The Briefing

Thursday Headlines:
Meta agrees to settle for $23bn in teen social media addiction lawsuit
More than 150 dead in devastating flash floods in Nepal and China
Albanese caves on data centre renewables as Queensland wins coal-and-gas carve-out
Antisemitism royal commission wraps up with powerful message from Sydney Rabbi
Legendary actor Tim Curry dead at 80
Miley Cyrus pays tribute to Dolly Parton
Deep Dive: Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, the country hasn't held an election due to martial law, which bans a vote while the war is on.
Volodymyr Zelensky's term expired back in 2024, and now, for the first time, a senior figure inside his own camp is demanding a vote, with former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov breaking ranks to call for a wartime election.
So is this a genuine democratic reckoning, or an opening for Russia to destabilise Ukraine from within?
In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Politico journalist Ryan Heath to unpack the turmoil and corruption in Kyiv, whether Ukrainians support the idea of a wartime election and what it could mean for the country and its fight against Russia.
Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines:
Dolly Parton has died at 80
Three Scots College students face court over aggravated sexual assault charges
Man arrested after Melbourne mum repeatedly stabbed and her son punched in 'random' CBD attack
Home ownership levels among young Aussies hits 80-year low
Jai Arrow to make 100 game mileston after MND diagnosis
Deep Dive: One of the biggest songs on Australian radio last month was a cover of Madonna's Like a Prayer. It’s racked up tens of millions of streams and even cracked into the top five on the ARIA charts. But what a lot of listeners didn't know was that the vocals and drums were made with artificial intelligence.

From Friday, ARIA's new code shuts songs like it out of the charts, and the industry's peak body is now urging radio and music promoters to fall in behind.
But if listeners can't tell the difference - and the streams keep climbing regardless - will a ban on the chart actually change anything?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by the boss of ARIA, Annabelle Herd to discuss the move, whether it goes fare enough and what the AI wave means for the young Australian artists trying to break through.
Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday Headlines:
PM to announce block on data centres near homes and schools
Family of murdered Thai teen respond to alleged Australian killer’s comments from behind bars
Trump Administration announces economic 'D-day' on Iran as Tehran announces $10m bounty for Barron Trump
World’s oceans record hottest temperature on record
Specialist cargo ship arrives to remove SpaceX rocket from Christmas Island
Deep Dive: Pauline Hanson says Australia's superannuation system is broken. Senior Liberal Andrew Bragg has branded compulsory super a "loss of liberty." Suddenly, the four trillion dollars of retirement savings sitting in Australians' names is the subject of a political brawl - with the Treasurer vowing to defend the system all the way to the next election.
So is super actually failing us - or quietly doing more than its critics admit?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Mary Delahunty, CEO of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia to unpack where your 12% really comes from and why it's locked away for decades. Mary also makes the case against raiding super for a house deposit - and reveals the lessons COVID taught us about who gets hurt when the rules loosen.
Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday Headlines:
Record crowd turns out for Swans AFLW clash after tumultuous week for the club
Australia records first case of bird flu in a mammal
Pauline Hanson steps in after One Nation MP says party's targets 'not too different' from Labor's
Sydney shark attack victim speaks publicly for the first time
Major blunder found on Sydney Marathon medal
Deep Dive: The federal government is attempting to roll out its largest gun buyback in a generation in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

New South Wales is the first state to sign on - paying licensed owners from November to surrender their firearms, pulling a huge slice of the state's registered guns from circulation. But other states are dragging their feet, shooters say they're being unfairly singled out, and critics argue the very people we should fear won't hand anything over.

So will it actually work - or is it a costly show of action?

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by public health expert and senior advocacy advisor at the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, Stephen Bendle to unpack what this landmark scheme can really achieve, and where its loudest criticisms land.
Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Israeli military drew international criticism this week after finding it had no criminal case to answer to in the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza in 2024, including Australian woman Zomi Frankcom.
April 2026 marked two years since the drone strikes which killed the staff from World Central Kitchen, and at the time, The Briefing sat down with Zomi’s brother Mal to discuss her family’s fight for justice.
In this episode we’re revisiting Sacha Barbour Gatt’s chat with Mal Frankcom.
Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.