Hydroxychloroquine: what you need to know

China has trumpeted their suppression of Covid-19 since the virus first emerged within their own borders and are now locking down on Delta, but are they doing as well as they seem? Bill Birtles is the ABC’s China correspondent and up until last year he was living in Beijing. He was in Wuhan, at the virus’ ground zero, as Covid spread around the world. Bill’s back in Australia but still covering China - we thought we’d check into find out whether a recent flare up of delta cases... will force china to change its covid strategy? Bill Birtles’ book is The Truth About China. TODAY'S HEADLINES Melbournians await lockdown verdict, with extension likely NSW authorities admit too late to move on Western Sydney spread Andrew Cuomo resigns as Governor of New York PM hits out at China as world leaders target coal in wake of IPCC report Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Aug 202119min

The world watched on as Australia’s Ariarne Titmus and the USA’s Katie Ledecky prepared to battle it out in the women’s 200m and 400m freestyle events at the Tokyo Olympics. Ledecky is regarded as the greatest female swimmer of all time. Could the 20-year-old Ariarne Titmus beat the queen of the pool. Yes!! Ariarne joins us this morning from Howard Springs in the Northern Territory where she’s spending two weeks in Covid quarantine. TODAY'S HEADLINES UN warns crucial climate threshold closer than ever in global warming report More NSW regions in lockdown as regional VIC rules lifted Moderna vaccine receives official approval R. Kelly trial begins in New York Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Aug 202118min

Being the son of a rugby league legend didn’t quite fit with Brandon Jack. His new book ‘28’ delves deep into the search for his own identity while living a life that was imagined for him. He didn't really fit that life. The book is so much more than a football memoir….it’s a snapshot of the professional sport psyche. It’s full of vivid details of life at the fringe, and memories of binge-drinking into oblivion as an escape during his playing days at the Sydney Swans. Brandon talks about many of the things the rest of us try to hide. The book is about family, ambition, ability and the search for love. TODAY'S HEADLINES Australia’s first drive-thru vax site to open in Melbourne Lockdown in Cairns as restrictions lifted in south-east QLD Moderna vaccine to be approved for use in Australia Tokyo Games wind up with closing ceremony Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Aug 202119min

Podcast aficionados will know Jacob Stanley as the co-host of Just The Gist with Rosie Waterland. But before his media life, he was the Head of Learning and Development at the beauty juggernaut Mecca, traveling the world for makeup. For the past year and a half, he’s been podcasting on the road as he chasing his travel bug nomadically around Australia. He talks to Jamila Rizvi from the canopies of a Far North Queensland rainforest about his adaptable travel, the beauty industry, losing loved ones and parenthood. THE WEEKEND LIST with Tait McGregor: Watch: The White Lotus (Binge) Read: Media Tarts: How the Australian Press Frames Female by Julia Baird Listen: The Feast EP by Sir Archer (thanks for the recommendation listener Sue Margaret!) Podcast: Ladies We Need To Talk (ABC Radio) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Aug 202124min

Are you concerned about media experts getting lots of media airtime to talk about Covid-19. but getting it wrong, often being way too pessimistic? It feels like it’s impossible to filter out all the white noise to get to the facts we need to make an informed decision. Dr Nick Coatsworth was the Deputy CMO for six months, he’s an infectious disease expert and the Director of Medical Services, Canberra Health Services. He wrote an op ed piece recently calling out his colleagues and other experts for expressing opinions not fact. So where does the truth lie? How do we strike a balance in the age of mass media and social media, so we can make informed decisions individually and as a country? Dr Nick gives us the answers. TODAY'S HEADLINES Victoria joins Sydney, Brisbane in lockdown Sydney lockdown expanded to Newcastle and Hunter Hillsong leader vows to return to Australia to fight charges $1 billion from Commonwealth for Closing The Gap More gold up for grabs as Australia records most successful games ever Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Aug 202121min

News broke this week that a US company had made a $39 billion bid for Australian firm, Afterpay. It is the biggest business deal in the history of the Australian Stock Exchange. A company that is created and then grows massively in a short amount of time is called a ‘unicorn’. Jonathan Shapiro and James Eyers are reporters for the Australian Financial Review and the authors of ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’, a new book on the Afterpay phenomenon. They join us to explain how and why so much wealth been created so quickly despite many initially saying the company was overhyped and overvalued. On today’s Briefing, we learn how the company was created and how it grew so big so fast…..and made a lot of people very rich in the process. Those who were lucky enough to discover the elusive unicorn. TODAY'S HEADLINES QLD authorities suggest lockdown extension may be needed Expert coalition calls for AZ uptake, warns Australia doomed to continued lockdowns Commonwealth defends commuter car park scheme Medals on offer in hockey and soccer after sailing/running Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Aug 202119min

TODAY'S HEADLINES PM unveils vaccine threshold, admits need for restrictions NSW sets vaccination goal for lifting restrictions Wuhan back in lockdown amid Delta chaos Olympic finals for Kookaburras and Boomers Payphones to become free Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 Aug 202120min

The Tokyo Games has been Australia’s most successful Olympics in the pool ever, with nine gold medals. In Rio, five years ago, we won three. In London, we won just one. The Australian swimming team has always been about the men – but in Tokyo, eight out of nine medals were won by female swimmers... which got us to number two in the world... behind the US with 11 gold... and 30 medals in total compared to our 20. Seven’s Nathan Templeton was poolside all week. He was the first person they spoke to after winning their events. So how did we do it? How did our female swimmers take us back to our best? TODAY'S HEADLINES Children to undergo testing as students form majority of QLD cases Labor and government push for different vaccine incentives Records broken on Square-Afterpay purchase Matildas out of Olympics after loss to Sweden Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 Aug 202118min