The Briefing

Ketamine use is growing among young Australian party and festival goers as a cut-price alternative to drugs like cocaine and ecstacy. National wastewater monitoring has found consumption of ketamine rose to a record high last year, but it comes with serious risks. In this episode of The Briefing, we're joined by Dr Monica Barratt, a social scientist at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales to find out what the risks are, and how to cope with the drug's side effects. Headlines: US to redesignate Houthis as terrorists King Charles to undergo prostate treatment Atlassian shows WFH policy has not hit productivity Djokovic slams crowd during tough Aus Open match Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With all eyes on Melbourne as the Australian Open takes off, now is the time when so many of us go into tennis fever. But this year, get ready to see something completely new. 11-year-old Sonny Rennison is an upcoming superstar in the world of wheelchair tennis, already ranked 15th in the world. Now, Sonny is working with Mastercard to serve up Australia’s first wheelchair ballkid pilot program. With their support, Sonny co-created some nifty technology to help him undertake the role at the high standard required.  On this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Sonny Rennison, as well as one of Australia's top wheelchair tennis stars, Heath Davidson, about the importance of increasing accessibility for athletes with disability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ships in the Red Sea are increasingly coming under attack from Houthis rebels. The Iranian-backed, Yemen-based group has threatened to continue the attacks in a bid to disrupt ships from delivering goods to and from Israel, prompting the US, UK and Australia to carry out strikes against the Houthis. Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Middle East expert Sarah Phillips from the University of Sydney to explain who the rebel group are and how their attacks could lead to a wider conflict with the western world. Headlines: Trump in court after Iowa Wong vows to double humanitarian aid to Palestinian territories The 2023 Emmy Awards Checking in with Antoinette Lattouf Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dementia is the second leading cause of death of all Australians, with more than 400,000 people currently living with the disease in 2024. It can be a horrendous thing to watch a loved one go through, with the impact of the disease on both the individual and those who love them immense.  Exploring this experience forms the core element of independent movie maker Jonathan De Jong's latest project, Human Forever.  In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour-Gatt sits down with Jonathon to hear about the documentary, which tells the gripping story of 24-year-old Teun, who resides in the closed ward of a nursing home alongside people with dementia – seeking answers about life, ageing, and the uncharted territories of the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2024 race to the White House begins today in lowa. The upper mid-west state hosts the first Caucuses of the Presidential election campaign. Donald Trump hopes to secure enough votes to force his rivals to pull out of the race. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley hope to put a dent in Trump's momentum. Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Chas Licciardello, host of the ABC's Planet America, to explain why the lowa Caucus is soimportent in the race to the White House. Headlines: New dangerous party drugs Houthi rebels attack American-owned ship Australia's richest get richer Great day for Australia at the Aussie Open  Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent election in Taiwan has made headlines all over the world and has made China very, very unhappy. It's expected that the new President-elect, Lai Ching-te from the pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), will be pushing further for Taiwan to remain a self-governing democracy, independent of the rule of China - a stance that has ramifications for the rest of the world, given that Taiwan produce over 90% of the world's advanced microchips. On this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert is joined by an expert in Southeast Asian politics, Dr Roger Lee Huang from Macquarie University, to explain the situation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mary Donaldson was born and raised in Tasmania, and has today become Queen of Denmark. It's a remarkable story of a girl living in a share house in Bondi Junction, who met the love of her life at a bar during the Sydney Olympics, and didn't know he was a prince. In this episode of The Briefing we're joined by Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen, Professor of Modern History specialising in court history, to talk about how a girl from Tasmania became Queen of Denmark. Headlines: 100 days since the start of the war in Gaza Pro-sovereignty party wins in Taiwan election Mass rescue at Sydney beach Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Nazeem Hussain has done a lot of things – he created a TV show on SBS, made the Grand Finals of I'm a Celebrity Get Me out of Here, and he's recently added childrens book author to his accolades. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Nazeem reveals how he hid his comedy career from his mum and his most terrifying performance experience to date Weekend List:  Off Menu podcast My 21st Century Blues album by Raye Lychee Martini by Glow up Beverages Antoinette's staycation tips  Send us your Weekend List suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chances are that if you aren’t closely approaching retirement, you might not be thinking too critically about it... but should you be?  How much exactly will you need to retire, what should you be doing now to safeguard your future, and what could you do to retire sooner rather than later?  This week, The Briefing team brings you a five-part series on how to sort out your financial life in the new year.   In today's episode, Bension Siebert is joined by Trish Gregory, financial adviser to Millennials & Gen Z, to talk through what you need to know about retirement now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Court of Justice has held its first public hearing in the genocide case against Israel, over its war in Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu denies his country is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. He declared war following the October 7 terrorist attacks – where Hamas killed around 1,200 Israeli citizens and kidnapped a further 240. Bension Siebert is joined by international law expert, Juliette McIntyre, to discuss the first day of public hearings in the landmark case – and what impact it could have on the war, and the world. Headlines: Australia Day merchandise sparks war of words State of Emergency declared in Papua New Guinea Australia urged to start naming heatwaves Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.