The Briefing

Australia is getting its very first national prison newspaper – About Time. 

It's aim is to be distributed to every prison cell in the country, and it's publishers will focus on issues that affect incarcerated people – including changes to criminal laws and the justice system, new cases that affect prisoner's rights, new policies and procedures inside prisons – alongside prisoners lives, hopes and dreams.

In this episode of The Briefing, the paper’s managing director and publisher Joseph Friedman joins Bension Siebert to find out why he thinks prisoners should have a voice, and what he hopes the paper can achieve.

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The world watched as earlier this year footage of students across the world mobilised to protest against Israel’s ongoing killing of defenceless Palestinian citizens, particularly children.

Longstanding encampments were established at university campuses across America and here in Australia, popping up across Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Students at Melbourne University staged a sit-in and encampment in a campus building, refusing to leave until university leadership agreed it would disclose any links to weapons manufacturers who may be providing weapons being used by the Israeli Defence Force.

Since the sit-in's end, students who participated have reported being asked to attend disciplinary hearings for their conduct during the protests, with WiFi data and CCTV footage of them on campus being used as evidence of their participation. 

Kareem Zaghlool is a postgraduate medical student nearing the end of his degree and Zara Chauvin Cunningham is a second-year science student and is also Jewish. In this exclusive episode of The Briefing, Antoinette Lattouf sits down with the two students to find out how they feel about being tracked and spied on, despite the university pledging it wouldn’t use tech to track them.

The Briefing contacted the Victorian Information Commissioner and the University of Melbourne for comment for this story, who provided the following statements:

Sean Morrison, Victorian Information Commissioner:

“The OVIC is making preliminary enquiries with University of Melbourne regarding this matter. This information will assist OVIC in assessing whether or not an investigation proceeds.

It would not be appropriate for OVIC to provide further comment given the preliminary nature of its involvement. OVIC is unlikely to comment on where matters do not proceed from a preliminary inquiry to an investigation.”

A University of Melbourne spokesperson said:  

“The University is currently progressing a range of matters in relation to student conduct. We will not be commenting on individual matters, in line with our confidentiality requirements and our commitment to procedural fairness under University policy.  The University is in direct communication with individuals as required in relation to these matters.”  

Regarding peaceful protests, Professor Nicola Phillips, Provost said: 

“Freedom of speech is foundational to our values and policies at the University of Melbourne. We have consistently stated that we recognise the right of students and staff to participate in peaceful protest.” 

 

Headlines:

Further pressure for Biden to drop out of presidential race

Meth, cocaine and nicotine at record highs around Australia

De Minaur pulls out of Wimbledon, with Olympics now uncertain 

Kirsha Kaechele reveals the MONA Picasso’s are fakes painted by her 

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Every generation thinks they have it tougher than their predecessors. But arguably, 30-year-olds in Australia right now actually do. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert is joined by Russel Howcroft, a 59-year-old businessman you may recognise from the ABC TV show The Gruen Transfer, to explain why he thinks we need to talk about why millennials really do have it tough.  

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NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has promised to ban funding sex work services for people with disability under the national disability insurance scheme. 

However, the promise has been met with backlash from advocates saying that sexual intimacy is a human right with the the federal court deeming the funding reasonable and necessary just four years ago.  

Bension Siebert is joined by Oliver Morton-Evans, who has cerebral palsy and has himself used paid sex work to help him experience sexual intimacy, to explain why sex work services are important for people under the NDIS, and why his work with Touching Base is so important.

Headlines:

New report shows 1 in 5 Aussies have committed sexual violence

Distressing CCTV footage of police repeatedly striking an Indigenous teenager has been revealed

Jillian Segel AO appointed to combat antisemitism

Australia accuses Chinese spy agency of cyber attacks

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French voters have stunned the world by turning their back on the country’s far-right in an election result few saw coming.

France's left-wing parties formed a coalition and is projected to win the second round of a parliamentary election - beating the far-right. President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist bloc appears to have held up quite well. However, no group looks set for a majority.

In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Dr Romain Fathi from ANU to talk through the global implications of France’s stunning election result, and what it means for the future of President Macron and his far-right nemesis, Marine Le Pen.

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The war in the Middle East continues to impact hundreds of thousands of innocent people, with Save The Children now estimating more than 21,000 children are missing in the wake of the conflict. 

Many are trapped beneath rubble, detained, buried in unmarked graves, or lost from their families. 

In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Save The Children’s Head of Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy, Alexandra Saieh, to find out what needs to happen to protect children in Gaza, and why the world is seemingly oblivious to the worsening crisis. 

Headlines:

Children's hospital in Ukraine bombed

Three-day curfew underway in Alice Springs

Joe Biden challenges other Democratic candidates to step up

Alex De Minaur makes Wimbledon quarterfinals

 

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Dupes are the new copycat trend.

From cosmetics to accessories, electronics, homeware and even motor cars, for every high quality product with a big price tag on the market, there seems to be a cheap alternative ready to go. 

But how are these companies making dupes get away with it? And what can the owners of the original product do to protect their intellectual property?

Thomson Geer Lawyers Marlia Saunders, who specialises in intellectual property law joined Helen Smith on The Briefing to explain.

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Artificial intelligence is seeping into every aspect of our lives, so it was only a matter of time before it coupled with the porn industry – and the result is a growing number of AI porn image generators.

Sites like Clothoff and Dessi produce fake porn imagers using pictures supplied by users. Victims find themselves powerless to combat the sites, often hosted by servers in far off countries.

In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Professor Nicola Henry from the Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University to find out who is behind the sites and why governments are powerless to do anything about them.

Headlines:

Sydney house fire allegedly linked to DV

France's far-right party looks failed in bid to form government

Biden continues attempts to convince Americans ahead of election

John Cena announces retirement in WWE

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Far-right political commentator, Tucker Carlson, is known for pushing extreme views on social and political issues, conspiracy theories and a strong stance against immigration. 

Recently, Clive Palmer’s mining company Mineralogy brought Carlson over to Australia as part of The Australian Freedom Conferences, visiting several major cities on a speaking tour. 

While in Sydney, two LiSTNR journalists attended, to find out what would be up for discussion, and to learn more about the Australians who identify with Tucker Carlson’s ultra-conservative beliefs. 

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Poh Ling Yeow is proof that second place doesn’t always have to suck.

Joining MasterChef as a contestant in 2009 now 15 years later she’s gracing the screens as a judge, with the new panel of faces joining in the wake of the tragic death of former judge Jock Zonfrillo.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Poh shares the challenges of being a woman in the public eye and her hidden phobia of eating in front of other people.

 

WEEKEND LIST

• TO WATCH - American’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders on Netflix
• TO DO - Aussie Bro Squad call out on TikTok
• TO EAT - Plunger coffee and Honest to Goodness coffee
• TO WATCH - I Am: Celine Dion on Amazon Prime

Send us your Weekend Briefing suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!

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