The Briefing

Pressure is mounting on the Royal family as the fallout from Virginia Giuffre's bombshell new memoir continues, which was released this week. The book has more damaging allegations about Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, with some Royal experts saying this latest scandal may even force King Charles to abdicate. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by journalist Angela Mollard to unpack this week’s developments and why the Monarchy is facing its biggest crisis in decades. 

Headlines: South Australia’s Attorney-General has called for a review of the decision to grant parole to Snowtown killer James Vlassakis, INTERPOL has issued a global alert after the multi-million dollar Jewellery heist at the Louvre, and police have arrested a man after uncovering 43 allegedly stolen Labubu dolls. 

This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault and suicide. If you or anyone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. 

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Wednesday Headlines: Extreme weather lashing Australia, woman accused of brazen daylight stabbing remains behind bars, Aussie mum’s landmark work from home win, tougher penalties for companies breaking environmental laws, and over a third of you support the government ‘stealing’ from us. 

Deep Dive: AI cheating is rife at universities across the country, with educators struggling to crack down. 

In recent months, over a dozen universities were found to have wrongly accused students of cheating with AI, while failing to catch others who were. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with AI cheating researcher, Professor Phillip Dawson from the University of Deakin, about the flow-on effects of AI cheating in academia and what we can do about it.  

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Rudd’s the strategist and Gillard’s the negotiator - two Labor leaders, two Prime Ministers and one political party locked in a cycle of self-destruction.

What began as a dream team that swept the Howard Government from power in a historic landslide soon descended into one of the most bitter rivalries in Australian political history.

In this episode of The Beefing, Helen Smith unpacks the rise of Kevin Rudd in the 'Kevin 07' era, the dramatic downfall that followed and how Julia Gillard became Australia's first (and only) female Prime Minister. 

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It was almost 12 months in the making, but finally Anthony Albanese has met with Donald Trump for their long-awaited sit down. While there was a little distraction with US Ambassador Kevin Rudd, most experts say the meeting was a major success and the US Australia alliance is firmly back on track. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by International Affairs expert Bec Strating who unpacks the key takeaways and why this is the good news story Australia needs. 

Headlines: China has hit back at Australia claiming it illegally entering its airspace, major arrests in a nationwide crackdown on illegal weapons, and Amazon Web Services has returned to normal after a massive internet outage. 

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Tuesday Headlines: Albanese and Trump sign critical minerals deal worth billions, Amazon struggling to fix an outage that’s affected millions of users, authorities working to trace source of rat poisonings in Queensland, Victoria’s set to ban masks and chains at protests, and the AFL’s warning to Bailey Smith over controversial social media posts. 

Deep Dive: Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says he wants out of The Nationals and could soon be teaming up with Pauline Hanson.  

So what’s driving the move, and could it signal a bigger shift on Australia’s political right? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with Dr Jill Sheppard from the Australian National University about the tensions inside the Coalition, the rise of One Nation, and what this all means for the future of the political right in Australia. 

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It’s straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster like Oceans 11. Robbers breaking into the Louvre Museum in Paris and stealing priceless Royal jewels. Well, overnight, that happened in real life with experts investigating how these thieves carried out the daring heist in just four minutes. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Art crime expert Judge Arthur Tomkins, to explain why he believes it could have been an inside job and why so many art galleries and museums around the world have serious gaps in their security systems. 

Headlines: Two people have been killed after a plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, another major test for Gaza’s fragile ceasefire after Israeli forces launched a wave of deadly airstrikes, and British police are investigating allegations that Prince Andrew asked an officer to dig up damaging information on Virginia Giuffre. 

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Monday Headlines: Albo en route to Washington for face-to-face meeting with Trump, thousands attended March for Australia and counter protests over the weekend, hunt continues for thieves after seven-minute Louvre heist, witnesses of Melbourne rollercoaster accident file lawsuit and crocodile discovered in luxury Queensland resort pool. 

Deep Dive: When someone like Kamala Harris or Hillary Clinton flies to Australia to give a speech, it looks like a polished, one-night event - but behind the scenes lies a multimillion-dollar industry where politics, celebrity, and big business collide. 

So how much are these names really making, who’s footing the bill, and why are so many of the world’s biggest names choosing to cash in down under? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with award-winning media professional and international keynote speaker Jaimie Abbott about the lucrative world of event speaking and what it says about power, influence, and opportunity. 

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go undercover and expose a booming, yet highly secretive global market?  
 
In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we revisit LiSTNR investigative journalist Claudianna Blanco’s story, now nominated for a Walkley Award, as she travels to Colombia to uncover the dark side of international surrogacy.  

Listen to Claudianna on Secrets We Keep: By Any Means. 

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Cam Wilson has spent years deep in the corners of the internet most of us would rather avoid. As an investigative reporter covering technology and extremism, he’s seen firsthand how conspiracy theories spread and the real-world damage they can cause.

In his new book, Conspiracy Nation, Cam unpacks how these ideas take hold, drawing on insights from psychologists, church leaders, journalists and the families of those pulled down the rabbit hole.

Speaking with Antoinette Lattouf, Cam reveals what it’s like to step inside a world where reality has fundamentally shifted, and shares whether investigating conspiracy culture has changed the way he thinks.

Weekend list with Chris Spyrou

• TO READ: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
  
• TO WATCH: Gloria Estefan’s Tiny Desk Concert
  
• TO MAKE: Lebanese spicy potato recipe
• TO WATCH: Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE

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She is one of Australia’s most loved and successful TV stars, but MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin was keeping a dark secret. This Mental Health Month, Julie is sharing her own personal struggles with depression, how two strangers saved her life and how she turned her life around. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Julie Goodwin with her important advice about mental health and the warning signs we all need to look out for.  

This episode contains descriptions of suicide. If you or anyone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Follow The Briefing: 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.