The Briefing

Headlines:
Two men arrested in Victoria in connection to Dezi Freeman
Police renew search for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont
Energy prices to fall for most households in NSW and QLD, with bigger drops for businesses
US military unleashes new ‘self-defense' strikes on Iran, amid tense peace talks
The Australian share market tumbles, following news of US strikes on Iran
Vivid Sydney drone shows cancelled, following technical malfunction

Deep Dive: Following the death of former AFL great and charity campaigner Neale Daniher, many are asking what is Motor Neurone Disease (MND), what are the warning signs, and what can we do to help prevent it?
In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by MND Australia CEO Clare Sullivan.
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Tuesday Headlines:
Labor asks for donations to fight One Nation surge
Tributes flow for Neale Daniher
New group of ‘ISIS brides’ to return within days
Ebola outbreak in Central Africa outpacing health response
Aussie astronaut offered a spot on the ISS
Enhanced Games finish with just one record broken
Deep Dive: Is Australia about to get a brand-new political party?
Canberra has been abuzz this week after reports surfaced over the weekend that the already elected Teal independents were gearing up to unite under one banner.
In this deep dive, former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sits down with Sacha Barbour Gatt to discuss the centrist movement and whether he'd consider joining it.

Further listening from the headlines:
Footy's ice-cold ritual
How to be an Astronaut with Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg
Antisemitism Royal Commission returns + Did the ‘steroid Olympics’ flop?

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Headlines:
Budget legislation is coming Thursday, as CGT pushback grows
Steggall and Spender explain why they’re exploring a new political party
Royal Commission hearings return with focus on Bondi attack
Second person dies of diphtheria in the Northern Territory
More Aussie flotilla activists return, and Israel’s president condemns poor treatment
Guzman y Gomez faces US class action lawsuit over hasty exit
Deep Dive:
Can drugs make us superhuman? That’s one question behind the Enhanced Games, the juiced-up sporting event that took place in Las Vegas throughout today. Athletes were paid big money to compete, with US$1 million for anyone who broke a world record time. In the end, only one drug-enhanced athlete did.
In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Tom Decent, chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald, who was at the event in Vegas.
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Monday Headlines:
Flotilla activists claims of sexual assault while detained
Trump says no rush for Iran deal despite it being ‘largely negotiated’
Second Australian killed in shark attack in as many weeks
Independents in 'advanced talks' to create a new political party
Animals thriving in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Deep Dive: One of Australia’s biggest cocaine stings almost collapsed because of a behind-the-scenes turf war between Australian police and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). At the centre of it was a $1 billion shipment linked to a Mexican cartel and a covert operation that exposed deep fractures inside the agencies meant to stop it.
Behind the White Line, published in collaboration with The West Australian on LiSTNR's Secrets We Keep feed, traces the journey of cocaine from narco to nostrils, uncovering the global syndicates, corruption and violence behind Australia’s appetite for the world’s glamour drug.
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with investigative journalist Richard Baker about the extraordinary operation, the infighting that threatened to derail it, and the human cost behind Australia’s cocaine obsession.

Listen to Rich’s latest season of Secrets We Keep: Behind the White Line here.
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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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