The Briefing

You can gamble on anything. Now you can even bet on the war in the Middle East. Concern is growing over a dangerous new form of prediction markets, where users are anonymous, and crypto is the only currency. There are even claims of insider trading, where players make billions betting on military strikes and a country's next move in a major war... 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Karoline Thomsen from UNSW to explain how this popular platform works and the dangerous fallout. 

Headlines: 

• Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen has announced an extra 100 million litres of fuel a month will be made available as concerns grow over Australia’s fuel supplies in the wake of the Middle East war
• Australian software giant, Atlassian, has confirmed it’s slashing 1600 jobs
• Former ASIO boss, Dennis Richardson, has abruptly resigned from the Royal Commission into Antisemitism
• Melbourne has been crowned the best city in the world

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Thursday Headlines:

• Iran accuses Australia of hypocrisy and kidnapping footballers
• Ships targeted in the Strait of Hormuz 
• Protestors arrested for using banned pro-Palestinian phrase
• Calls for NAPLAN test to be scrapped after test outage
• Aussie city crowned the best in the world
  
  

Further listening from the headlines: 

THE BEEFING: Sydney vs Melbourne

Deep Dive: Israel and the US’s war on Iran has seen missiles flying across the Gulf, regional powers drawn in and Australia now sending aircraft, weapons and personnel to the Middle East. 

While Donald Trump is suggesting the conflict could end soon, many analysts warn the reality is far more complicated, and that the roots of this war stretch back decades, long before the latest strikes began. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with foreign policy expert Trita Parsi about the history shaping the conflict: from a CIA-backed coup in Iran in 1953 to the 1979 revolution, the rise of Iran’s regional alliances and why attempts to overthrow the regime have repeatedly failed. 

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The Nationals have been rocked by a shock leadership shake-up after the sudden resignation of David Littleproud, just weeks after he survived a leadership spill.

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by The West Australian Canberra bureau chief, Katina Curtis. They discuss why Littleproud really stepped down, the role of the surging support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation in reshaping the political landscape, and new Nationals leader Matt Canavan -- an outspoken figure now tasked with reviving the party as it faces internal unrest, defections, and declining support in key rural seats.

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Wednesday Headlines: 

• Iranian women footballers defected to Australia last night
• US warn today will be the most intense so far in Iran
• Nationals to choose new leader after Littleproud’s shock resignation
• Lululemon cops $700k + fine for spam emails
• Australia’s favourite toilet paper revealed

Deep Dive: Digital price tags that can change instantly, smart trolleys that track what goes in your basket and cameras that are monitoring more than just shelves.  

The modern supermarket is evolving quickly as major chains invest heavily in automation, AI and data-driven systems designed to make shopping faster and more efficient. But while many of these changes promise convenience for customers, they also raise important questions about privacy, pricing and the growing power of Australia’s supermarket giants. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt and Chris Spyrou dig into some of the tech quietly reshaping our supermarket aisles and what it could mean for the future of shopping. 

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We’re often told to seek help if we’re struggling with trauma. But what happens when the therapy that helps you heal could also impact your chance at justice? EMDR is widely recognised as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD, but one Australian woman says undergoing the therapy later became a factor in prosecutors deciding not to proceed with her case alleging sexual abuse as an adolescent...and she’s not alone. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Katie Bird, who explains how EMDR changed her life... but also prevented her from seeking justice in a flawed system. 

In a statement to the ABC, who originally reported this story, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions would not comment on individual matters but said: "Each prosecution is assessed individually in accordance with the prosecution policy of the Commonwealth." 

"Part of the assessment is the consideration of the admissibility of the evidence both at statute and common law." 

For information and support, you can contact Australia's national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service on 1800 RESPECT.

