BTN Episode 5, 2026 - Behind The News

ShareFacebookX (formerly Twitter)TranscriptBTN Transcript: Episode 5 — 3/3/2026Hey I'm Amelia Moseley and you're watching BTN. Thanks for hanging out with us again. Let's see what's coming up on today's show. We find out why measles is making a comeback, check out an invention that could protect athletes from concussion, and learn about the life and legacy of Mum Shirl.Iran AttackReporter: Jack EvansINTRO: All that soon, but first today to what's probably the biggest news story in the world right now. On Saturday, Israel and the United States carried out major attacks on Iran. They launched missiles and dropped bombs on several cities and killed the country's supreme leader. Here's Jack to tell you more.It was an attack that many had predicted, but when it came, it was huge news.NEWS REPORTER: We join you right now with breaking news from the Middle East.NEWS REPORTER: Iran has come under attack.NEWS REPORTER: Israel called it operation 'Roaring Lion', the United States called it operation 'Epic Fury'.NEWS REPORTER: The fast moving event in Iran could mark a major turning point for the Middle East, and the World.Around the world there was shock, anger, fear, and celebration at the news that attacks on Iran by Israel and the US had killed the country's supreme leader. Iran is a country in the Middle East. It sits between Asia, Europe and Africa. It's rich in natural resources, including oil and gas. It's also home to one of the world's oldest civilisations, once the centre of powerful ancient empires. Today, about 90 million people live there. Most follow the Shia branch of Islam. Since the 1970s, Iran has been an Islamic Republic.Religious leaders play a big role in the way the country is governed and there are strict rules about what people can say, do and even wear. The most powerful leader is the Ayatollah, or Supreme Leader, a position that's been held since 1989 by this man, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei was known as a strong critic of western countries like the United States and of Israel. He supported terrorists and militant groups overseas including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. He's also been accused of brutality against his own people. He's overseen several violent crackdowns on protesters in Iran. Including this year when authorities are thought to have killed tens of thousands of people who'd taken to the streets to protest Iran economic problems and lack of individual rights. It's why, when US announced that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in an airstrike, many Iranians around the world celebrated.PERSON: As you can see the atmosphere is almost like a party.PERSON: I just feel like crying out of happiness.US President Donald Trump has been threatening to use military force against Iran for a while. His government, and Israel say they had to act to protect themselves.DANNY DANON, UN ISRAELI AMBASSADOR: When a regime chants 'death to Israel', 'death to America', we take them seriously, we believe them, and we act.They claim that Iran was building nuclear weapons, despite an attack on nuclear sites by the US and Israel last year which did a lot of damage.Some countries, including Australia, have said they support the strikes.ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Australia stands with the brave people of Iran against what is an oppressive regime.But others were more critical. Some say the attack could have broken international law because Iran posed no immediate threat to the US or Israel.ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN SECRETARY GENERAL: We are witnessing a grave threat to international peace and security.Civilians were killed in the strikes on Iran, including children. And since then, Iran has launched its own deadly attacks, on Isreal and several other countries that have ties to the US. Now there are fears the conflict could grow and that more innocent people could be hurt both inside and outside of Iran. There are also worries about what will come next. The US and Israel have urged Iranians to take control of their country.DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT: I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country.BANJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRALI PRIME MINISTER: This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.But that won't be easy. Iran's Supreme Leader had many supporters, including powerful figures in the military and government. They've already appointed a temporary leader and for now, the regime is intact. No one knows what's next for Iran it's people or its neighbors. And in the meantime, the world is watching and bracing itself for the consequences of this new conflict.AMELIA: Now, if you feel worried or upset about that story, then make sure you talk to someone about it. You can also head to our website, where we have some resources on how to deal with upsetting news.News QuizOver the past week or so, rain has been bucketing down across a good chunk of the country, breaking records in some places. What weather phenomenon was behind the downpour? A tropical low, a tropical high or an El Nino? It's a tropical low pressure system, which is a patch of low pressure and rising air with rotating winds that forms over the tropics, carrying a lot of rain with it.Sydney has celebrated the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, an event that's now heritage listed. What part of the Parade has been added to Australia's National Heritage register? The parade route, the floats or the costumes? It's the parade route which starts at Oxford Street and finishes at Anzac Parade.Can you name this very cute Macaque? Punch, Peanuts or Percy? It's Punch. He lives in a zoo in Japan and has become a bit of a viral superstar, thanks to a video showing him cuddling his favourite toy Orang-utan.Middle PowersReporter: Wren GillettINTRO: This week, Australia is getting a VIP visit. