The Briefing

Monday Headlines: 

• Conflict escalates in the Middle East as Israel, Iran and the US engage in strikes
• Petrol prices and travel: how this latest Middle East conflict will impact Australia
• Parents of backpacker killed on K’gari call for inquest
• Penny Wong to move censure motion against Pauline Hanson
• The Matildas win their Asian Cup opener

Further listening from the headlines:
Jane Hume on migration, One Nation and laughing at Angus Taylor

Deep Dive: Getting on the property ladder in Australia has never been easy, but new data from Domain shows just how steep the climb has become.   

The 2026 First Home Buyers Report reveals entry-level property prices have risen in every capital city (except for units in Canberra), deposit saving timelines are stretching longer and mortgage stress now hitting lower-end buyers nationwide.   

In this episode of The Briefing, Domain’s Dr Nicola Powell joins us to unpack why this crisis is structural, not cyclical, and what, if anything, can be done to fix it.  

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report is reigniting debate over the future of captive wildlife entertainment in Australia, with fresh scrutiny on breeding programs at Sea World on the Gold Coast. Advocates say global tourism is moving away from keeping animals in captivity… but here, polar bears and dolphins are still being bred for performance, in what many experts say are inhumane conditions. 

So, is Australia falling behind the rest of the world? And should the practice be banned altogether? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Suzanne Milthorpe from World Animal Protection Australia to unpack the latest findings in the new report. 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Gary Stevenson was 20 years old he won a card game that led him to landing a trading job at Citibank. Then in 2008, the middle of a global financial collapse, he was making millions. And by 2011, he was the bank’s most profitable trader in the world.

Today, Gary is better known to 1.5 million subscribers as Garys Economics - the inequality economist who says while other economists make predictions, his actually come true. His career was built on the bet that rising inequality would permanently damage the American and British economies, and that living standards would fall for good.

In this chat with Helen Smith, Gary shares how he went from working class to multi-millionaire, what he learned rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s richest people and why he believes there is still hope for those not born into extreme wealth.

Gary's Australian tour tickets here

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• Listener Annabelle TO WATCH: Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette on Disney Plus
• TO DO: Greg Davies Aus tour
• TO WATCH: Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model on Netflix
• TO WATCH: Tick, Tick... Boom! on Netflix 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, what is Shen Yun? The Chinese dance group was thrown into the spotlight this week after it was linked to a bomb threat against the Prime Minister at the Lodge in Canberra. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Professor Haiqing Yu from the School of Media and Communication to explain what Shen Yun is, its controversial links to Falun Gong and why we all need to care about this new fragile geopolitical environment.  

Headlines: The Liberal Party has confirmed it won’t release a report into its disastrous performance at last year’s federal election, the Commonwealth Bank is investigating a major fraud scandal, the federal government is warning child care centres are on notice if they don’t lift standards and meet new deadlines, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has lashed out after being grilled over Jeffrey Epstein, and some good news from Magda Szubanski.  

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines: Hillary Clinton testifies in Epstein probe, calls for PM to hold Israel responsible for destruction of Australian war graves, Instagram to send alerts to parents over their kids' mental health, Jacinda Ardern is moving to Australia and Australia’s best beach named.

Deep Dive: Trying to reach the summit of Mount Everest continues to gain popularity with hundreds of people attempting the climb each year.  

But with the growth comes an increase in people who don’t have enough experience trying to achieve the brutal feat and with the new climbing season about to get underway, the Nepalese government is bringing in new rules to clamp down on so-called Everest “influencers” from attempting the climb.  

In today’s deep dive, Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Aussie Everest climber Daniel Bull to get his take on the new regulations and hear his tale of the Death Zone. 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the scandal that refuses to die, and it’s climbing higher up the royal ladder.

Revelations from the so-called “Epstein files” have already toppled a former prince and a senior British ambassador. Now, for the first time, King Charles is named in an email from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with claims he was blamed for stripping then Prince Andrew of his trade envoy role.

In this episode of The Briefing with Natarsha Belling, royal historian Andrew Lownie reacts to the ongoing fallout from the Epstein files and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He claims what we’ve seen so far is only the tip of the iceberg, pointing to a vast network spanning sex trafficking allegations, financial dealings, intelligence agencies and even national security concerns.