Headlines:

• Nationals Leader David Littleproud has sensationally quit as leader of the National Party
• The federal government has stepped up its commitment to the War in the Middle East
• The 5 Iranian soccer players who fled from their handlers overnight have been granted humanitarian visas
• Labor will push through new superannuation tax changes after securing support from the Greens in the Senate
• A spokesperson for Kyle Sandilands has released a statement demanding the radio host be allowed back on air

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Tuesday Headlines:

• Donald Trump and Albanese speak about Iranian footballers
• Alleged Bondi terrorist seeks suppression order
• Nationals float tripling paid parental leave and lowering HECS debts for women
• Union calls on Labor to legislate four-day work weeks
• Anger at plan to charge visitors an entry fee to the Twelve Apostles

Deep DIve: Fuel prices are already rising and the conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel could push them even higher. But the impact won’t stop at the bowser. 

From fuel and gas to inflation and interest rates, global conflicts can quickly hit household budgets in Australia, even when the fighting is thousands of kilometres away. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with AMP Chief Economist Dr Shane Oliver about how long the pressure could last and what the conflict could mean for inflation and the Australian economy. 

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Iran has a new Supreme Leader - but who is he, and what does it mean for the region and the future of the Middle East conflict? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who explains the rise of Mojtaba Khamenei, who has stepped into power during one of the most volatile moments in Iran’s history. Kylie reveals what his rise means for the Iranian people, why the US and Israel may be deeply unhappy with this outcome, and whether the escalating conflict could spiral into a long and messy war. Plus, the growing calls in Australia to offer asylum to Iran’s women’s soccer team amid fears of persecution back home. 

Headlines: 

• Former NSW Liberal MP, Rory Amon, has been found not guilty on a majority of child sex abuse charges
• More than $110 billion has been wiped off the Australian stockmarket
• Investigations are underway after two separate shootings in Sydney’s west 
• Prince Harry and Meagan will visit Australia next month

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Monday Headlines: 

• Australia’s role in Middle East being considered
• Crocs “absolutely everywhere” in flooded NT
• Tributes for 22-year-old Melbourne Good Samaritan 
• Age verification comes into effect for porn sites from today
• Matildas draw 3-all with South Korea in electric Asian Cup clash

Further listening from the headlines:

• Watching porn? ID please
• How I escaped porn addiction

Deep Dive: There are fears one family is accumulating more control over tech, government and media than any other family in modern history. Most Australians have barely heard of them, but they probably should.  
 
Tech titan and Trump backer Larry Ellison is one of the wealthiest people on the planet, and his company Oracle doesn't just do business with governments - it helps run them.  
 
Now his son David has won the most expensive bidding war in entertainment history, bringing a vast collection of film studios, news networks and streaming platforms under the same family umbrella.  
 
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by NPR host Roben Farzad to unpack what the Ellison empire actually controls and what its latest moves tell us about who really holds power in 2026. 

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Before she was busy being “difficult”, Grace Tame was side-eyeing former Prime Ministers, calling out power at the highest levels and reshaping Australia’s conversation around sexual abuse.

The former Australian of the Year has endured more scrutiny than many public figures twice her age, all while staying fiercely outspoken and unapologetically herself.

In this bonus episode of The Weekend Briefing with Antoinette Lattouf, we bring you a discussion with Grace Tame about what it really takes to ‘win’ as a woman in Australia.

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When Sam Taunton was a kid, he dreamed of becoming a professional golfer. Instead, he found himself in a blazer, behind the desk of The Project, working live on national television alongside a man whom he calls “the smartest guy in the country."

He didn’t grow up with a lot of money and his dad would often get creative to keep the family home standing. But long before he invited the whole of Australia to his New Year’s Eve party on live TV, Sam was chasing a very different future.

In this chat with Chris Spyrou, Sam reveals what it's actually like working on live TV, the moment he found out the show was no more, his gratitude journal and how losing one dream can sometimes lead to finding the right one.

Tickets to Sam's tour here

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• Listener Krissy TO WATCH: Upper Middle Bogan on ABC iView
• TO LISTEN: BBC World of Secrets: The Child Cancer Scam
• TO DO: Dance Party
• TO DO: Share the Dignity Drive

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.