The Briefing

Former US President Donald Trump was this morning found guilty on 34 charges relating to paying off a porn star.  Trump had sex with Stormy Daniels in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 2006.  The story emerged in the lead-up to the 2016 election and Trump, through his then lawyer Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 to kill off the story  Prosecutors in New York brought the charges against Trump – the first time a US president or former president has faced criminal charges – and he was found guilty on all 34 counts.  We’re joined by Professor David Smith from the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney to find out what’s likely to happen next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former US President Donald Trump has been found guilty on 34 charges in a New York court. In this special bonus episode of The Briefing, you'll hear what Trump had to say after the verdict was handed down. Sacha Barbour-Gatt and Katrina Blowers bring you the very latest on one of the biggest news stories in decades.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 10-year-old daughter North West made her acting debut not on a school stage like other kids - but in a major 30th anniversary concert performance of the Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl. And people weren’t happy. Hollywood is full of nepo babies and it makes sense - but what about the people missing out on roles or opportunities because they weren’t born into a famous family? In this episode of the Briefing entertainment reporter and gossip guru Richard Reid joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to explain why we love to hate nepo babies. Headlines: BOM releases Winter outlook as 2024 shapes up to be the hottest year on record Trump jury continues deliberations as former President is accused of using racial slur Labor MP quits foreign affairs committee after ‘river to the sea’ comments  US man on suspended licence shows up to virtual court date behind the wheel   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The inquest into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker wrapped up this week after hearing shocking allegations of racism permeating the Nothern Territory Police Force. Walker was shot dead during an attempted arrest in 2019 by then police officer Zachary Rolfe, who was charged with murder but then acquitted following a trial. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Melissa Mackay from the ABC’s bureau in Alice Springs, to find out what we learned at the inquiry and what lessons, if any, will be learned from the death of Kumanjayi Walker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24-year-old Laura Nuttall is the youngest ever Greens representative elected to any Australian parliament. Laura is also the first Gen Z Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly ever. Laura and her advisor Dani - who is 22 - are passionate about environmental and economic justice, and young peoples’ participation in decision-making that affects their lives. In this episode of the Briefing, Antoinette investigates what a Gen Z MP can bring to a parliament and how and why young people’s issues ought to be front and centre of any government’s decision-making process. Headlines: Aussies likely caught up in Ticketmaster hack with 560 million people at risk Immigration Minister refusing to stand down over allowing convicted criminals visas Jury begins deliberations in Trump hush money trial Temperatures hit 50C in Delhi   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Traumatic vision has emerged showing the aftermath of recent Israeli airstrikes on a makeshift tent city in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, that reportedly killed 45 people, with 249 others wounded. Aid groups have said the Israeli Defence Force had designated the area a humanitarian safe zone before launching the attack – although Israel denies this.  The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive” in Rafah, but in ambiguous terms, which the Israeli Government has interpreted to mean its Rafah offensive can continue.  Meanwhile, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has applied for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, the Israeli defence minister, and three Hamas leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.  In this episode, Bension Siebert speaks with international law expert, Juliette McIntyre, and Frankie Leach, spokesperson for humanitarian organisation ActionAid.  Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the next 10 years in Australia $5 trillion is expected to move down the generations, with around $2.3 trillion to be given to Boomers’ children, $1 trillion to their grandkids, and $1.7 trillion to charities. The bank of mum and dad is somewhere between the 5th and 9th biggest lender according to the Productivity Commission. In this episode of the Briefing Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Compare the Market’s Economic Director David Koch to explain what impact this will have on the economy. Headlines: Australia demands Israel halt Rafah offensive Daughter of Perth double murderer claims police ignored her pleas to stop her dad Rental affordability goes from bad to worse Pope apologises for using homophobic slur   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News broke last week that a teenager is about to become the world’s first millennial saint.  Carlo Acutis passed away in 2006, but spent his life spreading his faith, coming to be known as the patron saint of the internet for his work creating websites about Catholicism and its saints.  So, how does the Catholic church decide on who gets to be a saint? What’s the criteria, who tests the miracles and what role could coincidence and other factors play?   Sydney priest, Father Anthony Robbie joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to discuss on this episode of The Briefing.  Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Late last week, China launched a comprehensive two-day military drill around Taiwan, mimicking a full-scale attack. The drills included dozens of fighter jets carrying live missiles, alongside navy vessels stationed at strategic locations around the island. The military operations have been viewed as retaliation to Taiwan's newly elected president, Lai Ching-te, who in his recent inauguration speech reinforced the island's independence from China. So how much has changed in the tensions between Taiwan and China over the last few months? And what does this mean for Australia? In this episode, Bension Siebert unpacks the situation with Dr Roger Lee Huang, an expert in Southeast Asian politics and international relations at Macquarie University. Headlines: Netanyahu describes deadly Rafah strike a “tragic mishap”  Fears death toll in the thousands in PNG landslide Experts to meet in fast-tracked gender-based violence review Fly high Bette; world’s longest serving flight attendant dies   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s become one of the world’s biggest online shopping marketplaces, churning out more than a million parcels to be flown to customers around the globe every day. Here in Australia, more than 1.2 million of us shop on Temu every month – and it’s our most downloaded app. But how did the Chinese start-up skyrocket to global online megastore - selling everything from clothing and household items - less than two years after launching? Dr Shasha Wang from QUT joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to explain Temu’s unique recipe for success in commerce and its meteoric rise. A Temu spokesperson says: Claims that Temu's competitive pricing is achieved through exploitative labourpractices are unfounded. We urge a closer examination of our approach, whichhinges on removing unnecessary expenses. Our cost-efficiency is due to a directconnection between consumers and manufacturers, cutting out middlemen and theirmarkups. Our model also streamlines the logistics of production and distribution,allowing us to offer lower prices to our customers. Many merchants on Temu are reputable manufacturers with advanced productionfacilities, supplying to well-known US brands and retailers like Amazon, Walmart,and Target. These manufacturers adhere to high industry standards and arerecognised for their quality production. Temu is dedicated to upholding ethical labour practices. Our Third-Party Code ofConduct forbids any form of forced, child, or penal labour and requires adherence toall local labour laws, including those related to wages, working hours, voluntaryemployment, freedom of association, and the right to collective bargaining. Wedemand strict compliance with all regulatory standards and reserve the right tosever ties with any business that breaches our Code of Conduct or the law. As for the concern about forced labour in product compliance, we take this issueseriously. Our standards and practices align with those of major U.S. e-commerceplatforms, such as Amazon, eBay, and Etsy, rendering any allegations completelyungrounded. Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.