Welcome to the Wyrd Thing Podcast episode 24 with hosts Jens and Frigga who are joined by special guest Sarah Kerr the President of The Pagan Federation.

Rhayna Bosch speaks with Tim Lawless from CoreLogic to find out what's behind an easing in dwelling price growth; plus SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves discusses the day's sharemarket action with Lochlan Halloway from Morningstar, including concerns about AI costs from the world's biggest tech companies.…

The federal government has revealed there is $241 million in unclaimed Medicare benefits belonging to 930,000 people in Australia. It's something migrant and refugee advocacy bodies are hoping to spread awareness about, in order to avoid potential scams.

The US has revealed intelligence that up to 8,000 more North Korean soldiers are set to join the efforts of Russian troops in their invasion of Ukraine. US officials have warned that if they choose to enter the war, the North Korean troops will be making themselves targets.

Democrats are concerned Muslim voters in the swing state of Michigan could propel Donald Trump back into the White House amid anger over the Biden Administration’s support for Israel. SBS News has been to Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit, to see if the 'Abandon Harris' movement could cost her the Presidency.…

The Japanese media franchise, Hello Kitty, has generated billions of dollars over decades. With over 50,000 product lines sold in more than 130 countries, the Hello Kitty brand has transcended language and cultural barriers to reach its 50th birthday. But what accounts for the enduring appeal?

Electioneering is essentially the process by which candidates in an election seek to convince voters to support them - and not the other guy. In the US, the campaigns of the Democratic and Republican nominees for president have centred around particular age and class groups of people - as well as voters in crucial areas known as battleground states…

Rhayna Bosch speaks with Justin Untersteiner from the AFCA about the record number of financial compalints its received and what can be done about it; plus SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves goes through the day's sharemarket news with Scott Phillips from The Motley Fool including the latest from the US.…

Democratic Party Strategist Hyma Moore, of US consulting firm Cornerstone, speaks to SBS News' Tys Occhiuzzi about Joe Biden's controversial comments, current polling in the major battleground states, and what Kamala Harris needs to do.

The Valencia region in the country's east has been hit by what meteorologists are calling the storm of the century. A year's worth of rain has fallen in just a few hours, causing major flooding and destruction.

The 2024 State of the Climate Report has been released and warns that if action is delayed, the costs of adapting to an ever-changing climate will continue to increase. With Australia less than a decade away from an emissions tipping point, climate experts are urging leaders to step up actions to mitigate climate change.…

October 31st is Halloween - a celebration going back centuries.The largely American tradition of trick-or-treating - children dressing up, going around the neighbourhood, collecting sweets from locals - has become an Australian tradition as well. But there are some who say it's not just harmless fun.…

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) confirms they will conduct a new, independent review of the Robodebt referrals. The agency earlier decided not to investigate six referrals of corruption in relation to the unlawful Robodebt scheme. But now an inspector of the corruption watchdog has found the NACC Commissioner failed to properly remov…

Diwali celebrations will kick off this week ((Oct 31)) - celebrated by billions of people from the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora. While the festival is marked predominantly by Hindus, variations are celebrated across faiths. In Fiji, approximately one-third of the population is of Indian origin, and Diwali has become a national event despite…

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves looks through today's official inflation report with David Bassanese from BetaShares and Josh Gilbert from eToro to find out what it means about interest rates and more.

The US state of Georgia’s 16 electoral votes could be crucial in a week’s time ((5 Nov)) and Democrats are banking on the support of Black voters to get them over the line in the “Peach Tree state”. Four years ago, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the state by just under 12,000 votes. But polls suggest the Republican candidate has improved his standi…

The global community has criticised Israel's decision to ban the operations of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees within its borders. Meanwhile, military group Hezbollah have chosen Naim Qassem to replace Hassan Nasrallah as their leader, following the latter's death in an Israeli air strike last month.…

The 145-million-year-old remains of a giant dinosaur are set to be auctioned to private bidders in France this November. Expected to fetch millions, the skeleton could set a new benchmark in the booming fossil market, but experts raise concerns about having fossils being sold privately.

A deadly rampage through central Sudan by paramilitary forces has left at least 124 people dead and scores of locals wounded and displaced. SBS News spoke to a Sudanese-Australian woman in Sydney whose family members have been killed, wounded and displaced in the attacks with her 27-year-old brother Ibrahim still missing. Some listeners may find th…

A review of Australia's COVID-19 response has revealed a major erosion of trust by the Australian public and health systems. It found inconsistent messaging from state and federal governments and heavy restrictions contributed to the decline. In response, the federal government has committed more than 250 million dollars to establish a national pub…

Domain says home values reached new records, but Nicola Powell says the pace of growth continues to slow; plus SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Mathan Somasundaram from Deep Data Analytics about the day's market news including how the US election is already impacting shares along with Myer's near $900m deal with Solomon Lew's Premie…

Israel has passed laws banning the operations of the U-N agency for Palestinian refugees inside of Israel.Sparking global condemnation even from their closest allies, the move threatens to worsen an already dire humanitarian situation inside the Gaza Strip.

