The Briefing

It’s Christmas and that means there’s a good chance you’ll spend most of today in a food coma, even if you’re not religious. In Japan, there’s even a tradition to eat KFC despite the Buddhism and Shinto being the main religion. In this episode of The Briefing we chat to Gastro Obscura’s Diana Hubbell about some of the strangest Christmas foods from around the world.    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to our summer series of the Weekend Briefing featuring some of your favourite interviews from 2023! Maria is a queer, South-Asian woman, the daughter of migrant parents and a former Miss Universe Australia - who stands a petite five foot three in a world of 6 foot something beauty pageant contestants. In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Maria explains what it was like to be told she wasn’t Australian enough to be Miss Universe, her experience on coming out on reality TV and her new memoir Unbound. Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this morning's episode of The Briefing, we looked into how to manage difficult conversations with family members over Christmas. In this afternoon's episode, we turn the mirror inwards. For many people, this time of the year can be filled with stress, conflict or loneliness. So how can you look after yourself and your mental health through this time? On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with Dr Michelle Lim from the Social Health and Wellbeing Laboratory at Swinburne University of Technology. If you would like to find out more about loneliness and strategies to help with mental health, head to www.lonelinessawarenessweek.com.auIf you or someone you know is struggling and needs help, call Lifeline now on 13 11 14See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Christmas just days away, plenty of us are feeling a bit of trepidation (or perhaps a lot) at the prospect of spending time with family members we might otherwise not interact too much with. Whether you're facing the 'body police,' coping with milestone micromanagers, or navigating the 'devil's advocate' of the family, in this episode of The Briefing Tom Tilley and psychologist Jocelyn Brewer have you covered. Headlines: Mass shooting at a university in Prague Judge in Bruce Lehrmann case to consider verdict   NSW Police refuses to apologise following gay hate crime inquiry  US man released 48 years after being wrongfully imprisoned  Summer solstice: it's the longest day of the year   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As public anger mounts over Coles and Woolworths’ super-profits during a cost of living crisis, Brisbane local Dylan Fragomeni is pushing for a boycott of the two grocery giants on December 23 and 24. But could this boycott create any meaningful change? On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with Dylan Fragomeni, as well as economist and consumer expert, Professor Gary Mortimer, to find out more about the boycott, and whether better regulation is actually needed to force down prices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven out of 10 Aussies are rewatching TV shows from their childhood and it’s all part of a nostalgia trend. A recent study by Swinburne, RMIT University, and Australian Children's Television Cultures found that jumping back into old shows is a form of comfort watching. Katrina Blowers is joined by Joanna McIntyre from the study to find out why we are choosing to binge shows from the past.   Headlines: New truce discussions underway between Hamas and Israel  Trump responds to Colorado election decision  Anthony Albanese to travel Far North Queensland today Christmas penis fractures warning   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Colorado Supreme Court have just disqualified former US President Donald Trump from being listed in the ballot for the next election.  They claim that his involvement in the January 6th, 2021 attack by his supporters on the US Capitol is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Trump’s team have already come back, saying they’re going to the US Supreme Court to appeal the decision.   On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with expert in American Politics and Foreign Policy, Associate Professor David Smith, about what’s just happened, and what it could mean for both Trump and the upcoming presidential election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are coming down under next year, making it their first visit to Australia as monarchs. But will it lead to a resurgence in republican sentiment? Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down former PM Malcolm Turnbull to find out what the impact of the visit will have and how soon he thinks we could become a republic.   Headlines: Albanese urges not to give up hope of two-state solution in Gaza Evidence wraps up in Lehrmann defamation trial Your Christmas Day weather forecast   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us have been hit with record power bills this year – and a predicted hot summer ahead is not going to help with keeping costs down. But what if there was a way to avoid energy bills altogether?   That’s the promise of a new fully electric and sustainable Australian property in Perth that's won global home of the year at the National Association of Home Builders’ Global Innovation Awards in LA.  On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with LiSTNR journalist Alastair Kirkby to find out just how affordable a build like this is, and whether this will soon become the norm for house design.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is known for its hot summers and because of climate change we’re in for more frequent and intense heat waves going forward. An Australian study by Macquarie Uni analysed close to a million reported incidents of all kinds of assaults and found that as temperatures increase so too does violence. Katrina Blowers is joined by Heather Stevens who was part of the team who carried out this research. 1800 RESPECTLifeline 13 11 14   Headlines: Cairns airport back up and running Brittany Higgins' former Chief of Staff Fiona Brown gives evidence Pope approves blessings for same sex couples  EU launches probe against X – formerly Twitter Man accidentally crashes into Joe Biden's motorcade     Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.