The Briefing

What happens when the Australian dream turns into a family nightmare?
The new Australian film Birthright takes a darkly funny look at housing inequality, intergenerational wealth and the growing divide between baby boomers and younger Australians - as more adults find themselves moving back in with their parents.
As Australia’s housing crisis deepens, the idea that hard work alone can secure a home is feeling increasingly out of reach, fuelling resentment, financial pressure and shifting family dynamics.
In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Zoe Pepper, writer and director of Birthright, to unpack the reality behind the satire and ask whether the ‘great Australian dream’ has become more myth than reality.
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Lyse Doucet is a proud Acadian woman who was born in a small town in Canada and went on to become the BBC’s chief international correspondent - having just the other week returned from reporting in Iran.

She's spent her career on the ground in some of the most dangerous and infamous war zones - ranging from Damascus to Tehran and the Ivory Coast to Gaza, but she’ll be the first to tell you that there’s a lot more to these places than the conflicts they become known for.

In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Lyse unpacks her new book which takes place inside the walls of Afghanistan’s first luxury hotel, the importance of truth in journalism and how to make a home even in the midst of bombs and wars.
You can see Lyse at Sydney Writers Festival on May 24
Weekend list with Helen Smith
Listener Roxy TO WATCH: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Disney+

TO WATCH: Nakba video by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
TO DO: Skin check!

TO WATCH: At home with the Fury's on Netflix
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Headlines:
Australian man dies after fall on Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Guzman y Gomez is closing its doors on US business
New Zealand’s Finance Minister invites Aussies over after latest budget changes
Stephen Colbert's Late Show finale begins
Deep Dive:
Kylie Minogue kept her second cancer diagnosis a secret – until this week. Australia’s pop princess has a tell-all Netflix documentary out now, which includes the stories of her 2021 diagnosis and her struggle to become a mum. Filled with home footage, the documentary gives an insider look at Kylie’s rise, her losses, her loves, and the music that helped her through.
In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by entertainment reporter Justin Hill.
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Friday Headlines:
Australian flotilla activists released
More ‘ISIS brides’ heading to Australia
Pauline Hanson announces Norway-inspired gas policy, staffer tells journalist to ‘shut up’
New documents reveal Queen’s hopes for Andrew
Legendary BBC international correspondent Lyse Doucet on the Weekend Briefing
Deep Dive: The sudden departure of Kyle and Jackie O has triggered a power struggle in Australian radio, leaving KIIS’s parent company ARN on the hunt for listeners.
In a surprising move, the network has gambled on television veterans Karl Stefanovic and Eddie McGuire to headline a brand-new national show.
In this episode of The Briefing, industry expert Craig Bruce joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to break down the strategy behind the move and whether this controversial pairing can help save the embattled network.
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Headlines:
Paul Keating backs the CGT changes
The US reveals arrest warrant for Cuban ex-president
World’s first trillionaire? Two big tech companies are going public
Aussie unemployment climbs higher than expected
Avalon airport resumes flights after a hairy scare
Deep Dive:
Diphtheria was eradicated in Australia, so why is the government spending $7.2 million to contain an outbreak? The disease kills one in ten people, and can present as slow-healing sores or a respiratory infection – and there are now about 200 cases in Australia. Vaccination prevents the disease, but it's made a resurgence in the NT, WA, SA, and Queensland.
In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by epidemiologist A. Prof. Sanjaya Senanayake.
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