Wednesday Headlines: PM evacuated from The Lodge for hours over bomb scare, more than half of Aussies say they’d consider voting for One Nation, more flu deaths recorded in 2025 than any other year this century, Guthrie family offers $1 million USD reward for info in mother’s disappearance and there are calls for Aussie kids to be banned from e-bikes and scooters.

Deep DIve: For decades the Australian government has tried, but failed, to meaningfully crack down on Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The Islamist group was founded in Jerusalem in 1953, has been in Australia since the early 1990s and is on track to become the first group banned under the Federal Government’s new hate laws.

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with counter-terrorism expert Josh Roose about what Hizb ut-Tahrir believes, how it recruits and operates in Australia and whether banning it will disrupt extremism, or simply push it further underground.

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Tuesday Headlines: Albo backs removal of Andrew from royal line of succession, Coalition’s ISIS brides proposal slammed, Australia’s first bullet train could be “shovel ready” in two years, Trump Tower greenlit for the Gold Coast and punch the monkey soft toy sells out.

Deep Dive: Australians are about to see a major shift in how they access pornography online, with new age-verification rules set to require users to prove they’re over 18.

For Jason Blyth, the issue is deeply personal. He was first exposed to porn at just 10 years old, and what began as something secretive and normalised spiralled into addiction - one that ultimately led him to rehab at 30.

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith speaks with Jason about breaking a porn addiction, why many young people don’t recognise the warning signs, and whether Australia’s new age-verification laws can meaningfully curb harm.

Further listening from the headlines:
Secrets We Keep Uncovered | Confronting Prince Andrew on Epstein
The Weekend Briefing | Meet the journalist who brought down Prince Andrew

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New research surveying 16,000 Australian teachers over five years has revealed that mid-career teachers are the most likely to quit before retirement. These aren’t new grads struggling through their first years - they’re the mentors, subject leaders, and backbone of our schools. So why are they walking away?

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by research author and former teacher, Dr Fiona Longmuir from Monash University, who breaks down the two major driving forces behind the exodus, and what schools and governments need to do to retain our best educators.

Headlines: Authorities say they are deeply concerned for the welfare of a missing grandfather who was kidnapped from his Sydney home more than a week ago, violence has erupted on the streets of Mexico after the local military killed the country’s most powerful drug kingpin, and Prince William and Princess Catherine have made their first public appearance at the BAFTAs since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

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Monday Headlines: Coalition to propose new ‘ISIS brides’ law, armed man shot and killed trying to enter Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Australia looking at ‘all options’ to avoid new 15% US tariffs, Bondi hero reveals what he said to gunman when he took his gun, and the Winter Olympics wraps up.

Deep Dive: Private health insurance is sold as peace of mind - faster surgery, money back on extras, a way to dodge the Medicare Levy Surcharge.

But with 15 million Australians now facing the biggest premium hike in nearly a decade, many are wondering who it’s really working for.

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by consumer and money-saving expert Joel Gibson to unpack why the government signed off on the increases, what’s driving it and whether it’s time to switch, downgrade or walk away altogether.

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When Emily Maitlis sat down to question then-Prince Andrew about his links to Jeffrey Epstein in 2019, few could have predicted she would walk away with the scoop of the century.

The interview on the BBC’s Newsnight became one of the most explosive moments in modern media and a masterclass in calm, forensic questioning that reshaped the global conversation around power and accountability.

In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Emily reflects on the decades of reporting that led that night, the meticulous planning behind the scenes and the unexpected message she received from a close friend of the King just weeks after it aired.

Tickets for Emily Maitlis live in Australia. Emily Maitlis appears at the MCEC presented by The Wheeler Centre on 5 March and at the All About Women festival in Sydney on 8 March.

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• Listener Marc TO WATCH: Fleabag on Amazon Prime
• TO READ: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• TO WATCH: Frankenstein on Netflix
• TO EAT: Dumpling Lasagna

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When James Summerhayes got the call from Special Olympics Australia, he’d finished fourth at nationals and thought his Olympic dream was over. But a shock withdrawal changed everything — and suddenly he was pulling on the green and gold.

In this inspiring conversation, James takes Natarsha Belling inside his journey to becoming a dual silver medallist at the Special Olympics World Games. From years of hospital stays, to standing on the podium representing Australia, James shares why the medals were never the main goal. For him, it was about connection, inclusion and representing his country with pride.

Headlines: Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been released from police custody after he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, four teenagers have been arrested for a number of violent incidents allegedly targeting the son of former NRL star Matt Utai, and Eric Dane, star of Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria, has passed away at the age of 53.

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Friday Headlines: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested, first meeting of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, Greg Lynn applies for bail, Aussies drop $17bn at Bunnings and Kmart, and YouTube’s first-ever video deemed museum-worthy.

Deep DIve: Dinosaur bones and fossils are a highly sought-after market - snapped up by private investors, celebrities, researchers, museums, and increasingly, sold online to the highest bidder.

Just before Christmas, an Australian family made a remarkable discovery: a fossilised vertebra believed to be more than 20 million years old. But their findings sparked a much bigger conversation over the debate of science vs status.

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by leading paleontologist Michael Archer to unpack the ethics, economics and how everyday Aussies are helping make ancient discoveries.

Further listening from the headlines:
The Trump 'vanity project' on Albo's desk

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