Tuesday Headlines:
Israel criticises proposed Labor policy on even of national conference
Melbourne ‘ISIS bride’ granted bail
Andy Burnham sworn in as the new UK Prime Minister
Australia's ski resorts set new winter heat record
Aussie mum's 1 in 15 million birth sees her deliver identical quadruplets
Barnaby Joyce with the top contender for TV blooper of the year
Deep Dive: Now in its fifth year, it seems like there is no end in sight to the war between Russia and Ukraine, especially on the back of another round of deadly strikes on Kyiv over the weekend.
But conflict in the middle east is having an impact on how this war is being fought, and there is a sense that Putin's army is slowing down.
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou and Dr Malcolm David discuss the latest in the Ukraine war and try to figure out what might happen next.
Further listening from the headlines:
How Australia funds Israeli settlements
Who is Andy Burnham, the man who could lead the UK next?
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Monday Headlines:
One Nation rebounds in the polls and Pauline Hanson criticised by Albo
Fighting continues in Iran as two US personnel killed
Tate brothers arrested
New rules for gov departments using AI
2026 FIFA World Cup final plays this morning
Deep Dive: More than half a million Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank - in settlements the UN's top court considers illegal, and which have kept expanding while the world's focus has been on the wars in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.
Australia’s noticed. Last month, the government sanctioned three Israeli settlers over escalating violence against Palestinians.
But our connections to the settlements may run deeper than sanctions suggest - from West Bank wines in local bottle shops to allegations Australian charities are helping finance settlement projects.
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Rawan Arraf, Executive Director of the Australian Centre for International Justice, to unpack life under the settlements - and whether Australia's response goes far enough.
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One and a half billion sets of eyes will be on New Jersey come Monday morning, when Spain and Argentina face off to decide who takes home football's biggest prize.
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Ed Kavalee - co-host of SBS's nightly show Santo & Ed's Cup Fever - to get you across everything you need to know before kick-off.

They unpack Ed's theory on how both finalists made it this far, whether the World Cup is rigged, plus:
the Ronaldo-Messi era reaching its final chapter,
Donald Trump's phone call to FIFA's president, and
an honest post-mortem on the Socceroos' performance this year.
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Georgie Tunny has spent more than a decade working her way through Australian newsrooms, from an ABC cadetship to Network 10's flagship desk.
In this episode of The Weekend Briefing, Helen Smith asks Georgie what it took to carve out a place in sports journalism as a woman when the industry offered few seats at the table, the exhaustion of breakfast TV and the long road to trusting her own instincts.

She also reflects on turning 35, her time on The Project, taking on The Amazing Race Australia with her fiancé Rob Mills and her debut novel set inside the cutthroat world of television, inspired by the friendships and rivalries she's lived firsthand.
You can get your hands on Georgie’s debut novel ‘Over to You’ here.
THE WEEKEND LIST:
Listener Bec’s to-do: Phase 10 + guac for six hours with friends
To read: Angel Down by Daniel Kraus
To do: Delete Pinterest
To do: Start a Spotify account and only listen to Powderfinger
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Friday Headlines:
Bianca Jones’ father calls on Albanese to intervene over inadequate methanol poisoning charges
Iran launches fresh attacks on Gulf states as US strikes ship attempting to breach blockade
Second case of bird flu detected in NSW
Smoking rates hit historic low across Australia
Pauline Hanson and Gina Rinehart spotted at White Lotus hotel
Deep Dive: Is Australia a world leader on AI? Anthony Albanese wants you to think so – he gave a speech last week in the Great Hall at The University of Sydney, where he implied that new Australian AI regulations could set a global benchmark – similar to superannuation and the social media ban.
Today we’re looking at Labor’s AI plan, and whether it really is a world-leading attempt to curb the harms of AI and harness its potential. What’s right with the plan, and what’s missing?
Joining The Briefing is AI expert Professor Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist of the Artificial Intelligence Institute at the University of New South Wales.
Further listening from the headlines:
Why smoking is ‘cool’ again
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