Headlines: The Greens back Labor’s housing bill, Israel to vote on Hezbollah ceasefire, Google, Meta and X react to social media ban, and Wicked enjoys a bumper weekend at the Aussie box office.

Deep Dive: The Bali Nine were a group of nine Australians convicted for attempting to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin out of Indonesia in April 2005.

It sounds like a deal with the Indonesian government might be underway – but what would repatriation look like, why would we want them in Australia, and why has this group been such a big deal for so long?

Bishop Tim Harris is a long-time advocate for the release of the Bali Nine, having visited members of the group at Kerobokan prison and working with their families back home. He joins Sacha Barbour Gatt for this episode of The Briefing to explain why he thinks it’s time for the remaining members to return home.

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White water rafting has gone very wrong for a Lithuanian man in the fast-flowing Franklin River in Tasmania over the weekend.

After accidentally wedging his leg between rocks, the man was trapped for over 20 hours, partially submerged in the river, while rescuers attempted to release him, staving off hypothermia with hot meals and warm drinks in thermoses. Eventually they concluded the only way to get him out was to amputate the man’s leg at the knee.

How does something like this happen? If you’re thinking of doing any adventure sporting over the summer or on your next holiday, should you think twice if considering white-water rafting? On this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Bruce Baxter, owner and founder of Paddle Sports Australia and author or The Ever Varying Flood: Franklin River Rafting Guide to unpack what he thinks went wrong.

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Headlines: Massive few days ahead in Canberra for final sitting week of 2024, 170 arrested in Newcastle port protest and Mary Fowler steps back from Matildas citing mental fatigue

Deep Dive: It’s called 'Pink Cocaine', but it usually contains zero cocaine, and it’s been linked to a series of deaths – including that of One Direction star Liam Payne.

So what is it, really? And if you come across it on a night out over the weekend, what do you need to know about it, and how to keep yourself safe?

On this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Dr Amie Hayley from the International Council of Drugs, Alcohol and Traffic Safety (ICADTS) to find out.

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Osher Ginsburg is a household name in television and entertainment across generations.

But in recent years, his work advocating for mental health support, sharing his struggle with a raft of psychiatric conditions, alcoholism and more recently chronic pain has taken centre stage, culminating in a new hosting gig for a documentary about living with chronic pain.

In this intimate chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Osher explains his obsessions with saunas, whether he Googles himself, and for the first time, shares his views on the heart-breaking humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

You can watch Osher Gunsberg: A World Of Pain at SBS on Demand now

Weekend List

• TO TRY: Finch: Self-care pet on any app store
• TO READ: The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan
• TO LISTEN: Spotify Ai DJ X
• TO LISTEN: Playboy by Fireboy DML

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Tom always thought he was autistic but was never diagnosed, until he sought out a definitive answer. Turns out he was right. How will his life change as a result?

This is the final episode of The Briefing's five-part series on neurodiversity, Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Tom to discuss his diagnosis, what it means to him, how he thinks it will impact his future, and if he intends to change his life in any way.

This series is aimed at informing and supporting people who believe they, or someone they know, is on the autism spectrum but never found out and made in partnership with Autism Awareness Australia and Sydney University's Brain and Mind Centre.

Listen to Part One here, Part Two here, Part Three here, and Part Four here.

You can find the Brain and Mind Centre here, and Autism Awareness Australia's resources in recognising autism here.

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Are we all just a bunch of psychopaths?

Jon Ronson has made a career talking to people living life on the extreme and unpacking what makes us normal – or not. As we begin the wrap-up for 2024, the global community is taking stock of where we sit as a society, and if we’re better or worse than before.

What does someone like Ronson make of it all? Have we become more psychopathic as a global community, or have we become too comfortable about using the term? In this special bonus episode of The Briefing, he joins Sacha Barbour Gatt in the midst of his Australian tour to explain why he’s touring the country to explore if psychopaths rule the world in 2024.

You can buy tickets to Jon’s tour here.

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Headlines: Fifth person dies of methanol poisoning in Laos, ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, 1500 Woolworths warehouse workers strike indefinitely, and an Aussie tv personality has helped wrangle a snake off a plane in WA!

Deep Dive: A 19-year-old Australian teenager has died, and another remains in a critical condition in hospital after consuming drinks in Laos suspected of containing methanol.

The family of Bianca Jones said in a statement released to media on Thursday that “it is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news that our beloved daughter and sister, Bianca Jones, has passed away”. Jones’ best friend, Holly Bowles, remains in a critical condition in Thailand, while four others are also suspected to have died from the mass poisoning – two women from Denmark, an English woman and a man from the US.

The Australian Government has issued a warning following the incident, urging people to be alert to the risks when travelling, particularly with spirit-based drinks like cocktails.

After such a tragic result, many are asking – how and why is methanol getting into people’s drinks? What does it do to the body? And what can you do to keep yourself safe next time you head overseas? In this episode of the Briefing Bension Siebert is joined by forensic pathologist David Ranson, to discuss why methanol poisoning is more common than you might think.

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Tom has discovered in his late twenties he’s on the autism spectrum. While Tom had always suspected he was autistic, he’s now had his suspicions confirmed - a story echoed by individuals and families across the country.

So how do people on the spectrum navigate the workplace – and what about relationships, both romantic and platonic?

In this five-part special series of The Briefing, we team up with Autism Awareness Australia and Sydney University's Brain and Mind Centre to walk alongside Thomas as he discovers what the autism spectrum is, and if, and where, he might fit.

In Part Four, we’re joined by Professor Adam Guastella from the centre and Nicole Rogerson, founding CEO and director of Autism Awareness Australia to discuss work, friendship and love on the spectrum.

Listen to Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.

You can find the Brain and Mind Centre here, and Autism Awareness Australia's resources in recognising autism here.

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