The Briefing

Monday Headlines: 

• One Nation loses support to the Coalition
• Trump says strait of Hormuz open despite Iran closure
• Australian Universities forced to adopt new definitions on antisemitism and Islamophobia
• Aussie students flock to free TAFE courses, but apprentice figures dip
• Australia to wave goodbye to paper arrival cards for incoming travellers

Deep Dive: Pattaya has long traded on two reputations: a tourist playground by day, and one of the world's busiest red-light hubs by night.  
 
That darker side made global headlines last month when the body of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase beside a railway line on the edge of the city. 
 
A 45-year-old Australian man has been accused of her murder, which he denies.  

The case has reignited scrutiny of an industry that's technically against the law in Thailand, yet thrives in full view - raising questions about corruption, worker safety, and the surprising truth about who's actually driving demand. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with emeritus professor at George Washington University and author of Sex Tourism in Thailand: Inside Asia's Premier Erotic Playground, Ronald Weitzer to unpack it. 

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this week's NATO summit in Turkey, Donald Trump was once again talking about wanting to take control of Greenland.

So why does the US President keep talking about the country, could the US really try to take it, and what and what does it all mean for Australia? 

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we revisit Tara Cassidy's chat with defence and security expert, Jennifer Parker, who explains why Greenland has become such a fixation for the US president, and why this isn’t as unprecedented as it might sound. Jen explains the strategic value of the Arctic, the role of NATO and Denmark, and why Trump’s rhetoric is alarming key allies.  

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karl Stefanovic launched an independent podcast at the beginning of the year and one Sunshine Coast radio host has been paying VERY close attention. 
 
Henry Bretz has posted dozens of videos parodying Nine's former breakfast king - earning a follow from Karl himself, then an unfollow, and now a full block.  
 
In this episode of The Weekend Briefing, Chris Spyrou sits down with the comedian behind the impressions to discuss his viral posts, what Lisa Wilkinson said when she slid into his DMs, and what he really thinks is going on with Karl's "lurch to the right.”  
 
Plus, Sportsbet has Henry at $34 to replace Karl on the Today Show… so is Channel Nine actually calling?

The Weekend List:  

• Henry's recco: Olivia Rodrigo’s new album - you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love 

• Listener Brett’s recco: Madonna’s Confessions II album  

• To eat: It’s winter which means ... soup! Check out RecipeTin Eats soup recipes here, and the recipe for the Greek lamb lettuce soup here (dill optional, but it’s fine if you’re a dill person). 

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines: 

• SA death possibly linked to Telstra outage
• Modi mania sweeps Melbourne
• US and Iran exchange fire as Supreme Leader buried
• Angus Taylor mounts strongest attack yet on Pauline Hanson
• Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75

Deep Dive: Ten years ago, in 2015, the world collectively launched 221 objects into space. Last year that number was 4,510, a record by a huge margin. There’s now a record number of satellites and other space objects zooming over our heads.  

Why are we shooting so many objects into space? Most launches are coming from the United States, where a commercial space race is well and truly underway. But what are the consequences for the rest of the world?  

As mysterious space debris washes up on our shores here in Australia, we speak with Dr Matt Agnew, the scientist (and former Bachelor star) to learn about why we’re launching thousands of satellites a year. 

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday Headlines: 

• Fresh Telstra outage hits customers
• Trump says Iran-US ceasefire is ‘over’
• Australian rents hit record high
• Australians with cancer are living longer
• NSW wins 2026 State of Origin

Deep Dive: The tragic death of 27-year-old Melbourne footy player Nathan Fitzgerald has sparked questions over the hidden hazards of shared suburban fields and whether enough is being done to protect local athletes.  

This tragedy coincides with an alarming new report from the Australian Sports Brain Bank and Four Corners revealing high rates of the brain disease CTE in deceased players, ramping up the pressure on the AFL to establish formal CTE protocols.  

In this episode of The Briefing, neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce joins us to break down the latest brain research and ask the difficult question: as the evidence stacks up, can footy ever truly be safe again? 

