The Briefing

“Globalise the Intifada” has been in the spotlight this week after Grace Tame used the contentious phrase at a pro-Palestinian rally. Calls are growing from both sides of politics for Grace to be stripped of her Australian of the Year Award, with the NSW Premier inferring the phrase means a violent uprising in Sydney streets. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Middle East political expert Dr Martin Kear, to explain what "globalise the infidata" means, why it’s controversial and its complicated history.  

Headlines: A woman has killed at least 9 people in a Canadian mass shooting, a person has been detained for questioning over the disappearance of US grandmother Nancy Guthrie, and new data has revealed rent affordability has hit an all-time low. 

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Wednesday Headlines: Albanese meets with the President of Israel, Liberal leadership challenge set to begin today, Australia calls in Lao ambassador over response to the methanol poisoning deaths of Melbourne teens, Aussie ruled out of Winter Olympics after neck fracture, and Robert Irwin has been reduced to a daggy white boy on the internet.

Deep Dive: Convicted Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant is appearing in court this week, attempting to have his guilty plea for the 2019 mosque shooting vacated. 

He claims the harsh conditions of his confinement in a “prison within a prison” at Auckland’s most secure facility affected his ability to make rational decisions when he pleaded guilty to the murders of 51 people. 

So how likely is it that a judge will grant his wish? And what will the impact be on the survivors and families of victims of the Christchurch attack? LiSTNR’s investigative journalist Joey Watson joins Sacha Barbour Gatt in today’s deep dive to discuss. 

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What began as a peaceful rally in Sydney’s Town Hall Square turned into scenes Abigail Boyd MP says she never thought she’d witness in New South Wales.

In this episode of The Briefing, the NSW Greens MP joins Natarsha Belling to describe the moment she was knocked to the ground and allegedly punched by police while filming a protest, and what she says unfolded around her as officers moved in on demonstrators, including people praying, elderly protesters and families with children.

As the NSW Premier and Police Commissioner defend police actions and label the rally violent, Boyd rejects those claims, pointing to hours of video footage she says tells a very different story. 

Headlines: A high-profile barrister has been found dead in his home, Ghislaine Maxwell has invoked her Fifth Amendment right to silence in front of a US congressional committee, and Sussan Ley has come out firing. 

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Big tech is under fire for failing to protect Aussie kids from online sexual abuse, including a sharp rise in sextortion and abuse via video calls and livestreams.  

Reports to the Australian Federal Police jumped 41% last year, showing just how fast the problem is growing.  

In part two of this deep dive, Sacha Barbour Gatt chats with Brisbane radio host Matt Acton, a dad whose son was targeted by an online sextortion scam, on what he wishes he’d done differently and what parents need to know. 

If you need help, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or reach out to 1800 RESPECT. 

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Tuesday Headlines: Violence erupts at Sydney protests against Israeli President’s visit, King Charles 'ready to support' police investigation into Prince Andrew, Communications Minister seeks urgent meeting with Roblox over predator claims, and Elon Musk switches Space X’s focus to the moon.

Deep Dive: Big tech is under fire for failing to protect Aussie kids from online sexual abuse, including a sharp rise in sextortion and abuse via video calls and livestreams.  

Reports to the Australian Federal Police jumped 41% last year, showing just how fast the problem is growing.  
 
In part one of this special two-part deep dive, Chris Spyrou chats with co-lead of the CSAM Deterrence Centre and asociate professor from the University of Tasmania, Joel Scanlan.

In part two, Sacha Barbour Gatt chats with Brisbane radio host Matt Acton, a dad whose son was targeted by an online sextortion scam, on what he wishes he’d done differently and what parents need to know. 

If you need help, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or reach out to 1800 RESPECT.

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Australia’s definition of terrorism was set up after the Sept 11 terror attacks, but now the world and Australia have changed dramatically. In 2026, the landscape of terror and radicalization is complicated with new threats from a range of different groups including lone actors.  

In this episode of The Briefing Natarsha Belling is joined by Associate Professor Keiran Hardy from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University to unpack how we define terror and how we crack down on dangerous radicalisation and extremism.    

Headlines: Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrives in Sydney ahead of national protests, Former Hong Kong media mogul sentenced to 20 years in prison and Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime message.  

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Monday Headlines: Sussan Ley could face leadership spill within the week, Sydneysiders told to avoid non-essential travel during Israeli President’s visit, Tropical Cyclone Mitchell approaches Exmouth, Christchurch mosque terrorist to appeal sentence, fears Australia is on track to becoming an “artless country” and The Super Bowl is on today.

Deep Dive: Protests are planned in every capital city across the country today in protest of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s official visit to Australia. 

While Anthony Albanese says the trip is appropriate and aimed at promoting unity, critics argue it risks deepening divisions as the war in Gaza continues, and allegations of war crimes dominate global scrutiny. 
 
In this episode of The Briefing, we hear from lawyer Josh Bornstein and Greens Senator David Shoebridge who help us unpack why Herzog’s visit is so divisive and what it reveals about protest, social cohesion, and Australia’s relationship with the Israeli government. 

You can read the Zionist Federation of Australia’s December 23 statement here.

Further listening from the headlines:
Obsession drove Joey Watson into the warped mind of a terrorist
Bad Bunny’s historic halftime show

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Chappell Roan took home the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2025, clocked more than 68 million streams in the first 6 months of 2024 and she's currently touring Australia, headlining Laneway music festival. 

Over the last few years, female-made, female-focused pop has been in the middle of a full-blown renaissance and all signs suggest it’s carrying straight through into 2026 - with artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX still dominating and Lily Allen re-entering the race. 

In this bonus ep of the Briefing from 2024 Sacha Barbour-Gatt is joined by Nic Kelly, host of The Hot Hits on the Hit Network, to unpack the female pop revolution and the secret ingredient to becoming a pop star today. 

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At just 19 years old, Sherele Moody’s life was irrevocably changed when she learned her stepfather had murdered a child in the home he shared with her, her siblings and their mother.

Since then Sherele has become a pioneer in the domestic violence space - widely known as Femicide Watch on Instagram with over 123k followers, where she tracks every woman and child killed by violence.

She went on to found The RED HEART Movement - a living memorial and meticulously maintained public database for victims and survivors of violence in Australia, ensuring their stories are named, seen, and never forgotten.

In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Sherele shares her deeply personal journey and how she’s transforming grief into accountability and silence into action.

She also gives her verdict on ethics in crime reporting and the frenzy over the case of Erin Patterson that elevated the convicted murderer to a "true crime popstar".

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• Listener Issy TO WATCH: Tell Me Lies on Disney Plus
• TO WATCH: Bridgerton season 4 on Netflix
• TO DO: Imagine a holiday!
• TO DO/WATCH: EUROPA Film Festival

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Hundreds of new 'Jeffrey Epstein files' were dropped this week, with more damaging allegations about high-profile politicians. The British PM Keir Starmer’s leadership is now under serious threat after his links to former ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Foreign Editor of 7 News, Hugh Whitfeld, who unpacks this week’s developments and explains why the political fallout from the Epstein files is only just beginning. 

There is no suggestion that Peter Mandelson, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor or Bill Clinton have committed any sexual offences. 

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