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is here to talk about how our countries can work more closely together. It's part of a tour he's making at the moment of countries that are sometimes called middle powers. So what does that mean? Here's Wren.WREN GILLETT, REPORTER: They're not the biggest. They're not the richest. They're not the strongest, but they are stable, with enough political influence to say and do stuff that matters on a global scale. They are the middle powers.Middle powers is the term used to describe countries that sit kinda in the middle when it comes to power, wealth and influence. Countries like South Korea, Indonesia, Canada, Malaysia, Finland, Türkiye and Australia. Alright, let's check the stats. Pretty big, not so big population, their economy is in the top 20 and so is their military. Not bad at all, but of course there are bigger powers out there.Introducing, the superpowers. The US and China have the world's two biggest economies, we're talking around 17 and 11 times the size of Australia's, respectively. They've also got the world's two most powerful militaries, nuclear weapons and a whole lot of global influence. It's why a lot of middle powers tend to look to them for protection, trade, international order and economic growth.The US are the OG superpower, at least since the end of the Second World War. When they set up international organisations like the UN, the world bank and NATO, which went on to have a huge impact on the way the world works. China's a little later to the superpower game. But in the past few decades, their manufacturing might has made them an economic force to be reckoned with, and a trading partner most countries rely on. But being stuck between these two superpowers isn't always a comfortable place to be.In recent decades there's been some rivalry between the US and China, as they've competed for things like trade, technology, military strength and influence over other countries. US President Donald Trump has ramped up that rivalry.DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT: China's unfair subsidy and its behaviour is prohibited.He's also suggested other countries shouldn't rely so heavily on the US for military and financial support and threw some old alliances into doubt.DONALD TRUMP: I think Canada, they get 95 per cent of their product from the United States. I think they have to become the 51st state.It's made a lot of the middle powers nervous.MARK CARNEY, CANADA PM: The middle powers must act together, because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu.That's Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada. He got a lot of attention for a recent speech, when he said the world order we've known for decades has changed.MARK CARNEY: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.He called on the Middle powers to work together and stop relying so much on their superpowered allies. You see, middle powers make up a huge part of the global economy. They control major shipping routes, produce critical minerals and sit right in the middle of global supply chains. Middle powers on their own, important. Together? Potentially game-changing. It's why Mr Caney is in Australia this week. He's been visiting a whole lot of Middle Powers to discuss ways they can work together and build new alliances. Of course, that doesn't mean the middle powers are necessarily ready to ditch the big guys. Some say the world order they helped to create has, in a lot of cases, led to peace and progress, and while it isn't perfect, it should be preserved. Especially when the world is facing problems like conflict and climate change. But it could be time for these middle guys to test their strength and find out just how powerful they are.MeaslesReporter: Justina WardINTRO:Now to a comeback, that nobody wants. Recently a few Aussie states have put out measles alerts after people picked up the virus overseas and brought it here. Justina found out why measles is on the rise, and why it has health authorities worried. Check it out.REPORTER: Being a kid was pretty different in the old days. No phones or colour tv. Chalkboards and milk at school. Oh, and nearly everyone got measles.JUSTINA: It's a virus that causes flu like symptoms. Sore throat, runny nose, temperature, coughing, sneezing and then a rash that spreads from the face downwards. And it's also really, really contagious.One infected person can spread the disease to up to 18 others, and they can start spreading the disease to others before the symptoms even start. While measles isn't much fun most people recover in two to three weeks, and because it was so common. Measles was often seen as nothing serious and even portrayed that way in TV shows.THE FLINTSTONES (1961): Measles are very contagious. Awwww, this is awful. Oh, don't worry Fred measles don't hurt.THE BRADY BUNCH (1969): Boy, this is the life, isn't it? Yeah, if you have to get sick, sure can't beat the measles.But measles was nothing to smile about. For many, it was deadly.VOICEOVER: Measles can cause fatal pneumonia and in some cases encephalitis, inflammation of the brain.One in five kids who get measles will need to go to hospital and one in a thousand will die. Up until the 60s it's though that measles killed