The Briefing

Headlines: Donald Trump to meet with Israeli hostages after release by Hamas, calls for schoolies pill testing after second nitazene death, millions of Aussies warned to not fall for Qantas scams after data leaked on dark web, three people stabbed in alleged youth knife attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, and the NRL names its 19th team.

Deep Dive: Experts are concerned there’s a growing number of ‘forgotten victims’ of domestic and family homicide in Australia. 

Each year there are dozens of murders involving parents and their children, yet to date, we know little about the offenders and what drives such heinous crimes. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with former detective turned Bondi Uni criminologist, Dr Terry Goldsworthy, about the need to speak up for all victims, and not minimise their deaths. 

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23 years ago today, the single largest loss of Australian life due to an act of terror hit Bali’s Kuta Beach. Two massive explosions tore through the bustling nightclub district, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians. 

Australian Federal Police forensic chemist David Royds arrived on the scene just 48 hours later. Amid the devastation, he painstakingly pieced together what had happened and how, uncovering critical evidence that would ultimately lead to the bombers’ arrest. 

In this bonus, we’re bringing you an episode from LiSTNR’s Crime Insiders Forensics podcast.  

A warning, this episode contains descriptions of a mass casualty event. If you or anyone you know needs assistance, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. 

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Turia Pitt is one of those names everyone in Australia knows. In 2011, she was caught in a grassfire during a 100-kilometre ultramarathon and suffered burns to 65 percent of her body.

Since then, she’s become much more than a survivor. Turia is an overachiever in the best way possible, she’s earned accolades, built a massive following and written multiple books, with her latest titled Selfish.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Turia explains why it’s time to be a little more selfish and why people from migrant backgrounds or those living with disabilities shouldn’t have to constantly prove they belong.

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• TO READ: Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne
• TO READ: Accessory by Felicia Djamirze and Erin O’Dwyer
  
• TO EAT: Single serve tin-tray meals
• TO DO: 21 day wellbeing journal 

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Netflix's Monsters series The Ed Gein Story is trending globally but despite it’s popularity the reviews are not in its favour, with critics pointing out it may be the most sensationalised instalment in the Monster anthology yet.

The series follows murderer Ed Gein is thought to have influenced Hollywood and the making of Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs, but how much of the story is true?

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Alyce McGovern, Associate Professor of Criminology from UNSW, who explains why we can’t look away and how we can consume it more responsibly. 

Afternoon headlines: Preparations to implement a ceasefire deal begin in Gaza, Senator David Pocock banned from Parliament House’s social sports club and Judge dismisses Drake's lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar diss track Not Like Us

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Headlines: Man who threatened PM prepared to ‘sacrifice self’, Abbie Chatfield ordered to pay $79k for defaming former friend, man who raped French woman Gisele Pelicot handed extra time on sentence, US authorities open investigation into Tesla’s self-driving cars after crashes, and Pauline Hanson hates paper shopping bags.

Deep Dive: Taylor Swift is the world’s richest female artist, has 14 Grammys and just smashed Adele’s record for the biggest album debut in history. 

But her 12th studio album Life of a Show Girl hasn’t been met with universal praise - so how did she still pull off a record-breaking week? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with LiSTNR’s resident Swiftie and fandom researcher at RMIT Kate Pattison to unpack the reactions, strategy and chaos behind Taylor’s latest era. 

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The Beckham family has long projected the image of a glamorous, tight-knit dynasty, with David and Victoria at the centre of a global brand. But behind the curated Instagram posts and luxury campaigns, tensions have been quietly simmering.

With the release of Victoria Beckham’s Netflix documentary, renewed attention has fallen on the family’s private dynamics. Most notably, Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz’s absence from the launch, which reignited speculation about a growing rift - with rumours suggesting tensions  between the couple and the wider Beckham clan.

In this episode of The Beefing, Alexandria Funnell breaks down the timeline of events and the swirl of rumours, unpacking how one of the world’s most famous families went from picture-perfect to fractured. From public absences to whispered feuds, she explores whether the Beckham legacy can withstand the cracks now spilling into public view.

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Renewable energy overtook coal as the world's leading source of electricity for the first time, with countries like Sri Lanka already running on about 50% renewables.

With just four major economies creating nearly two thirds of global electricity demand, the race to decarbonise is accelerating. But who’s leading the charge and how does Australia stack up?

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Dr Reihana Mohideen, an electrical engineer and principal advisor from the University of Melbourne, who explains why these renewable energy moves aren’t about climate change and what it means for our net zero targets.

Afternoon headlines: Israel and Hama sign off on first phase of US Gaza peace plan, Google blocks Gov STI awareness ads labelling them as ‘adult content’ and an Australian wins Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Further listening: Trump's Nobel Peace Prize race

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Headlines: Manhunt underway in Sydney after man shot dead in ‘brazen’ daylight attack, former William Tyrell investigator 'reading between the lines’ in missing Gus Lamont case, AFP to be allowed to share child abuse material to catch offenders, Qantas among global companies hit with ransom demand from hacker group, and Dolly Parton’s got a message for the world. 

Deep Dive: Some of the world’s biggest comedians like Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson and Jim Jefferies are cashing huge cheques to perform at what’s being billed as the largest comedy festival in the world. 
While the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia has drawn major star power, it's also sparked backlash, with human rights groups calling it a glossy distraction from the kingdom’s ongoing abuses.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with Michael Page, a deputy director in the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch about how the festival fits in with Saudi Arabia’s cultural and political playbook. 

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The word fascist is one of the most politically charged, and controversial, labels being used to describe US President Donald trump. He's been called a fascist leader by human rights experts, political commenters and even celebrities like Rosie O’Donell, who in our interview with her earlier this week called Trump an ‘an active fascist in the White House.’ 

But what are the signs and makings of a fascist leader, and how can we tell it we’re seeing a resurgence of fascist tendencies worldwide.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Dr Marco Duranti, a senior lecturer in European and international history, who explains what fascism looks like and how a political leader can be a fascist.  

Afternoon headlines: Rental prices increase by almost 44% in five years, Optus sent alert about triple-zero outages to wrong government email and Sam Kerr expected to make Matildas return 

Further listening: Rosie O'Donell on Trump, Gaza & fame

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Wednesday Headlines: Australians detained by Israeli forces deported to Jordan, Government accused of ISIS brides cover-up and inaction over sexual assaults, new research finds women have greater genetic risk of depression, Aussie writers could be eligible for a cut of a $2.27bn AI settlement, and more than 50% of Aussie's think its ok to clock off early and hit the beach during summer.   

Deep Dive: The sovereign citizen movement is on the rise in Australia, leading to clogged up community and legal systems, and in some cases extreme violence.  

Accused cop killer and fugitive Dezi Freeman subscribes to the pseudolaw, a path experts say is taken by citizens in crisis.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks to UNSW sovereign citizen researcher Dr Harry Hobbs about what's behind the surge, and why it’s a problem we won’t arrest away.  

Further listening from the headlines:  
Return of the ISIS brides  
We're training AI to blackmail us 

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YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.