Randa Abdel-Fattah is a lawyer, author, and academic who wrote her first novel at 12, and since then has published 11 books, including her latest Discipline.

Randa has also been at the centre of the recent Bendigo Writers Festival controversy. After a coalition of pro-Israel academics pushed for restrictions, with a memo going out to speakers essentially warning them not to criticise Israel. Randa withdrew and in solidarity, other authors and even the festival’s bookseller followed.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Randa explains how it felt having her name written on the side of a bomb, before it was presumably fired off into Gaza, and the struggles of parenting during a genocide.

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• TO WATCH: Martha on Netflix
• TO EAT: Easy frozen baramundi and broccolini bake 
• TO SHOP: Depop app for pre-loved fashion
• TO DO: Visit a dog park 

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Popular drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are back in the headlines this week after former tennis star Serena Williams signed on as an ambassador for a major weight loss company in the US. It comes as Australian health experts warn we still don’t know the long-term consequences of these popular medications, now pushing for all users to also get access to qualified dieticians. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by GP and obesity specialist Dr Terri-Lynne South to unpack these latest developments, and the new health warnings for weight loss drugs here in Australia.  

Headlines: Matt Wright found guilty, two people questioned by police over Porepunka shootings, and David Hughes in hospital.

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Tesla has announced Australia and New Zealand will become the first global right-hand drive markets to activate their Full Self-Driving Supervised technology.

The semi-autonomous feature is set to roll out on Tesla's Model 3 and Y vehicles first, and is capable of completing a door-to-door journey including navigating traffic and other road conditions without the driver touching pedals or the steering wheel. 

In Australia under current legislation, autonomous or driverless vehicles are prohibited by approximately 700 rules, but Tesla insists their new system falls compiles with Australian law.

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Professor Michael Milford, Director of QUT’s Centre for Robotics, to unpack the development of autonomous vehicle technology in Australia.

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Headlines: Authorities have offered sovereign citizen gunman a surrender plan, Russia strikes EU delegation in Kyiv killing 19, California Governor says Trump seeking third term, Queensland passes bill allowing on-the-spot DV orders, and runners from across the globe will be charging across the iconic Harbour Bridge this weekend for the Sydney Marathon.

Deep Dive: It’s National Scam Week. Footy fans are hoping to secure tickets for the NRL and AFL finals and when they see their team qualify they jump online to secure tickets. Plus it’s the season for buying tickets for this summer’s music festivals. 

And it’s peak season for scammers. AI has increasingly become the tool of scammers – so how do you know the tickets you’re buying are legit? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Dan Mullins is joined by Dr Dimitrios Salampasis, an emerging technology expert at Swinburne University, who explains the latest scams to watch out for and Simon Birmingham, CEO Australian Banking Association, who reveals what banks are doing to keep us safe from scammers. 

The federal government’s Scamwatch site is here 

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He stabbed his parents and sister to death but now Sef Gonzales has won the right to appeal his life sentence. More than 20 years after he was sent to jail, new evidence is being presented that Sef lives with PTSD after allegedly being abused as a child. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by criminal psychologist, Tim Watson-Munro, to unpack the latest developments and find out what Sef’s chances are of winning this latest court fight. 

Headlines: Police address Dezi Freeman directly, Bob Katter has threatened a journalist, and Qantas has delivered a bumper profit.

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Thursday Headlines: Two children dead in US school shooting in Minnesota, Manhunt continues for sovereign citizen gunman Dezi Freeman, US government tightening visas for students and journalists, AI data centres soaking up massive amounts of drinking water, and Parliament’s annual midwinter ball happened in Canberra.

Deep Dive: A Silicon Valley start-up is changing the future of fertility, letting future parents screen embryos for disease, but also appearance and IQ. 

And while some are lining up for the tech, keen to be in the know about their potential kids, critics have questioned the ethics of choosing them based off traits. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with Nucleus Founder Kian Sadeghi about the advanced embryo testing, and why he backs the power to pick. 

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Image credit AP: Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune

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Australia Post has this week suspended deliveries to the United States as the fallout continues over Donald Trump’s tariffs. While it’s a temporary measure as delivery services around the world try and navigate the new fees and charges, it’s another major hit for thousands of small Australian businesses. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by small business owner Emma Jean Jansen, who unpacks what this shock move means for Aussie retailers, already struggling with rising costs and overheads.   

Headlines: Linda Reynolds wins Brittany Higgins defamation case, one female student has been killed and several others injured after a school bus crash west of Geelong in Victoria, and Former West Coast defender Mitch Brown has made AFL history. 

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A manhunt is underway for a sovereign citizen gunman, who shot dead two police officers and seriously injured a third in rural Victoria, sparking renewed interested in the alternative movement. 

Sovereign citizens are Australians who reject the authority of the government and believe they’re exempt from laws, taxes and the values of mainstream society. 

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Tom Tilley is joined by an Australian dad whose ex-partner became a sovereign citizen and turned his family's life into a living nightmare.  

This episode is from 2023 and uses voice distortions to protect the identity of a man we’re calling John. 

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Wednesday Headlines: Manhunt continues for cop murderer in Victoria, Iran vows ‘reciprocal action’ against Australia after expulsion of ambassador, House calls for Epstein’s 50th birthday book to be handed over, Allergies costing the nation billions, and Tay Tay and Trav engaged!

Deep Dive: The world’s richest man is suing two of the world’s biggest tech companies.  

Elon Musk is claiming Apple and OpenAI are working together on integrating AI into the latest version of Apple’s top-selling iPhones, making it impossible for other AI apps to compete with Open AI’s ChatGPT.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Trevor Long, Nine’s tech guru and founder of eftm.com, to unpack if Elon Musks has any chance of winning and whether it’s a PR exercise for his own AI company Grok.  

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For the first time since World War II, Australia has expelled an ambassador after the Prime Minister confirmed the Iranian Government directed at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil. ASIO Director General, Mike Burgess, said Iran was responsible for extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression, in an attempt to undermine social cohesion. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by intelligence expert Justin Bassi on why this is a dangerous escalation for Australia’s national security and what it means for our fragile international relations. 

Headlines: Two police officers have been killed in regional Victoria, Former Police officer, Beau Lamarre-Condon has plead not guilty to the murders of Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, and Australia Post has announced it will immediately suspend the majority of its mail deliveries to the US.

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