The Briefing

Dr Richard Harris is best known as one of the extraordinary people behind the rescue of a Thai soccer team from a cave back in 2018.

It was a feat that stunned the world that also earned him the title of Australian of the Year.

Now, the self-proclaimed introvert is plunging back into the depths - this time in Deeper, a breathtaking new documentary that explores one of the most remote underwater cave systems in New Zealand’s South Island.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Richard shares why he never set out to be a doctor and how he mentally prepares to face the dark, icy waters most of us would run from.

Weekend list with Chris Spyrou

• TO WATCH: Invasion on Apple TV+
• TO EAT: Frozen pretzels at ALDI
• TO LISTEN: Jennifer Aniston on Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
• TO READ: Picture of You by Tony Birch

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It’s the greatest crisis that has rocked the British Royal Family since King Edward was forced to abdicate in 1936. As the fallout continues over Jeffrey Epstein, King Charles has now stripped his brother of a number of Royal titles, including his birthright of Prince. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and has also been kicked out of the Royal Cottage along with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Royal Correspondent Juliet Rieden, who warns that more damaging allegations may be on the way, involving not only Andrew but also other very powerful people. 

Headlines: Former NSW MP Gareth Ward has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison, tens of thousands of Orthodox Jewish men have flooded the streets of Jerusalem in a mass protest, and NASA has stepped in to correct Kim Kardashian. 

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Friday Headlines: Fresh search for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont, prison guards ordered to return to work after snap strike over violent assaults, ARIA-Award-winning musician Dean Lewis issues apology to fans for ‘inappropriate behaviour’, five new suspects arrested over Louvre crown jewel heist, and dictionary.com confirms “word of the year”. 

Deep Dive: Witches have re-entered the mainstream through the power of social media, which has also catapulted the prevalence of the Etsy and DIY witch.

But with so many witches entering your TikTok feed or telling you about your future through a screen, how do we know if what they’re selling us is magic or marketing?   

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Dr Caroline Tully, a scholar of modern Pagan religions, who explains the rise of the modern witch and why, for many, witchcraft is more than just a trend.

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Oasis were the soundtrack to a generation - two brothers from Manchester who turned Britpop into a global phenomenon. But behind the swagger and sing-alongs, Liam and Noel Gallagher’s relationship was as volatile as it was iconic.

From drunken brawls and backstage walkouts to public insults that played out across decades, the Oasis feud became one of rock’s most infamous sibling rivalries. Their creative genius built the band - but their egos ultimately destroyed it.

In this episode of The Beefing, Alexandria Funnell unpacks how Oasis went from conquering the charts and breaking world records to imploding in spectacular fashion - and whether peace is finally on the horizon.

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Infectious disease experts are raising the alarm over a concerning increase in antibiotic resistance, with rates increasing by more than 40% in just seven years. But the over-prescription of antibiotics is only a small part of the problem...  

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by infectious diseases expert Sanjaya Senanayake, who explains why antibiotics are not working on so many serious diseases and the urgent action that’s needed. 

Headlines: President Donald Trump has ordered the US Department of War to resume testing of nuclear weapons, the family of a teenage cricketer killed in a training accident has issued a heartbreaking statement, and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has denied allegations that he verbally abused a female staffer. 

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Thursday Headlines: Albo praised by Trump alongside world leaders in South Korea, thousands of child abuse allegations in Aus childcare centres, Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of destruction across Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti, safety questions sparked after woman dies being left behind by cruise, and two Louvre heist suspects admit involvement.

Deep Dive: 'Awareness ads' for drugs are being called promotions in disguise by health experts, who say they may be encouraging the overdiagnosis or overuse of medication. 

In Australia, it’s illegal to advertise prescription medicines directly to the public, but some ‘awareness’ ads have been found to do so indirectly. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Dr Ray Moynihan, a Senior Research Manager at the University of Sydney, who explains the legalities of ‘awareness’ ads and why he believes they can turn people into patients.

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The BOM is being slammed over its brand-new, taxpayer-funded multimillion-dollar website makeover. Meteorologists say the changes make it almost impossible to read the vital radar and weather information. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by 7News meteorologist, Tony Auden, who says automation is partly to blame and explains why the major changes are incredibly dangerous...and even potentially deadly.  

Headlines: The chance of an interest rate cut has plunged, a woman accused of sabotaging two Sydney hospitals has appeared in court, and Kai Trump is set to make her professional golf debut. 

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Wednesday Headline: Israel strikes Gaza as Hamas postpones hostage handover, new AFP taskforce cracking down on ‘crimefluencers’ targeting young girls, neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell found not guilty, Queensland’s Health Minister reintroduces puberty blocker ban, and eight Aus state high schools have taught their year 12 students the wrong stimulus. 

Deep Dive: The next two weeks in Australian politics are shaping up to be the biggest test of Anthony Albanese’s second term, and it’s all over the Government’s plan to revamp our country's 25-year-old environmental laws. 

The Coalition says it’ll strangle business; the Greens claim it doesn’t go far enough, and without one of them on board, it’s doomed. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by co-CEO of the Australia Institute, Leanne Minshull, to unpack what we know about the proposed reforms and whether they can protect the environment. 

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Artificial intelligence has gone from science fiction to rapidly infiltrating our everyday lives, with experts now predicting AI could surpass human intelligence within the next three decades. 

From Siri to chatbots, self-driving cars and robotic surgeons, we can't live without it. But as AI starts replacing human jobs, generating art and even making 'moral decisions' - leading tech experts have started sounding the alarm, including former employees of OpenAI. 

In this episode of The Beefing, Helen Smith breaks down the growing feud between artificial intelligence and humans, from its beginnings in the 1950s to today’s chatbot revolution and whether AI is our greatest creation or the biggest threat to humanity yet.

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Young Aussies are being screwed over and are facing a tougher reality than their parents and grandparents, according to new research.

Education, home ownership, psychological distress, loneliness and delayed adulthood are the five key factors impacting young people the most.

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Intifar Chowdhury, a youth researcher and lecturer in government at Flinders University, who explains the great generational divide and the solutions we all must face. 

Afternoon headlines: Woman arrested after gas supplies allegedly sabotaged at two Sydney hospitals, first member of the NZYQ cohort has been deported to Nauru, 80-year-old women dies after failing to board a cruise and top state school admits to teaching wrong topic for year 12 exam 

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