A five minute daily news wrap for new English speakers and those with disability

New research has found that an enlarged prostate gland is causing serious problems for more than 2.8 million Australian men and people assigned male at birth over the age of 50. The research by YouGov for Boston Scientific found most men fail to recognise the seriousness of what is a common health condition. The problems include increased frequency…

A fluffy native mouse and five other Australian species have been added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. According to the Australian Conservation Foundation, Australia’s escalating extinction crisis, is being fuelled by climate change, deforestation, and outdated conservation laws.…

One of the key issues in this US election is immigration. Donald Trump often refers to ‘border chaos’, warning of out-of-control ‘migrant crime’ and accusing Kamala Harris of allowing "20 million criminals” into the country. Yet statistics show the number of irregular border crossings from Mexico have dropped significantly over the last year. SBS N…

Ukraine's military intelligence agency says Russia is transporting North Korean soldiers to the Kursk region, to counter Ukraine's offensive there. The agency released a recording of what it says are intercepted Russian military radio communications - in which officials can be heard stopping a civilian truck travelling into Kursk, carrying North Ko…

Rhayna Bosch speaks with Ryan Felsman from CommSec about its State of the States report to find out who is leading the nation; SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves talks with Kai Chen from MPC Markets about how the US election is impacting shares; plus AFCA's June Smith about why the industry has seen a record rise in financial complaints lobbed by…

Ten of thousands of old mobile phones have stopped working today, after telecommunication giants Telstra and Optus started the shutdown of its 3G networks. As the first high-speed mobile network in the world, 3G was launched in Australia in 2003, before it was overtaken by better and faster connections. However, some regional and rural communities …

Revised drinking water guidelines in Australia have been released for public consultation. The update includes more stringent standards on the allowable level of the so-called forever chemicals or PFAS in tap water - based on the latest scientific evidence and international guidance on human health considerations.…

United States-funded wars are raging in Europe and the Middle East with scrutiny of the Biden administration's support coming under increasing global and domestic scrutiny. With the 2024 US Presidential Election fast approaching, voters are looking to candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris for a pathway to peace abroad and protections for US wor…

Israel kills more journalists in Gaza and Lebanon as the constant bombardment and ground siege of northern Gaza worsens. Iran says it will respond to deadly Israeli strikes on its capital but claims it does not seek wider war. And Egypt proposes a ceasefire as negotiations resume in Qatar.

Queensland's Liberal National party has claimed a narrow victory in the state election this weekend, ending nearly a decade of Labor power in the state. A record number of Queenslanders participated in the voting, with abortion, housing and youth crime the focus of the election. Labor's outgoing premier Steven Miles has called Liberal leader David …

SBS' Ciara Hain spoke with settlement service provider AMES' public affairs manager Laurie Nowell.

More than just a place to borrow books, modern libraries have reinvented themselves to fit into the digital age. One library in Sydney - shortlisted as one of the world's best- says demand for its services has never been higher.

Severe burns victims could be treated with better skin grafts, after clinical trials of an advanced version of artificially-grown skin. The tests through Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital have had positive results, with trials to be expanded across the country.

Oil pollution is a major problem worldwide, scientists say hundreds of animal species like turtles, sea birds and fish are at risk of disease and poisoning. An Australian entrepreneur thinks he has a solution that could help clean polluted waterways. If it wasn’t for a lucky escape from a fatal illness, it may never have been developed.…

The death of One Direction star Liam Payne has devastated people around the world. It's the first major celebrity death for Generation Z, who grew up getting to know the boy band intimately through social media. Young people are being reminded it's okay to grieve for someone, even if you didn't personally know them.…

As the United Nations Charter marks 79 years since it came into force, the global institution faces increasing scrutiny over its lasting relevancy and impact in delivering the goals it set out to achieve.With the maintenance of international peace and security often reliant on the very powers threatening it, urgent reform of the UN's Security Counc…

The Australian South Sea Islander community has come together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Commonwealth Recognition. Despite that recognition, Australian South Sea Islander communities continue to experience social and economic disadvantage.

The Qantas board has avoided a second strike on its remuneration report as its share price hit a record so Mahnaz Angury spoke with Upstream Aviation Analyst Tim Collins to find out if its reputation is being repaired; Rhayna Bosch discusses the future of AI and the implication of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic with ResMed CEO Michael Farrell; and SBS Fi…

Abortion is one of the leading issues in the US, sure to animate any discussion of politics and life. For decades now, it has been a key issue for voters and one where partisan lines are predictably drawn between Democrat and Republican parties and candidates. But how has that happened? Where does abortion policy currently sit - and what impact mig…

With campaigning for the US election entering its final stages, record numbers of voters have submitted their ballots early, across a number of crucial battleground states. Early voting was a key sticking point for the Trump campaign in 2020, which made unproven claims of vote rigging. For more about the final sprint to the White House, reporter Ty…

Federal public servants have told a parliamentary committee it would likely take at least a decade for Australia to have a nuclear industry in operation. The Coalition will take a nuclear policy to the next election, and the committee will hold public hearings in Canberra and near the proposed nuclear sites before reporting back by April.…

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will officially kick off on Friday in the Pacific Nation of Samoa. It's the first time the biannual meeting is being held in a Pacific nation, with King Charles and Queen Camilla present. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also arrived in Samoa for the meeting, along with Foreign Minister Pe…

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with AFR Rich List Editor Yolanda Redrup to look through this year's Young Rich List and to find out their common characteristics; plus Henry Jennings from Marcus Today goes through the day's sharemarket news as investors look to the US Presidential Election…

Two years ago, reproductive rights were wound back in the United States. Now, questions are being raised about whether something similar could happen in parts of Australia.

Senator Lidia Thorpe has defended her protest during the King's visit to Canberra. She says her calls for a treaty have garnered international attention, and has furthered the national conversation. But the headlines remain squarely on her eligibility as a senator. Listen to her full interview with SBS Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson a…

Israel has accused six journalists from Qatari TV station Al Jazeera of being Palestinian militants, as more people die in Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. Al Jazeera has strongly denied the allegations that its journalists were paid to fight for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The accusations come as Israel began bombing parts of the ancient Lebanese…

Two attackers have killed five people and wounded 22 others in what the Turkish government has called a terrorist attack at the headquarters of a defence firm in the capital Ankara. Turkish authorities have accused the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, of being responsible although the attackers are yet to be identified.…