Headlines:

• Trump announces 3-week Lebanon-Israel ceasefire
• Charges for soldier who gambled on Maduro capture
• Ben Roberts-Smith to attend ANZAC Day event
• More tech layoffs: Microsoft and Meta
• Spotify turns 20, releases top artists of all time

Deep Dive:

The nation’s biggest radio drama went to court today. Both Kyle and Jackie O are suing their former boss, ARN, and ARN is suing them right back. Kyle appeared in court, while Jackie O has said she never wants to be in the same room as Kyle again.

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by workplace relations lawyer Michael Byrnes to explain the strengths and weaknesses of each legal suit.

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Friday Headlines:

• Trump claims the US is in control of the Strait of Hormuz even as Iran seizes ships
• Court documents have revealed Ben Roberts-Smith was allegedly attempting to move overseas before his arrest
• Albanese unlikely to increase tax on gas exports
• British actor Russell Brand has admitted to having sex with a 16-year-old when he was 30
• Tomorrow is ANZAC Day, with commemorations happening right across the country

Deep Dive: Burnout is often framed as a personal failure, but neuroscience tells a different story, one where chronic stress and cognitive overload are predictable biological responses to modern work and life.

Basically, our brains aren’t equipped to deal with how we’re forced to work and live in 2026.

In this episode of The Briefing, Neuro‑performance scientist Dr Kristy Goodwin explains how chronic stress rewires our heads, why the brain prioritises short‑term survival over long‑term health, and why “powering through” often leads to physical breakdown, not resilience.

Further listening: Your guide to the budget’s tax reforms

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Headlines:

• US turns back more Iranian ships
• National Cabinet: PM says fuel secure
• Royal Commission interim report coming next week
• Microsoft to invest $25 billion in Aussie data centres
• Vale to James Valentine

Deep Dive:

The British Prime Minister is on the ropes as the scandal around Peter Mandelson continues. Mandelson was the UK’s ambassador to the United States, but was forced out due to his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by journalist Juliet Rieden to talk about “the dark prince” of British politics.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.