The Briefing

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.

2023 has seen a 6% rise in the deaths on our roads, with over 1,250 lives lost - and we're yet to wrap up the notorious Christmas and New Years period. So while we’ve all heard the safety messaging and seen the campaigns, why are we seeing an increase in driving-related deaths? And are we missing something when it comes to lowering the road toll?  On this extra episode of The Briefing, you'll hear from LiSTNR journalist Sophia Funiciello about what we should be doing to improve the safety of our roads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder is an Australian who has been working in conflict zones for the last 20 years and has most recently been part of humanitarian efforts Gaza. He says has never seen the level of intensity and severity of suffering by children before. In this episode of The Briefing, Katrina Blowers finds out what life is like for children on the ground in Gaza. Headlines: Major flooding incident grips Far North Queensland Pope Francis condemns killing of two Christian women in Gaza 2023 the deadliest year on Aussie roads in more than five years  Aus Post Christmas parcel cut off starts today  Sydney man wins Microsoft Excel World Championship third year running    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marc Fennell is excellent at asking questions. From hosting Stuff the British stole and the Feed on SBS to a podcast series about finding the worlds hottest chilli, he can tell a captivating story. In this chat with Antoinette, Marc gets really honest about why he doesn’t want to share his opinion anymore and the moments in his career that changed his trajectory. Weekend List:  Christmas wrapping paper hack Trashy christmas movies DYFM podcast episode 6 ways to boost your self-worth Antoinette’s tips on having a chips addiction Tik-toker @jonbernardk ethnic grandmother skit Helen’s Super green soup Send us your Weekend List suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that one in five of us will face the risk of food poisoning during this festive season? While this makes sense given the large festive feasts and seafood platters often served on a hot summer day, what can you do to ensure you don't give the unwanted gift of Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria to your nearest and dearest? In this extra episode of The Briefing, we explore the do's and don'ts of holiday eating, as well as debunking common myths often circulated at this time of the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UN climate summit in Dubai has culminated with almost 200 countries agreeing to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels. It’s been a hard-fought win after much back-and-forth over the precise wording with some countries refusing to sign on to ‘phasing fossil fuels out’. COP28 has also been mired in controversy with the president of the conference saying a phase-out of coal, oil and gas would take the world 'back into caves,' which he has since walked back from. In this episode of The Briefing, Michael Jacobs from the global think tank Overseas Development Institute gives us his verdict on just how successful this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference has been.   Headlines: Israel’s defence minister says conflict in Gaza could last months   Far North Queensland on flood watch after Cyclone Jasper   Aussies are buying compounded versions of Ozempic Neanderthal DNA explain why you might be a morning person    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Previously referred to as Australia's worst female serial killer, Kathleen Folbigg has finally had her convictions for killing her four children dismissed.  In 2003, she was convicted of murdering her children Patrick, Sarah and Laura and of the manslaughter of her son Caleb. Though she spent 20 years in prison, she always maintained her innocence.  In this extra episode of The Briefing, we explain the science of genetic mutations that helped to clear Kathleen's name, and whether she will be receiving compensation for the time that she spent wrongfully incarcerated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Queensland’s long-serving leader Anastasia Palaszczuk announced her resignation, signalling the end of the reign of Australia’s pandemic premiers.Leaders of the states and territories became household names during the height of the COVID years between 2020 and 2022. People tuned in daily for their press conferences, their policies (and personalities) were the topic of dinner table conversations and they often found themselves splashed all over the internet in the form of Tik Tok dances or memes.In today’s episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with veteran political journalist Andrew Probyn about the big moments for the pandemic premiers and asking: what will their legacy be?   Headlines: Cyclone Jasper leaves 36,000 homes without power   Nations at the UN climate summit agree to transition away from fossil fuels  Tesla is recalling more than two million vehicles in the US    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We cross to far north Queensland as locals prepare for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Jasper. The category two system is expected to hit the coast later today, somewhere between Cairns and Hope Vale. The region is expected to receive 250mm to 300mm of rain in just six hours – and up to 500mm over 24 hours. We're joined by Helen Reed from the Bureau of Meteorology and Georgina Hill from Network Ten's north Queensland newsroom to get the very latest as the cyclone bears down on FNQ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People have been doing things to their eyebrows for millennia; whether it’s plucking them, shaving them, colouring them or getting rid of them completely! But did you know eyebrows tell us a lot about society; from perceptions of beauty to socio- economic status to even reproduction! In this episode of The Briefing, Antoinette Lattouf and makeup historian Sara Long dissect why we’re so obsessed with our eyebrows. Headlines: Jasper Cyclone hitting Far North Queensland today  WHO says less than a third of Gaza's hospitals remain functional  Zara pulls ad campaign after calls for a boycott from pro-Palestine activists  Seafood prices set to drop going into the festive season     Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.