Has Sweden’s controversial coronavirus plan worked?
While countries like China, Italy, France, Spain were taking strict lockdown measures when the Pandemic struck, Sweden went out alone with a very different approach. People were still out in cafes, children were still going to school and there were very few facemasks. Initially that seemed to be a disaster compared to their neighbouring countries, as their infection rate was high, their death rate was high and their economy went backwards. But six months down the track Sweden is not seeing the second wave that some other European countries are experiencing. So is the Swedish long game starting to pay off? Has their controversial pandemic plan worked? To find out we're joined by Peter Lindgren, the managing director of the Swedish Institute for Health Economics and Lily, an Australia journalist who moved to Sweden several years ago. In today's news headlines: Josh Frydenberg to hand down the Federal Budget tonight. Covid-positive Donald Trump could be discharged from hospital as soon as today, but some critics believe he’s sicker than he’s letting on. Cardinal George Pell’s lawyers call for an investigation after claims Vatican funds were used to pay lawyers for damning evidence Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5 Loka 202019min
Is it time to ditch daylight saving?
On today’s episode we get the latest sleep science on daylight saving. A peak medical body says daylight saving is bad for us, and the EU has voted to stop doing it from 2021. So is it time for Australia to get rid of it? Last month the US American Academy of Sleep Medicine changed its position on daylight saving, coming out against it citing new research the health impacts of moving the clocks forward. In Australia we’re already divided on it WA, NT and QLD don’t do it. while the rest of the country does. So how damaging is it for our heath? Dr. Kannan Ramar President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Scientist Gemma Paech from the Sleep Foundation help explain. Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4 Loka 202018min
What Trump’s tax returns reveal
Donald Trump reportedly claimed $US70,000 in haircuts as part of millions in business expenses that have helped reduce his federal tax bill to just a few hundred dollars. An investigation by the New York Times exposed two decades of the Presidents tax returns, revealing he paid just $750 US in both 2016 and 2017, and paid no income tax in 10 of the past 15 years. Trump's critics hope the leaked taxed returns will hurt the President’s chances when Americans go to the polls next months. It’s already come up as an issue in the first debate, but will it have any impact at the ballot box? We’re joined by Dr David Smith, Senior Lecturer in American Politics at the University of Sydney to find out why Trumps taxes are a big deal. In today's news headlines: Trans-Tasman bubble inching closer Aged care royal commission: federal government’s Covid-19 response was “insufficient” Google to pay $1.4 billion after local news stoush Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1 Loka 202019min
Who is Lawyer X? And why might she spend the rest of her life in hiding?
Today we find out about the woman at the centre of one of the biggest crime scandals in Australian history. Last year it was revealed that Lawyer X was Nicola Gobbo: a prominent Melbourne lawyer who represented some of Melbourne’s biggest criminals and at the same time was giving information about them to the police. The Lawyer X scandal could see some of Australia's most notorious criminals released from prison, and there’s concern that they might want Lawyer X dead, and that’s why she might have to spend the rest of her life in hiding. To explain this story we’re joined by Anthony Dowsley: the journalist who first broke the story for the Herald Sun in 2014. In today's news headlines: Presidential debate format to be changed after “dumpster fire” spectacle $1.5 billion to boost Australian manufacturing Facebook to integrate Instagram, Messenger, Whatsapp Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
30 Syys 202020min
Do private schools have a culture problem?
What’s going on inside some of Australia’s most expensive schools? What kind of culture is being promoted? Should private schools review their culture? Are the high marks, fancy uniforms and big gymnasiums really worth it? The recent muck up day scandal re-opens some of the debates about the problems with private schools elitist attitudes to people less fortunate, and unhealthy outdated attitudes towards women. One voice that’s stood out in the public vs private school debate is Rob Sturrock who joins us on this episode. Rob is a former Shore student and author of Man Raises Boy: A revolutionary approach for fathers who want to raise kind, confident and happy sons. In today's news headlines: PM flags international quarantine change Wet and stormy end to 2020 expected on Australia’s east coast Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off in the first Presidential debate Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
29 Syys 202020min
What caused Australia’s worst mass whale stranding?
For the last week, there has been an epic struggle of life and death on a remote wild part of the Tasmanian coast. 470 long-finned pilot whales were discovered beached around Macquarie Harbour and Ocean Beach near the Tasmanian town of Strahan. The tragic event stands as the largest whale stranding in Australian history. Rescuers have managed to save 110 whales but sadly the rest are dead and are currently being disposed of. In this Briefing, we dive deep into why this mass beaching has happened and why we have intervened in this natural occurrence. Our guests are Dr Wally Franklin (Adjunct Fellow - Southern Cross University and Marine Scientist with The Oceania Project) and Tom Mountney (a salmon fisherman who’s been assisting with the rescue). In today's news headlines: Police investigate after bushfire-ravaged town defrauded by conman Victoria’s case numbers fall to single digits Dreamworld convicted, fined $3.6 million for 2016 tragedy George Pell reportedly returning to the Vatican Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
28 Syys 202020min
Why Julian Assange could be facing a 175 year sentence
175 years in a US prison: that’s the sentence Australian Wikileaks founder Julian Assange could be facing. Julian is currently in London with legal proceedings underway to decide whether or not he is extradited to the US to face espionage charges. In this episode we get you up to speed on Julian’s story so far, going back to 2010 when he and Wikileaks made headlines for the release of almost 400,000 classified US documents about the war in Iraq. Today we find out what’s going on for Julian right now when we speak with Jen Robinson, his Australian lawyer in London who’s been working on the case the whole time. She joins us in the midst of the evidential stage of the extradition hearing. We find out: His emotional and psychological state. What is the argument they are making in this case? What would it take and what hope do they have of getting this UK court to refuse the US extradition order? What happens if the UK refuses extradition what happens to Julian, and if they don’t what happens? How does he want the Australian government to intervene? Is there any hope that Trump could pardon Assange? The timeline of the extradition and what the next few years look like for Julian and his legal team. In today's news headlines: Restrictions ease in Melbourne Federal budget "bent, not broken" as JobKeeper wound back Trump’s US Supreme Court pick named Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
27 Syys 202019min
Should China be stripped of the Winter Olympics?
On today's episode we look at the global campaign to strip Beijing of the Winter Olympics asking: Should a country have the privilege to host the Olympic Games if the government of that country is doing something harmful to its citizens? Hosting the Olympics is a privilege and often a very positive PR moment for the host nation, however a group of human rights activists have delivered a joint letter to the International Olympic Committee calling for Beijing to be stripped of the Games over its crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and the detention of Uighurs, a Muslim minority. Should China be stripped of the games? Or is it too late given they were awarded back in 2015? To answer this question we're joined by Sir Iain Duncan Smith (former leader of the British Conservative Party and founder of the The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance On China), Craig Foster (former Socceroos coach turned human rights activist), Dr Steve Georgakis (Senior Lecturer of pedagogy and sports studies, University of Sydney) and Federal MP Dave Sharma. In today's news headlines: Victorian Premier to front hotel quarantine inquiry WA’s notorious Claremont serial killer found guilty New plan to slash home loan approval times Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
24 Syys 202016min
