THE BEEFING: Bill Gates vs Steve Jobs

A local council in Sydney has voted to ban books about same-sex parents from its libraries. Six Cumberland City Councillors voted in favour of the ban, while five, including Mayor Lisa Lake, opposed it.  The New South Wales Government has warned it could breach the Anti-Discrimination Act and even threatened to pull the council’s library funding, as a result.  Councillor Steve Christou proposed the ban, arguing that most of the council’s constituents are conservative and religious, and don't want “any form of sexualised experiences” available to children in the library. But is a same-sex parenting book sexualised content? In this episode, Bension Siebert speaks with Councillor Steve Christou to find out why he proposed the ban.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Touko 202412min

Australia’s birth rate has been in a relatively steady decline since a peak in the early 1960s. It’s rebounded a small amount after hitting a record low in 2020, but it still sits well below the total fertility rate of 2.1 that’s needed for a population to sustain itself. Is that a bad thing for Australia? And how does the rest of the world compare? On today’s deep dive we speak with Professor Amanda Davies from the School of Social Sciences at the University of Western Australia to try to answer those questions. Headlines: Parents of slain Aussie brothers speak for the first time Israel takes control of Palestinian side of Rafah crossing as ceasefire deal stalls Interest rates staying at 4.35 per cent TikTok sues to block US law that’d ban the app  Mona’s ‘Ladies Lounge’ could become a toilet or church in a bid to keep men out   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Touko 202417min

Israeli tanks have reportedly been spotted just 200 metres from the edge of Rafah, less than a day after an estimated 100,000 Palestinian civilians were ordered to evacuate.  Bordering on Egypt, the southernmost city of Gaza has become the last refuge for around 1.4 million Palestinians who have fled the violence and destruction elsewhere.  The impending invasion comes after Hamas agreed to a proposed ceasefire that was declined by Israel, and after the forced the closure of foreign media outlet Al Jazeera - one of the only media broadcasters active from the Gaza strip.  To explain more, Bension Siebert is joined by Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist, film-maker and author of the best-selling book, The Palestine Laboratory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Touko 202413min

Witch hunts aren’t just the stuff of colonial America; they’re happening right now all around the world. People are still being persecuted and often murdered on suspicion of being involved in witchcraft, in a trend that’s currently being driven by fundamental Christianity, poverty and civil conflict. On today’s briefing we’re joined by Professor Miranda Forsyth to find out who is at risk, why they’re being targeted and what’s being done to address the issue. Headlines: Hamas accepts “softened” ceasefire deal Tributes for Aussie brothers killed in Mexico Judge in Trump hush money trial threatens jail as ex-President breaches gag order for a 10th time Met Gala Monday is here   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Touko 202419min

Over the weekend in Perth, a sixteen-year-old boy has been shot dead by police after allegedly wounding a man who was unknown to him with a knife. WA Premier Roger Cook has said that there were indications that the teenager had been radicalised online. The news comes just weeks after Sydney's Wakeley church attack, where another 16-year-old boy allegedly stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, in what has been labelled a terrorist act. In this episode, Bension Siebert speaks with internationally renowned expert on terrorism and extremism, Deakin University Professor Greg Barton, to establish how big of an issue radicalisation is in Australia, and what is being done to prevent and safeguard our youth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Touko 202411min

Cities in China are sinking and satellite imagery shows Beijing is among one of the fastest going under. According to a new study in the journal Science, development and groundwater pumping are causing land subsidence and heightening the risks of sea level rise. Within 100 years, a quarter of China’s urban coastal land could sit below sea level. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Robert Nicholls, a climate scientist and civil engineer at the University of East Anglia who reviewed the paper to find out why China’s cities are sinking and what can be done to fix the problem Headlines: Israel shuts down Al Jazeera Labor to introduce weekly payment for nursing, teaching students on placements Free Madonna concert draws crowd of 1.6 million in Rio de Janeiro   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Touko 202419min

Ziggy Ramo is a Wik man, powerful storyteller and rapper - but it took him fives years to release his first album because the world wasn't ready to embrace his art and perspective. Soon after the Black Lives Matter movement Ziggy set his words into the world releasing his music and he’s now written a book – his memoir – Human? In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Ziggy explains how racism in Australia continues to dehumanise groups of people and what lead him to rap. Ziggy will be appearing speaking throughout the Melbourne Writers Festival and on May 10th Jan Fran will be joining Ziggy live. Event details here WEEKEND LIST TO READ - Pheasants Nest by Louise Milligan TO EAT- Pasta salad by Emily English on TikTok TO WATCH - Baby Reindeer on Netflix TO LISTEN - I Forgot to Tell You Something podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 Touko 202430min

Smut used to be the kind of genre you’d find hidden away in the back corner of bookstores. But not anymore. Now, smut series are being featured on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and a quick search of #spicybook or #smut on TikTok will find hundreds of thousands of videos. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its issues. In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Esmé Louise James, author of “Kinky History”, to find out about the history of smut, discuss problematic characters, and get her personal smutty recommendations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 Touko 202412min