Andrew Lownie wrote the unauthorised biography, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, which alleges a massive cover-up by key government agencies and the Monarchy over the former Prince Andrew. 

Headlines: Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame has rejected an apology from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after he described her as “difficult", an alarm will sound from almost every mobile phone across the country on the 27th July, and Aussie rock legends INXS are in the running for one of music’s highest honours.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday Headlines: Families of Australian diplomats told to leave Israel and Lebanon, Sydney duo charged over 85-year-old grandfather's kidnapping and murder, RBA governor denies inflation is 'taking off', health and education records of kids to be tracked for social media ban research, ayahuasca flagged as potential therapy for depression and here's what you think about the proposed e-bike laws. 

Deep Dive: He was one of the world’s most feared drug lords accused of flooding the US with fentanyl and expanding its grip across Mexico. 

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, was killed in a US-backed military raid on Sunday, sparking cartel retaliation that saw several Mexican cities thrown into chaos. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with cartel expert Angelica Duran-Martinez about who El Mencho was, whether removing a kingpin changes the drug trade and what this chaos means for Mexico just months out from hosting the FIFA World Cup. 

Further listening from the headlines:

• An Australian clinic is 'transforming' lives with MDMA-assisted therapy 
• How MDMA freed Kate from PTSD

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump promised America is “winning again”, but is the country buying it? 

In this episode, Natarsha Belling speaks with US analyst Cory Alpert after President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history, a near two-hour political spectacle covering the economy, tariffs, Iran, the military and even Olympic athletes. 

From a Supreme Court ruling that could curb his tariff powers, to fresh warnings for Iran and a heavy dose of patriotic theatre inside the chamber, Cory unpacks what the president was really trying to achieve, and whether any of it will cut through to voters ahead of November’s crucial midterm elections. 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines: PM evacuated from The Lodge for hours over bomb scare, more than half of Aussies say they’d consider voting for One Nation, more flu deaths recorded in 2025 than any other year this century, Guthrie family offers $1 million USD reward for info in mother’s disappearance and there are calls for Aussie kids to be banned from e-bikes and scooters.

Deep DIve: For decades the Australian government has tried, but failed, to meaningfully crack down on Hizb ut-Tahrir.   
 
The Islamist group was founded in Jerusalem in 1953, has been in Australia since the early 1990s and is on track to become the first group banned under the Federal Government’s new hate laws.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with counter-terrorism expert Josh Roose about what Hizb ut-Tahrir believes, how it recruits and operates in Australia and whether banning it will disrupt extremism, or simply push it further underground. 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Victorian Premier has announced she will refer serious allegations about surgical misconduct with endometriosis patients by leading gynecologist Dr Simon Gordon to police.  

It follows a damning investigation by Four Corners on the ABC, which alleges that countless women had been misdiagnosed and had undergone unnecessary, expensive surgery.

In a statement to Four Corners, Simon Gordon said, “across my entire career, I never performed surgery to treat endometriosis, or any other condition, unless I was absolutely convinced it was in the patient's best interests and to improve their overall quality of life,” and that throughout his career, he’d always “acted ethically and responsibly." 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Jodie Avery, a lead researcher in Chronic Reproductive Health Conditions, who unpacks what should happen when pelvic pain is investigated, why invasive surgery is no longer the first-line diagnostic tool, and what the latest evidence says about imaging, medical management and multidisciplinary care. She explains the current guidelines, the risks of repeated surgeries, and why women should never feel pressured into procedures without exploring alternatives.

Disclaimer: This interview is for general information only; it does not constitute medical advice. 

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists diagnosis guidelines state patients with symptoms suggestive of endometriosis should be offered a transvaginal pelvic ultrasound as the first-line investigation. A pelvic MRI can be offered if ultrasound is not available, or if deep endometriosis is suspected. If transvaginal ultrasound is not possible or not appropriate, and MRI is not available, a transabdominal ultrasound could be suggested. Surgery is not required as a first-line option to diagnose endometriosis. 

Headlines: Human remains have been found in the search for missing grandfather Chris Bahgsarian, Lord Peter Mandelson has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and the theme for this year's Met Gala has been revealed. 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.