more than 2.6 million people a year.JUSTINA: If you open this book by Rohld Dahl you'll see this message.Olivia was the author's daughter, who died of measles at seven in 1962. Just one year before the breakthrough that changed everything.NEWS REPORTER: This the scientist, who's work made possible an effective vaccine which can prevent the disease.In 1963, a measles vaccine was made available to the public. Like all vaccines, it worked by giving people a small, weakened dose of the virus, which teaches your immune system how to fight it so when the real thing comes along, you're ready. The vaccine very quicky reduced the number of people getting measles around the world. But despite its success, some people were reluctant to get their kids vaccinated because they saw measles as nothing serious.KIDS: So let's work together to beat measles! 🎵 Come on, let's work together… 🎵So, governments ran campaigns to encourage more people to get the jab.🎵 Just one shot… 🎵 VOICEOVER: That's all it takes to protect your young child against measles.JUSTINA: Getting vaccinated doesn't just help you, it helps people who are too young to be vaccinated or who can't be for other reasons, and it builds herd immunity.That means so many people are vaccinated that the virus has nowhere to live, and it dies out. In 2014 Australia was declared measles free. But overseas, it was still making people sick and killing thousands of people a year, and now, it's making a comeback.NEWS REPORTER: Cases are again on the rise.NEWS REPORTER: Experts in the US are warning measles cases could spread rapidly.In the past few years there have been outbreaks of measles around the world.MIA JESSURUN, RESEARCHER: Unfortunately, because we are seeing vaccination rates fall a bit, there are slightly more people in the community who aren't vaccinated.Mia says there is a lot of misinformation about measles and vaccines online and it got worse during COVID when vaccinations were in the news a lot. Here in Australia around 90% of kids are vaccinated against measles which is pretty high, but not as high as it used to be and not high enough according to experts to get herd immunity. Which is why health authorities track every case that comes into the country and try to stop it from spreading. They're also encouraging everyone to get vaccinated to make sure measles a thing of the past.QuizWhich of these diseases is now extinct because of immunisations? Smallpox, Polio or Leprosy? It's Smallpox.New HelmetReporter: Cale MatthewsINTRO: If you play contact sport, or even if you watch a lot of it, you'll know there's been a lot of focus on concussions. Cale spoke to a scientist who's invented a helmet which hopefully will help to prevent them. Take a look.It's getting towards the pointy end of pre-season for footy players across the country. Before training, everyone's running through their usual routines. Stretching, strapping, warming up, and it makes sense.YOUNG ATHLETE: One wrong movement can cause, you know, a torn muscle or something like that. It's just, yeah, to prevent injury mainly.Yeah, all of these things reduce the risk of injury. But what are these players doing to protect their heads?YOUNG ATHLETE: I've never worn a helmet or anything like that.YOUNG ATHLETE: I got concussed in 2021, so then after that, my parents made me wear a helmet for the rest of that season.YOUNG ATHLETE: It was quite embarrassing I think, to be wearing a helmet as a girl, especially umm.CALE, REPORTER: Why was it embarrassing?YOUNG ATHLETE: Because no one else is wearing a helmet and it's just, yeah, wasn't very flattering.If you've watched or been around contact sport in the last 10 years or so, you'll know that concussions and head knocks have become a big issue.NEWS REPORTER: The NRL has introduced strict new rules to tackle the effects of head knocks.NEWS REPORTER: It's fast becoming one of the biggest issues in the game.NEWS REPORTER: Protecting players from repeated concussions.A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that disrupts how brain cells communicate with each other. It can happen from a direct hit to the head, or even a heavy knock to the body, and it's really dangerous, especially if it happens multiple times. It's why we have guidelines outlining how athletes should be treated if they get a concussion. But what if we could significantly lower the risk of getting one in the first place?GRAEME ATTEY, DESIGNER: We want to achieve for concussion what seatbelts achieved for road safety.This is a helmet designed to reduce the likelihood of concussions, and this is its inventor, Graeme Attey.GRAEME ATTEY, DESIGNER: Yeah, it was actually back in 2012. It was a game of Friday night footy. Two guys just went head-to-head and down cold, both of them. And I thought, that's it. This is ridiculous. If you design a helmet that's specifically, you know, made correctly for football, they shouldn't be suffering such severe concussions.Now, helmets have been worn in some contact sport in Australia for a while. But experts say they're not actually that effective when it comes to preventing concussions. Graeme is hoping this new design is different.GRAEME ATTEY, DESIGNER: The reason I wanted to use spheres is because they have a progressive resistance to impact.So far, this new helmet has shown to significantly reduce the force transferred to the head during impact, but that's only in a lab setting. It's why researchers at Monash University are taking it a step further. Over the next few years, they'll trial the helmet with 600 athletes in real-game conditions. Right now, we're still a long way from mandatory