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines: 

• Aussies suffer sharpest decline in real wages in the developed world
• Reform UK leader Nigel Farage resigns and vows to fight to win by-election
• Prince Harry and Elton John lose privacy lawsuit against Daily Mail’s publisher
• NATO summit underway as Trump revives Greenland bid
• Male testosterone levels have halved in 50 years
• Pam the Bird prankster to remain behind bars

Deep Dive: You might have heard that house prices are falling – at least in Sydney and Melbourne, which tend to set the direction for the other capital cities. Auction clearance rates were below 50% for the third weekend in a row, and experts say the slump could continue. 

Is Australia on the brink of a Labor-created societal collapse? Or are we finally having the much-needed correction of an overstimulated property bubble? What direction do we want house prices to go, anyway? 

Joining Chris Spyrou in this episode of The Briefing to look beyond the headlines is My Bui, an economist with AMP. 

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday Headlines: 

• China’s pacific ballistic test labelled ‘destabilising’ by Australia
• Melbourne teacher dies after footy head knock
• Hamas to dissolve Gaza government 
• Trump admits he asked FIFA for red card review 
• Karl Stefanovic reportedly blocks comedian that keeps parodying him

Deep DIve: Dodgy businesses, you’ve been warned. Last week Australia’s consumer watchdog launched a Federal Court case against Amazon for unfairly stuffing ads into its Amazon Prime streaming service; and, in the same week, the federal parliament passed laws that’ll protect consumers against unfair trading practices. 

Those ‘dark patterns’ that make it super hard to unsubscribe from a service, or the countdown timer that pressures you into a purchase? They’ll be targets under the new laws, along with surprise fees. The laws were passed last Thursday, and will be implemented from 1 July 2027. 

On The Briefing today is one of the people who campaigned loudest for the new Unfair Trading Prohibition laws, Chandni Gupta, the deputy CEO and Digital Policy Director of the Consumer Policy Research Centre. 

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday Headlines: 

• Albo slams Liberal party rebrand ahead of Pacific blitz 
• Cannibalism link being investigated in NSW child murder
• USA celebrates its 250th independence anniversary as Iran mourns supreme leader
• Warnings against panic buying after bird flu confirmed in third Australian state
• Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tie the knot

Deep Dive: If you believe the polls, One Nation is demolishing the political order and might become Australia’s biggest party.  

At this moment of political flux, two of the ‘teal’ independents are bidding for a piece of the action by establishing their own alternative party: Community Strong Australia. 

Joining us on The Briefing to discuss her new party, why she started it and whether it’ll have any electoral cut through is Waringah MP Zali Steggall. 

Further listening from the headlines:
Bird flu's hit Australia. What now?

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the rumours are true, Taylor Swift has tied the knot this weekend in a stadium in New York City. 

Since Swift's August 2025 engagement to footballer Travis Kelce, there has been speculation about the venue, the guest list, the setlist... everything. Swift is, after all, one of the world’s biggest pop stars, and her success has been built on turning the details of her life into stories. This wedding is one hell of a story. 

On this bonus episode of The Briefing, we revisit Swift’s most recent batch of stories on her 2025 album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’. Chris Spyrou speaks with Kate Pattison, a PhD candidate on Swift’s fandom and our in-house TS expert. 

Follow The Briefing:  

TikTok: @thebriefingpod 

Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  

YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few politicians in Australian history have quite the standing that John Howard does. 

While his time in power as Australia’s 25th Prime Minister between 1996 and 2007 was characterised by both economic wins and policy fails (think industrial relations and immigration), he is looked to now as an elder statesman and a symbol of when things in Australia were ‘good’. 

But that’s revisionist history, according to political journalist Amy Remeikis, whose new book Where It All Went Wrong: The Case Against John Howard, explores how Howard sold out the younger generations to benefit their parents, undermined the public health system and destroyed the housing market. 

In this chat with Amy Remeikis, Sacha Barbour Gatt explores these ideas with Remeikis while discussing the Canberra bubble and how a child of a conservative Lithuanian dad who voted One Nation went on to become one of the leading progressive voices in this country. 

Follow The Briefing:  

TikTok: @thebriefingpod 

Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  

YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.