The Briefing

The crackdown on vaping goes into its next stage today, with the government making it illegal to import any non-therapeutic vapes, that includes rechargable vapes and anything you would buy without a prescription. It’s after disposable vapes were banned from being imported at the beginning of this year. In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Jamie Hartmann-Boyce from the Department of Health Promotion and Policy at the University of Massachusetts to find out whether banning vapes could drive people back to cigarettes. Headlines: UN says war crimes have been committed by Israel and Hamas Putin warns West they risk nuclear war  Joe Biden’s team say he’s fit for duty  Sporting codes set to take part in Mard Gras Summer possible third hottest on record  Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An elite foreign spy group called 'A-Team' has been targeting Australian students, academics, law enforcement officials, a former politician and even a prime minister’s family members.   That's the assessment of Australia's top intelligence agency, ASIO, which released its annual assessment of the biggest threats to our national security overnight.  On this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Joey Watson, 'spy watcher', investigative journalist and host of Secrets We Keep: Nest of Traitors. He reveals why foreign espionage and spying has overtaken far-right extremism and other threats become our intelligence services' top concern.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NRL will create history this month and launch season 2024 in Las Vegas, USA. Two games will be played in prime time: Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs & Roosters v Broncos, with the league hoping to bring their game to America’s 330 million strong market. In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert sits down with former NRL great, host of the Bye Round & NRL commentator for Fox Sports and Triple M James Graham from Vegas to get the low down. Headlines: ASIO reveals details of international spy ring targeting Australia  Matildas are going to the Paris Olympics NSW police can march in Mardi Gras without uniform  Red Bull’s Christian Horner exonerated  Prince Harry loses court challenge over security    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Ovarian cancer wasn't even on my radar."  February is ovarian cancer awareness month in Australia. It's a cruel disease, with 70% of patients discovering the cancer in advanced stages, and a shocking 49% five-year survival rate.  In this episode of The Briefing, our producer Simon Beaton sits down to speak with his mum, who was diagnosed less than six months ago, as well as Lisa Finuncane, who has been living with ovarian cancer for over fourteen years, to discuss their experiences of living with the cancer, and what they hope their futures will look like.  This is part two of our special series on ovarian cancer - listen to part one here. To find out more about ovarian cancer, or to donate, visit Ovarian Cancer Australia at https://www.ovariancancer.net.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ovarian cancer is a silent scourge in Australia. Most people know little about it, there aren’t any tests you can do to detect it early, and that means 70% of women and gender diverse people diagnosed with it catch it late. Ovarian cancer has a 49% five year survival rate, whereas breast cancer by contrast has a 92% survival rate. In this episode of The Briefing, producer Simon Beaton speaks with Bridget Bradhurst, the Acting Chief National Ovarian Cancer Advocacy & Support Services to find out why ovarian cancer is such an overlooked disease. Headlines: A vigil has been held for Jesse Baird and Luke Davies  Stage Three tax cuts pass parliament  Hamas and Israel pour cold water on ceasefire  South east braces for catastrophic fire day   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift has finished her run of sold-out concerts here in Australia, playing in front of over 600,000 fans throughout the tour. Yet with events of this size comes a price to our environment. Many fans fly interstate or internationally, purely to be at those shows, which also use large amounts of power to amplify sound and for light displays. They also produce copious amounts of waste, including everything from paper cups through to glitter, bracelets and feather boas. LiSTNR journalist, Loren Howarth, joins Bension Siebert on this afternoon's episode of The Briefing to explain just big of a problem this is, and what can be done to make festivals and large-scale concerts more eco-friendly and sustainable in the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American firm Intuitive Machines made history last Friday when its lunar lander touched down on the Moon. It’s the first private company to land on the Moon, and the first US mission to land on the lunar surface in more than 50 years. It’s up there for a week conducting experiments and preparing for humans to return to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program. In this episode of the Briefing, we’re joined by Swinburne University Astrophysicist Dr Rebecca Allen to find out what it’s doing up there and what NASA needs to do to get back to the Moon. Headlines: Aussie companies singled out in landmark gender pay gap data  Mardi Gras organisers uninvite NSW Police from Saturday’s march  Sweden is set to join NATO Scott Morrison to give his final speech in Parliament today  Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police have charged a New South Wales police officer, Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, with the murder of former Network Ten presenter, Jesse Baird, and his partner, QANTAS flight attendant Luke Davies.  At the time of recording, police divers have been searching dams in Goulburn, southwest of Sydney, looking for Baird and Davies’ bodies. Often, when we tell these stories, we focus on the criminal allegations – but Isaac Muller, a proud Wiradjuri and Palawa man, and one of Jesse’s friends – wants him to be remembered not for his death, but for the extraordinary person he was in life.  On today's afternoon episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Isaac, who reflects on his memories of Jesse Baird.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been two years since the start of the war in Ukraine, and both Russia and Ukraine appear to be at a stalemate. Russia has been making tiny territorial gains on the ground at an enormous cost both in troops and equipment; while Ukraine is on the backfoot after failing to achieve the objectives of their 2023 counteroffensive, while also sustaining huge casualties. In this episode of The Briefing Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Ukraine-born Politico journalist Zoya Sheftalovich to find out what’s happening on the ground; what the war has taught us about NATO, the EU and US relationship; the China-Russia relationship; sanctions; and her predictions for how the war could end. Headlines: Authorities hold grave concerns over heat spike in Victoria, as bushfires burn in the west Housing and tax cuts to dominate as parliament resumes this week  Nikki Haley loses South Carolina Republican primary, vows to keep up the fight against Donald Trump Accidental discovery solves 120-year missing ship mystery   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kumi Taguchi is an Australian journalist, broadcaster and presenter living in Sydney. She’s currently the host of Insight on SBS, which many would consider to be one of the most challenging and stressful hosting gigs in the country. Joining Tom Tilley for the Weekend Briefing, Kumi explains what goes on behind the scenes of the show, growing up “feeling on the outer”, reconnecting with her father before his death, and the importance of sharing stories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.