helmets in contact sports, and no helmet can completely prevent concussions. But if you knew there was one that could reduce your risk — would you wear it?YOUNG ATHLETE: I think I'd definitely try if there were lots of people that were saying good things about it.YOUNG ATHLETE: I would also look into it, because I've had a few knocks as well and a few concussions, but I don't think I would wear it straight away. I feel like I'd have to get maybe one more and then be like, maybe?YOUNG ATHLETE: Look, headgear's not that attractive, if I'm honest, but, but it just doesn't look good. It's not very pretty.YOUNG ATHLETE: If everyone else, I reckon, you know, follow the crowd and all that, but realistically it is, it is what it is sometimes like that, so yeah.SportThe Matilda's are back and they're already off to a winning start. On Sunday more than 44 thousand people watched as the Tillies defeated the Philippines 1-nil in the Asia Cup opener. It was their Captain Sam Kerr who scored the only goal of the game just 14 minutes in.Speaking of wins, Alyssa Healy has just wrapped up her last ever One Day International. Team India lined up to give Alyssa a guard of honour before she struck one hundred and fifty-eight runs helping Australia to cruise to a 185-run win.And to another Aussie and another uhhh… oh win. Golfer Hannah Green has won the Women's World Championship in Singapore for the second time. Hannah just snatched first place by one stroke knocking American Auston Kim to second place.Women's History Month — Mum ShirlRookie Reporter: EvaINTRO: Did you know, March is Women's History Month? So, for the rest of the month we're going to be telling you the stories of some Aussie women who fought to change the country for the better, with the help of our rookie reporters. Today Eva's going to tell us about the life and legacy of a women known to many as Mum Shirl.This is Shirley Colleen Smith, a proud Wiradjuri Woman known to many as Mum Shirl. Shirley was born in the early 1920s on Erambie Mission just outside of Cowra in NSW. She didn't go to school because she had epilepsy.MUM SHIRL: When I was born, not even white people knew what epilepsy was.She was raised by her grandfather; someone she loved dearly.MUM SHIRL: My grandfather was the most powerful and gentlest man that God gave birth to. My Grandfather said to me Colleen you need to first love yourself and spread it around.In the mid-1930s Shirley moved to Sydney with her family. Not long after the move one of her brothers was arrested and sentenced to jail. Shirley visited him regularly, as well as the other First Nations inmates. And even when her brother was released, she continued to visit the jail. That's how she earnt her nickname, Mum Shirl, as she would often act as, well, a Mum for prisoners both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. She'd come into court and speak for them; she'd help pay their bail, and in some cases, take them home and help them settle back in with the rest of society.SUE SHREINER, SYDNEY MAGISTRATE: A lot of people who otherwise would have ended up in jail because of Mum Shirl got looked after.Mum Shirl became the only woman in Australia to have unrestricted access to prisons. Her reputation for generosity and understanding became well known and people from all over would come to her for help. During her lifetime she fostered more than 60 children.In the 70s Mum Shirl joined political movements taking part in land rights protests and helping to establish the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra. She also helped set up Australia's first Aboriginal Legal Service, as well as Australia's first Aboriginal medical centre where she worked for many years. In 1977 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire and then a Member of the Order of Australia in 1998.DR CHARLES PERKINS, ABORIGINAL ACTIVIST: Shirley was one of the most unselfish human beings that God gave breath into.On the 28th of April 1998 Mum Shirl died, but her legacy lives on through the services she helped set up that still operate today and those who continue to spread her message of generosity, compassion and justice.CloserWell, that's all we have for you today. But don't worry, we'll be back with more soon. And in the meantime, you can always jump online to check out our stories. We've got programs, teaching resources, and all the rest up there. And, of course, Newsbreak will be here in the studio every weeknight keeping you up to date. Have a good one and I'll see you really soon. Bye!Iran Attack 🇮🇷 Israel and the United States have launched missiles and dropped bombs on several Iranian cities. Middle Powers 🤝 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says "middle powers" should teamed up to take on the superpowers. Measles 🦠 Recently there’s been a big increase in the number of people coming down with measles and in Australia. Concussion Helmet 🏉 A new helmet that’s been designed to try to prevent concussions in contact sports like AFL. Mum Shirl ✊ Find out how Shirley Colleen Smith earnt her nickname Mum Shirl - a Women's History Month Special.CreditsAmelia Moseley, Presenter2 Mar 20262 Mar 2026Mon 2 Mar 2026 at 1:30pmShareFacebookX (formerly Twitter)5 itemsIn this episode1 of 5Iran AttackDuration: 4 minutes 33 seconds4m 33s2 of 5Middle PowersDuration: 4 minutes 10 seconds4m 10s3 of 5MeaslesDuration: 3 minutes 57 seconds3m 57s4 of 5Concussion HelmetDuration: 3 minutes 38 seconds3m 38s5 of 5Mum ShirlDuration: 3 minutes 6 seconds3m 6sBTN Quiz Ep 5, 2026Episode 5 – Package (PDF)Episode 5 – Package (Word)Measles – TR (PDF)Mum Shirl – TR (PDF)Back to top